Thanks for the advice!

Oh, I didn't know about the name change :blush: Sorry, Carly!

JUST DON'T DO IT AGAIN (JK) lol it's ok, at least now we both know!

Masta_Splinta wrote:

Some people put heat pads under their enclosures which I feel is a very bad thing. T's burrow to cool down if they get too hot (I should mention this isn't the only reason for burrowing) and if the heat pad is at the bottom of the enclosure, they are burrowing closer and closer to the source of the heat, often cooking them alive.

Even with my reptiles I never heat from the bottom e.g. heating mats, I always install them on the side. For the very reasons outlined.

TH

I thought that I'd share something pertaining the naming conventions of T's with the rookies, to ease communication, and establish a certain congruence on the forum. Please see www.tarantulas.co.za/forum/tarantula-gen...0-posting-guidelines

Yes I will give that it might be hard in the beginning, but with the whole common name thing it boils down to what is common to you is not common to the next, and this creates issues down the line.

TH

Interesting that you say that TH,

I've kept my reptiles with heat mats underneath the enclosures since my first snake many years ago. But then I use 2cm thick wooden enclosures so the heat transferral into the enclosure isn't all that much. I leave these running costantly with temp guages on both sides of the enclosures so I get a fairly accurate measurement of the gradient.

I also use less than 1/4 of the total floor space for heating purposes with my waterbowls on the opposite side so this creates a 5-10 degree temperature gradient within the enclosures from one side to the other.

My snakes move from one end of the enclosure to the other when they need to. Being winter, my boa hasn't left the side of the enclosure with the heat mat unless it's to drink from his water bowl.

I have also stacked my cages on top of each other with the heat pads all on the same side and the cooler gradients all on the opposite ends.

I have never come across this creating problems, only where keepers put the heat pads INSIDE the enclosures and the snakes burn themselves at times. I think this is another one of those things that boils down to personal preferences