Will fake basking rocks conduct heat as well as real ones?Because currently I am using a real one but it doesn't look very nice and I was wondering if it would be a bad idea to change them.
thanks
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fake basking rocks
pacman101
Nov 08, 2004 06:35 PM
Replies (4)
PHLdyPayne
Nov 08, 2004 07:55 PM
Don't think it really matters either way as dragons don't need belly heat as much as heat coming in from above. The color of the rock also will make a difference. Paler rocks won't hold heat as well as a darker rock. As long as the artificial rock you choose isn't a plug in the wall kind, and your basking light temp is in the correct range, shouldn't be any different at all heat wise for your dragon.
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PHLdyPayne
pacman101
Nov 08, 2004 08:04 PM
Actually its for a uro but I asked in here because things move a little faster.
tazok
Nov 09, 2004 09:15 AM
I've seen the topic come up a couple of times on this forum that bearded dragons can't sense heat from below. In my experience I think this is false. In the wild bearded dragons and almost all reptiles bask on blacktops and such because of the extra heat they retain. If they couldn't sense the surface heat, then they wouldn't choice these locations to bask on.
As far as real vs. fake rocks. I don't think it makes any different. If the surface temperature is safe the dragon will be fine either way.
figuerres
Nov 09, 2004 04:21 PM
partly right,
what I have read here and other places is that:
bd's are less able to feel when heat is too hot than some animals. that heat rocks have been known to produce "hot spots" that can injure a repltile. taking that into account and the fact that a bd basks in the light it is safer and more natural to have light and heat from above to warm them.
the idea here is that if a bd or any herp sits on a warm / hot rock (natural) it will tend to cool off under them over time and not get hotter and burn them.
that an electricly heated "rock" can and does get hot when a herp is on it and if it malfunctions can injure the herp very badly.
many have rheastats to try and prevent that.
but if the rheastat fails in the "on" state then you can cook the herp before the herp "feels" to hot.
this is my understanding of what I have read.
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