heat mat?

[tortoishell]

It's getting colder outside, so I don't want to let him out into the greenhouse for too long. My tortoise just got wormed, and he won't be able to hibernate this year. I've noticed that the heat bulb doesn't seem to get the basking spot up to 90 F. Instead it stays around 70 to 80 degrees. Would a heat mat be good for additional warmth?

 

[Yvonne G]

You probably need a bulb of higher wattage. Or maybe lower it.

 

[Tom]

What Yvonne said...

 

[JoesMum]

Agreed. A higher wattage bulb is required.

A heat mat will provide warmth from both sides, but won't raise the temperature to basking level. Basking at 95-100F is essential to raise a tort's internal temperature so it can digest food and be active.

 

[tortoishell]

Sorry I didn't reply earlier ☺. How do I find a higher or more effective heat bulb?

 

[enzot91]

Sorry I didn't reply earlier ☺. How do I find a higher or more effective heat bulb?

What do you have at the moment? There's no rule, every situation is different and getting the ideal temperatures depends on more than just the wattage of the bulb. You need to take its height into consideration too.