Heat Mats Good or Bad?!

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Hi I've been doing a lot of research lately on bearded dragons in coming up with the best vivarium for my bearded dragon for when I do buy one. But now I've come across another problem. HEAT MATS! Looking at a lot of vivariums in the Uk there doesn't seem to be any holes for the lights to be fitted in it it's mainly you have to put the light in the vivarium which I hate I would rather it be put on the top of the vivarium shining down on the dragon so there's more room for it. Therefore I've had to look at heat mats to ensure the heat overnight as it's cold in the UK. But now I've come cross some information that heat mats are bad an that they can burn the dragons? Any advice ?
 

Gormagon

Extreme Poster
I don't know why but for some reason beardies cannot sense heat on their bellies, so heat mat could burn them before they would move. They sense heat from overhead to regulate their body temperature.
So in short, no heat mats are not something you want to use.
You can get a CHE(ceramic heat emitter) for heat at night,it does not emitt light so they can sleep better.
 

Taterbug

BD.org Addict
Gormagon":12lxtnfu said:
I don't know why but for some reason beardies cannot sense heat on their bellies, so heat mat could burn them before they would move. They sense heat from overhead to regulate their body temperature.
Are you sure its even true then? I see this repeated a lot, and yes dragons can get burned from heat mats and heat mats can be unsafe but there isn't much evidence for that 'reason'. It seems a bit odd that animals from the desert where surface temps get really hot wouldn't be able to tell the rock they are sitting on would burn them....

Heat mat/heat rocks are really bad at uniform heat though, and do not provide heat in a way that warms up the enclosures so a big basking animal can properly warm up. Instead they just warm up what they can touch, and the things very close to them. They are not inherently unsafe when used properly. They need to be attached to a thermostat that will control the max temperature they will reach to avoid becoming a burn risk.

The heat mat in this image is around 110-130F in the center, but only about 80-90 on the rocks nearby.
tumblr_nxfagtXX3G1sgcopoo9_400.jpg


@Aarongibson, I am not sure which sort of Vivs you are looking at but you may need to drill holes if you want the lamps inside. If you want the lamps outside, thats fine as long as you get the right ones. T5 HO lamps (like an Arcadia 12% or 14%) can be mounted outside the screen just fine, along with a heat lamp in a dome. Additionally, a taller vivarium is always a good choice when you can get one.
 

Gormagon

Extreme Poster
Taterbug":33iz9vh6 said:
Gormagon":33iz9vh6 said:
I don't know why but for some reason beardies cannot sense heat on their bellies, so heat mat could burn them before they would move. They sense heat from overhead to regulate their body temperature.
Are you sure its even true then? I see this repeated a lot, and yes dragons can get burned from heat mats and heat mats can be unsafe but there isn't much evidence for that 'reason'. It seems a bit odd that animals from the desert where surface temps get really hot wouldn't be able to tell the rock they are sitting on would burn them....

Heat mat/heat rocks are really bad at uniform heat though, and do not provide heat in a way that warms up the enclosures so a big basking animal can properly warm up. Instead they just warm up what they can touch, and the things very close to them. They are not inherently unsafe when used properly. They need to be attached to a thermostat that will control the max temperature they will reach to avoid becoming a burn risk.
Then why risk it, to many unknowns to take a chance on it for me, IMO! I would hate to think that I was responsible for causing my lil girl undue pain and stress, even more so, someone elses. So until it is proven to me that they are a healthy addition to my beardies needs, I will not use one or advise someone else to use one. This is my personal opinion and preference.
 

premammalian

Hatchling Member
This applies only for some slow boid snakes, not for bearded dragons. Bearded dragons live in extremely hot environments in the desert and knowing when it is too hot is vital for their survival. Bearded dragons are more than capable to escape from a hot sun-heated place outdoors, and surely a heat pad cannot do harm. I do use one for spring and fall when the lamp cannot raise the temperature enough with good results. Actually a study was made to test for the efficacy of various analgesics on bearded dragons, using hot surfaces for monitoring pain.
 

Taterbug

BD.org Addict
premammalian":prys0fz3 said:
This applies only for some slow boid snakes, not for bearded dragons. Bearded dragons live in extremely hot environments in the desert and knowing when it is too hot is vital for their survival. Bearded dragons are more than capable to escape from a hot sun-heated place outdoors, and surely a heat pad cannot do harm. I do use one for spring and fall when the lamp cannot raise the temperature enough with good results. Actually a study was made to test for the efficacy of various analgesics on bearded dragons, using hot surfaces for monitoring pain.
Do you have a copy of that study? that would be an interesting read.
 

Gormagon

Extreme Poster
premammalian":t1udxv9j said:
Actually a study was made to test for the efficacy of various analgesics on bearded dragons, using hot surfaces for monitoring pain.
So what they essentially did was prove the heat does cause them pain. They were testing analgesics (surface pain blockers) on bearded dragons.... for what purpose? I find this a little more than disturbing.
 

ruben0311

Juvie Member
i use a UTH to have one side of tank nice and hot, its underneath bricks and sand and so the heat is diffused nicely... however i have noticed that when Fred digs into the sand a bit he will hold his toes up a bit off the sand, as if keeping them off the hot sand... so i do believe they can sense it pretty well (mind you the surface temps never go higher than about 100 F however just seeing that he holds his toes off the sand is enough for me to believe he can feel it well enough). I of course am not saying to follow my example, just stating my observations and what i know of zoology.
 

Taterbug

BD.org Addict
Gormagon":1xbdx5em said:
premammalian":1xbdx5em said:
Actually a study was made to test for the efficacy of various analgesics on bearded dragons, using hot surfaces for monitoring pain.
So what they essentially did was prove the heat does cause them pain. They were testing analgesics (surface pain blockers) on bearded dragons.... for what purpose? I find this a little more than disturbing.
Depending on how the study was conducted it could be ethica. Pain management in reptiles is woefully behind other animals, understanding the efficacy of drugs is Important.
 

twixy79

Member
So I am a new beardie owner, and I find this very interesting. We currently have a heat mat under our new beardies 10gal tank, however we know the 10gal was only a temporary home, so we have a 55 gal. that we are working on now. With that being said, I thought using a heat mat would be great since it diffuses the heat, but I mean, a ceramic heat emitter could essentially do the same thing, only in a slightly more concentrated area.

What I found very interesting about heat mats is that they are actually more efficient when placed on the "back" of the tank? We have a Zilla mat, and it clearly states for best results place on back of tank... If that was the case, I'd assume that unless your beardie is a glass surfer, they'd be pretty safe.....
 

Taterbug

BD.org Addict
twixy79":2o38p6kq said:
So I am a new beardie owner, and I find this very interesting. We currently have a heat mat under our new beardies 10gal tank, however we know the 10gal was only a temporary home, so we have a 55 gal. that we are working on now. With that being said, I thought using a heat mat would be great since it diffuses the heat, but I mean, a ceramic heat emitter could essentially do the same thing, only in a slightly more concentrated area.

What I found very interesting about heat mats is that they are actually more efficient when placed on the "back" of the tank? We have a Zilla mat, and it clearly states for best results place on back of tank... If that was the case, I'd assume that unless your beardie is a glass surfer, they'd be pretty safe.....

Heat mats dont really diffuse heat though? They heat up the surface they are on and the things that touch them and contribute little ambient environmental temperatures. The effect of all the heat mats I have is almost nothing an inch or two away. A CHE is a radiant source so it will heat the objects it "shines" at a much greater range (wattage dependent). Regulated heat mats aren't the boogeyman but I find less and less use for them in my enclosures.
 

Rankins

Gray-bearded Member
Heat mats and heat tape are perfectly fine to use. They need to be regulated by a thermostat or a rheostat. I would use a thermostat as its easier to adjust the temperature. I use heat tape for all my enclosures and have 60 foot of it running right now. Each 6 ft section is regulated with thermostat. Obviously I also use a mercury vapor basking area and a UV light over the cool end. I stuck my uv inside the enclosure with 50 lb mounting tape.
 
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