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Experts please read.

iluvblackfrancis Oct 31, 2004 12:14 PM

I've built a shed outside my house so I'd have room for all my breeding projects (burmese pythons, hypo boas, and various geckos). It's starting to get colder, especially at night. All my leo cages have UTHs, but I'm wondering if the air temperature will be a problem, or if the UTHs are fine? I live in Southern California, so it doesn't get too cold, but I don't want the geckos to be uncomfortable. I figure Pakistan isn't too different then here climate wise, so I think the UTHs will be fine. I just need an expert's opinion.
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My blood is workin', but my, my heart is...DEAD!

Replies (8)

Snarks Oct 31, 2004 01:59 PM

but a sure fire way would be to go out at night or whenever and record the temperatures. If you're going to have a huge breeding facility then you should prolly have a temp gun anways.

peachstategeckos Oct 31, 2004 02:58 PM

Yep, I agree with Snarks. Record the temps and if they appear to be too low for comfort then maybe you can find a way to heat the shed a little bit. Good luck.
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Katie
Peach State Geckos
Breeding Mealworms
My Email

iluvblackfrancis Oct 31, 2004 03:31 PM

I need to know more, if they'll get enough heat from the UTH, or if the ambient air temp is that big a deal.
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My blood is workin', but my, my heart is...DEAD!

iluvblackfrancis Oct 31, 2004 03:32 PM

I forgot to mention, I do want the geckos to notice the drop in temperature, I just don't want them to suffer from it.
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My blood is workin', but my, my heart is...DEAD!

SpikeNsquirt Oct 31, 2004 09:02 PM

I'm not an expert, but I do know that even with an UTH the temp in the tank will drop. For example...we live in PA and there were a couple of nights when it got into the 40's and even though all of our leos have UTH (my mom was visiting and opened the window in the middle of the night...not near the leos, but the temp in the house dropped) and so did the temp in the tank. The temps went down to about 70 and all of our leos were a little sluggish. Hope this helps a little in what you were wondering.

hill4803 Oct 31, 2004 03:42 PM

Ambient temp is somewhat important. A whole bunch of problems can result if your herps get cold. If you have a space heater or another form of heating that can be controlled with a dimmer/thermostat/rheostat, use it in addition to the UTH. Also does your shed have insulation to help maintain a relatively constant temp? UTHs will be very ineffective should a cold snap happen over night.
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www.hullabalooherps.com

xelda Oct 31, 2004 05:12 PM

How much ambient heat your UTHs retain will depend on what type of enclosure you're keeping your herps in. Are you using a rack or glass aquariums? If you're using glass tanks, you should definitely look into getting a room heater (the portable kind) to ensure the temps don't get too low. Glass allows so much heat to escape.

Either way, your animals are going to show a response to the change of seasons. Even if they have a UTH available, their bodies will slow down as a natural reaction to the shorter daylight hours and change in weather. It's what I've seen in my herps anyway.

A word of caution, make sure you keep your shed locked and secure. It'll probably attract some unwanted animals seeking shelter.
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chickabowwow

momtowildones Oct 31, 2004 10:03 PM

I live in Orange County California and the temps here at night do get too cold on occasion. If you really want to keep them in a shed outside you are going to have to make sure it is insullated and there is another heat source to regulate the temps inside the shed. The uth's will not be enough.I have all of my geckos inside but during this time of year I make sure they are away from the windows because their glass cages get very chilly at night if I don't! Hope this helps!

Suzanne

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