Cooking leo's

[Nick312]

Can someone explain why on earth do people have temps of over 95 in a cage for a leo. High air temps lead to dehydration which is a known problem with them. How can people get a cool side which is very important in a small tank?

 

[Pinky81]

your air temps aren't what you should be measuring...if you have a UTH you should have a digital probe thermometer with the probe on the floor of the tank over the UTH so it is measuring belly temps. Your UTH should only be covering 1/3 of the tank floor.

 

[Nick312]

Air temp is also important. Breathing in high temps causes fluid loss which they can hardly afford.

 

[geckofreak23]

cuz there new to reptiles..and u tell them NICELY wat it should be.

 

[Repkyle]

I don't understand the Idea behind this post? Is it a question, a statement or an attack? If so, who is it aimed at?

 

[Pinky81]

Unless your using blazing basking bulbs your air temps aren't going to be that high.

Regardless tho these animals are native to dessert conditions. Im pretty sure the air temp in their natural habitat goes WELL above 95degrees and they do NOT have a nice big bowl of water right next to them either.

Nick312 Your over thinking :main_robin:

 

[DierdreDreamwalker626]

Unless your using blazing basking bulbs your air temps aren't going to be that high.

Regardless tho these animals are native to dessert conditions. Im pretty sure the air temp in their natural habitat goes WELL above 95degrees and they do NOT have a nice big bowl of water right next to them either.

Nick312 Your over thinking :main_robin:

+1

 

[M_surinamensis]

Regardless tho these animals are native to dessert conditions. Im pretty sure the air temp in their natural habitat goes WELL above 95degrees and they do NOT have a nice big bowl of water right next to them either.

There's a greater degree of diversity in the microhabitat in the wild than there is in (most) enclosures.

The air temperature at ground level can sometimes go over ninety five, but that's mostly going to be during the day; dropping in the evening and over night. During the hottest points of the day, of the year, anytime when the surface temps aren't ideal for them, the geckos will be down and under and hiding.

Wild hides aren't like the hides I usually see people using in photos... it's not an overturned tupperware bowl or anything remotely like that. It's not thin and sitting on the surface. They use old rodent burrows and deep cracks, they dig in dirt and they will squeeze down among piled rocks. They go deeper, under the surface far enough so that the heat is not as penetrating, down where the moisture is retained and not baked away every day. They can be anywhere from 6-8 inches to a few feet underground, depending on what's available to them in the way of natural formations.

So heat and moisture can be at issue, it's certainly possible to cook and dehydrate a leo... but on the other hand, most the care information I see stresses the need for a thermal gradient, multiple hides at different temperatures and one with increased moisture. There is also plentiful information about the physics of heat and humidity and many of the ways it can be manipulated in conjunction with common housing practices. Especially for leos, as popular as they are. So I'm not sure what the hell Nick is yammering about. Some specific problem he's seeing with someone else's enclosures? One he's having himself? Maybe he wants information about thermal gradients and heating devices? He provided no context for his statements and I can't be arsed to decipher ramblings.

 

[Nick312]

I appologize for the way I expressed my comment, but after seeing the demise of so many geckos kept in inappropriate conditions I could not control my dissapointment. My souces do not come from the internet, my wife is a reptile vet which I honestly did not want to mention here. Temps should not be over 90 for geckos. It leads to health problems in the future. You said it yourself when temps are high they hide underneath
shelters and avoid the heat. So imagine having limited options in a small fish tank. The temp gradient is usually poor. The poor geckos are on the glass trying to escape. The combination of high temps, fattening insects and overhandling is why many do not live over 10 years.

 

[ace bomer]

if i must say, after reading your post. a cranked my leo heat up from 82 to 90-92 degree, and there was no problem, he seemed to be enjoying it. and after he was done basking, he went bak to his hide

 

[M_surinamensis]

I appologize for the way I expressed my comment, but after seeing the demise of so many geckos kept in inappropriate conditions I could not control my dissapointment.

Seeing it where exactly? These forums? Animals owned by people who followed the care information and advice here? Your own house?

My souces do not come from the internet, my wife is a reptile vet which I honestly did not want to mention here.

And you managed to make it a whole six posts before doing so anyway.

Maybe you should have her register so that I can grill her about her qualifications and knowledge directly, rather than hearing you vomit back up things you think you heard her say.

Temps should not be over 90 for geckos.

Depending on models (biological species versus evolutionary species concepts), there are anywhere from about 1200 to over 2000 species of gecko, from different habitats on every continent except Antarctica. Generalizations like that one are asinine.

The temp gradient is usually poor.

Usually? As in, more often than not, greater than half the time, comprising a majority? Got any evidence of that contention or are you just making crap up?

It can be poor, it can be mismanaged, some specific tools and configurations can make it easier or more difficult... but "usually" carries implications that you have not supported.

The poor geckos are on the glass trying to escape.

One of several causes for glass-walking, not the only one... and that's some serious anthropomorphism, especially when combined with the "imagine living in a fishtank" bullshit you stuck in there.

Again you have failed to provide any explanation or motivation for posting this stuff... you're making situational points devoid of any context and trying to... what, hold them up as applicable absolutes? Condemn pet owners or certain practices? Argue with the methods that some people choose to employ? Help me understand what in the hell you're trying to say here.

 

[ace bomer]

amen!

 

[Nick312]

I had good intentions overall but obviously this was a mistake. Unfortunately we do not have the luxury of time on our hands to type pages of info in a forum, but to please your ego she is:

DMV of special species medicine & surgery
Assistant veterinarian of Brandywine Zoo
Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics
Belongs to (ARAV)

 

[im faster]

well bud.. i gotta say on this one she is wrong..

 

[M_surinamensis]

I had good intentions overall but obviously this was a mistake. Unfortunately we do not have the luxury of time on our hands to type pages of info in a forum, but to please your ego she is:

DMV of special species medicine & surgery
Assistant veterinarian of Brandywine Zoo
Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics
Belongs to (ARAV)

The one in Delaware, which boasts a whopping sixteen species of reptile and amphibian, none of which are geckos? Not exactly an immediate confirmation of credibility on the subject.

And doesn't address what you were trying to accomplish... where did you see an example of dangerous practices? Who was not creating an appropriate thermal gradient? Why do you seem to think that appropriate heating is so rare, difficult or impossible?

So far you've kind of just blown a potential issue out of proportion by claiming it happens the majority of the time, and left a few inferences of anti-pet-ownership influences in your thinking. So far you mostly smell like a troll, spouting inflammatory nonsense about how horrible captive conditions are for leopard geckos.

 

[JordanAng420]

Are there any scientific studies, literature or links I can read regarding this statement that temps above 90 lead to future medical issues?

I mean, if you're wife is a "reptile" vet, then i'm sure she has that kind of information easily acessible.

 

[fl_orchidslave]

There's not a vet out there that knows everything about every exotic pet species, even if they ARE reputable reptile vets. What I've personally observed is using outdated husbandry information on their care sheets. Lizards are so diverse yet similar that some husbandry crossover information can be quite harmful. Such as dietary requirements, etc. UVB requirements is another. Substrate.

Your wife is incorrect about temperature requirements for leopard geckos to maintain optimal health.

 

[M_surinamensis]

Maia... your new avatar has pleased me greatly. I cannot stop grinning. If your avatar can be weaponized, we could rule the world. Want to go halfsies on it?

 

[JordanAng420]

Seamus...I am definately up for that...count me in!
Thanks for the compliment.

 

[sunshinegeckos]

Maia your avatar is so funny! It actually made me laugh out loud.