Basking area suggestions and advice needed.

[Jodie]

My 18 pound leopard, Scarlett has to be inside for winter. I have a tortoise room that is kept at 80F. Her enclosure is on the floor with Coir and coco husk substrate. She has a basking area with a 125 MVB and 100 watt incandescent. I have had to raise them high enough that when she sits there it is not burning her shell, but I don't think she is getting warm enough this way. She spends a majority of her day under the lights. What are my options to heat this area up more without completely drying her shell? Would a heating pad attached to the wall help? The substrate is 8 inches deep in this corner. Thanks for any ideas.

 

[Levi the Leopard]

What if you used multiple, lower wattage bulbs? You could make a larger basking area that way.
Or a radiant heat panel? Have you looked into those?

Of course, these are guess suggestions. I don't have experience housing a large leopard inside.

 

[Jodie]

Heat panel is something I am considering. More lights didn't help, because they have to be so high to keep her from burning the top of her shell that they don't heat the bottom enough. Would an underneath heat source be bad? I know heating pads and such are bad, but don't really know why. If it was below a lot of substrate and could keep the dirt 85 or so, would that be ok?

 

[wellington]

How about a pig blanket on a thermostat. She can lay on it to warm her underside and still have the light above for warming top side. I would love to see a pic of this big girl. How old is she and how long? Can't wait till mine get bigger. Also, maybe @Tom will have some ideas to help.

 

[Jodie]

I don't know for sure how old. At least 15 years. I have only had her since fall. She is 15 inches. I rescued her at a pet store. She had to have surgery to remove broken eggs. I think that is why she wants to be so warm. She is still recovering, but eats great and poops a lot!
What is the difference between a pig blanket and heating pads?

 

[diamondbp]

I suggest a small heated pig mat (12x36 ) and place a heat lamp over one side of the mat. The wattage would be determined by height but I think 125-150 would be appropriate for a tort that size.
That would give the tortoise the option of a low heat from just the mat or a "sandwiched" heat (from top and bottom) on the opposite end of the mat.
I find with my larger sulcatas they tend to stay on the heat mat directly under the lights.

 

[gingerbee]

Wow pretty girl and great rescue!!'

 

[Jodie]

Could I cover the heat mat with dirt, or does it just go on top of the substrate? It needs to be on a thermostat right?

 

[Jodie]

Wow pretty girl and great rescue!!'

Thank you. We like her a lot. She has definitely been a challenge though. Not like my much smaller ones. Makes me worry about all of my little cuties turning into big poop machines.

 

[Greg T]

You are probably worrying more than you need to. Leopards normally slow way down during winter months. I keep my three adults in a pen in the garage and they spend all day in the warm hide, only coming out to eat in the mornings. I use two CHE's in the hide which is slightly larger than 2x2x2 and it keeps it pretty warm compared to outside, in the 70-75 range usually. You could use CHE's or the pig mat to keep them warm, but if your room is already 80 degrees then you are doing great for the cooler months. Great looking tort you got there!

 

[Jodie]

You are probably worrying more than you need to. Leopards normally slow way down during winter months. I keep my three adults in a pen in the garage and they spend all day in the warm hide, only coming out to eat in the mornings. I use two CHE's in the hide which is slightly larger than 2x2x2 and it keeps it pretty warm compared to outside, in the 70-75 range usually. You could use CHE's or the pig mat to keep them warm, but if your room is already 80 degrees then you are doing great for the cooler months. Great looking tort you got there!

Thank you. She has a hide with a CHE on a thermostat. She is probably ok I know. Because she is recovering though, I worry.

 

[gingerbee]

Sounds like you've got it under control!! I'd love to find one like her!!!

 

[Tom]

Get yourself a Kane heat mat. Probably the 18x28" size. These come with an embedded safety thermostat, so they can never overheat, and they also come with a dial type thermostat so you can dial in the right temp. I would set this on the same timer as your light bulb in an 80 degree room, but what is the temp on the floor where the tortoise is? If the floor is cooler than 80ish, then I would just plug the matt in and let her sleep on it at night too. You cannot have substrate on any pig blanket. You might need to raise the mat up onto a flat 2x4 base to keep it out of the substrate.

My friend Tyler at Tortoisesupply.com sells them. They are not cheap, but they are super safe, very reliable, very high quality and they last forever. I still have and use my original ones that are now more than 10 years old.

 

[diamondbp]

Heated pig mats should go above the substrate.

www.qcsupply.com has them

 

[Jodie]

Get yourself a Kane heat mat. Probably the 18x28" size. These come with an embedded safety thermostat, so they can never overheat, and they also come with a dial type thermostat so you can dial in the right temp. I would set this on the same timer as your light bulb in an 80 degree room, but what is the temp on the floor where the tortoise is? If the floor is cooler than 80ish, then I would just plug the matt in and let her sleep on it at night too. You cannot have substrate on any pig blanket. You might need to raise the mat up onto a flat 2x4 base to keep it out of the substrate.

My friend Tyler at Tortoisesupply.com sells them. They are not cheap, but they are super safe, very reliable, very high quality and they last forever. I still have and use my original ones that are now more than 10 years old.

Thank you. The floor is cooler. She sleeps in a hide that has insulation on the bottom. A CHE keeps the substrate 78 and the ambient mid 80s. I will look into the Kane mat. What makes these ok, if heating pads and the heated rocks are bad? Is it just that you use a thermostat on them to keep them from getting too hot? Just curious.

 

[Tom]

Thank you. The floor is cooler. She sleeps in a hide that has insulation on the bottom. A CHE keeps the substrate 78 and the ambient mid 80s. I will look into the Kane mat. What makes these ok, if heating pads and the heated rocks are bad? Is it just that you use a thermostat on them to keep them from getting too hot? Just curious.

Hot rocks and heat mats have proven to be totally unreliable and have injured many a reptile. These heat mats spread the heat out over a greater area, have multiple safeties built into them now, and have proven themselves to be reliable and effective over many years. It is a totally different concept than the typical reptile heat rock or heat mat.

 

[Jodie]

Hot rocks and heat mats have proven to be totally unreliable and have injured many a reptile. These heat mats spread the heat out over a greater area, have multiple safeties built into them now, and have proven themselves to be reliable and effective over many years. It is a totally different concept than the typical reptile heat rock or heat mat.

Thank you.

 

[Tom]

Thank you.

You are welcome. Here is one of mine in use:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/another-night-box-thread.88966/

 

[Raymo2477]

Make sure the bottom of your enclosure is not directly on the cold floor. I use the pink insulation foam (the hard stuff) about an inch thick and that has helped with winter warming. I also have a CHE above some slate tile and it gives my guys a bit warmer of a basking spot.