Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am building a cage for my sav this week and I am planning the heating. I got a 150w ceramic heat emitter for christmas that will be positioned 18" above the basking spot. Right now I have a 75w red heat lamp that is 11" fromt he basking spot and makes it 110 degrees surface temp. Will the heat emitter make it to hot, to cold...this is for a sav. btw.

also is it a open cage, open top, or fully enclosed?

The reason I ask is with those wattage bulbs that close the basking area should be alot warmer from my experience.

It is an open top cage, an its a cardboard basking spot.

If I was in your situation I would cover the top, it is better to have side vents or small wholes in top for ventalation.

You need to keep heat and humidity in, an open air top will let it all out. Toss the cardboard, use either stacks of plywood, perhaps a rock, a branch, etc. instead.

After you do this you'll probly have to adjust your light bulb as it will heatup alot more then it does now. But you're monitor will be happier.

From what I have gatheres from my own experience and after communicating with the director of herpetology at the San Diego Zoo, humidity is not generally good for savannah monitors.

I just wanted to make sure that the ceramic heat emitter will do the requires job. I have never used a heat emitter before, so I thought it would be a good idea to ask someone with some experience.

As far as covering the top to raise the temp., it will do exactly that on the basking side as well as the cool side, I dont want to raise the ambient air temp., because them the lizard wont be able to effectivly thermoregulate.

If you cover the top and place the light to one end of the cage it will not over heat. Unless you use a high wattage bulb. if you are using a high wattage bulb in an open air top cage you are probly going to make beef jerky.

They do not like high humidty levels you right but they do need to be able to retain moisture. If kept in a dry cage with an open top and high wattage bulb the air will be robbed of moisture and so will your monitors body.

Covering the top and using a lower wattage bulb will solve this problem. I use 65 watt indoor flood bulbs. Most of my basking areas are 10 to 18 inches away from the backs of my monitors. The basking area that is heated is wide spread not just one isolated focal point. It will heat the entire body of the monitor. If doing this with a larger species I simply use more then 1 bulb. Then I adjust the wattage if needed.

Now if you want to adjust your animal to the bulb then go ahead but i think your doing things backwards. I'd much rather build around the animal then build the animal around the setup.