Many reptiles have very specific need when it comes to heat and light. Meeting these needs is essential to keeping these pets healthy, so it is important to understand why heat and light are so important.

Providing appropriate temperatures is extremely important. Being cold-blooded they rely on external temperatures to regulate their body temperature. In the wild, they naturally gravitate to an area with the temperature they need, moving into the sun or into shaded areas as necessary But they cannot do this on their own whilst in a tank.

One major issue is thate processes like digestion are only efficient at the right body temperature. At temperatures that are too low, a reptile may become sluggish and unable to digest its food properly.

Typically a basking light or other heat source can be placed at one end of the tank so that the temperature there is at the high end of the range for the reptile species. The other end should be maintained around the lower temperature range for the species.

Depending on what sort of reptile you are housing, accessories should be placed in the tank in such a way that the reptile can use the gradient while behaving naturally.

So, if your reptile likes to hide, some kind of shelter  should be provided in both the warm and the cool ends, so the reptile isn’t tempted to hide all day in a shelter that is not at the optimum temperature. If your reptile is arboreal, the appropriate temperatures must be avaialble up in the branches that the reptile climbs on.

The key is to provide conditions that mimic what the reptile would find in its natural environment. Invest in a couple of good thermometers and regularly monitor the temperatures in different areas of the cage. Remember the proper