Sleeping in unusual spot

[Neville]

My guy seems to be sleeping on top of his hideaway and on the side of it every time I wake up in the morning. Temps are low 80s on cool side and high 80s on warm through out the night.
Is this normal behaviour? Whats he telling me?

 

[acpart]

Are these 80's temps air temps or floor temps? If they are air temps, he may possibly be telling you that it's REALLY hot (like over 100) on the floor inside the hide. If they are floor temps, low 90's is best and he's probably telling you that for now, he likes sleeping out in the open. Some of mine do.

Aliza

 

[Neville]

I turn the mat off in the day and put on a red heat lamp, so its air temp and the probe is on the ground under the lamp.

 

[acpart]

If the probe is on the ground under the lamp, wouldn't it be measuring floor temp? Here's something to consider doing (I'm not saying you have to do it this way, but it is the more common way to do it): keep the mat on all the time and use a thermostat or rheostat to maintain a temp on the floor in the low 90's. You actually don't need the light at all, but keep it on if you want to be able to see the gecko.

Aliza

 

[Neville]

My mat only gets the floor up to about 91/92 max and thats when my house is hot inside from summer weather. So I figure I might need that light in the winter.
But yeah, the probe is measuring the temp on the floor because I figure thats what he will feel.
I also thought getting a cave for him to put on the mat for the winter so it traps the heat inside and could have a warmer hide out on colder days. I noticed with a hut I had on the heat mat the temp was quite warmer inside.