Should I worry about hide tempature getting to high?

[Whisp]

I adopted a 4-5 month old sunglow leopard gecko a couple of days ago and she hasn’t left her hide since she went in. I’m not concerned about that but I’m worried it’s getting to warm. I don’t want to risk putting anything in there to check the temperature incase she does something or it gets in the way so what should I do?

 

[acpart]

If your under tank heater (hopefully you have one) doesn't have a thermostat, there's a chance that it may get too hot, especially because the hide does trap heat. I had a leopard gecko once who liked to spend a lot of time in the hide. I got a little planter and she would stay under the planter. Ultimately I noticed burns on her tail because it was so much hotter in there than anywhere else. In my opinion, your best bet is to get a reptile thermometer from the pet store. It's essentially a digital thermometer with a probe (you can get the same thing at a place like Home Depot). They usually cost about $10. The probe is pretty small. Gently stick the probe in the hide. I don't think it will bother the gecko too much. Give it a few minutes to calibrate and check the readout. If it's above the low 90'sF, it's too hot and you should either get a thermostat (the Zilla is reasonable priced and pretty reliable) or, if you have one, turn the temperature down.

Aliza