One of the most important things you do when taking care of a pet lizard is to make sure that the heat is at appropriate levels. We aren’t going to specify the exact temperatures you need to use as each species is different, but we are going to go over how to keep the temperature in the right range.

Why you need to keep lizards warm

You will often hear people talking about the “basking” temperature. Since lizards, like all other reptiles, are ectothermic they can’t regulate their own body temperature and rely on outside sources to do it for them. In nature this could take the form of the sun, warm rocks, trapped pockets of heated air, car exhausts and engine blocks. When they are caged they depend on you to keep the temperature in the proper ranges.

What you need to heat the tank

Since most people don’t live in a house that is constantly at 80+ degrees there’s a very good chance you’ll need a supplemental heat source for your lizards.

Heat Lamp

A heat lamp is a specially designed light that puts off heat (and light) for reptiles. Most bulbs that are designed for use with lizards give off UVA/B lighting. They need that specialized light for their bone health. In other words use the right lights, even though they cost more to buy and run instead of trying to get away with generic light bulbs.

Ceramic heat bulbs

Special bulbs that give off no light, only heat. These are good for night since your lizard won’t require 24/7 UVA/B lighting. They require a special lamp that will dissipate the heat properly.

Ceramic heat tiles

These are basically a larger version of the ceramic heat bulbs designed for larger enclosures

Room/Space heater

Depending on your needs you might also (or instead of) use a space heater. It won’t provide the UVA/B lighting that is necessary for most lizards, but it does allow for keeping the temperatures raised. Particularly in a smaller room.

Ambient (background) and basking temperature

There are two different temperatures you’ll need to keep track of when you have a pet lizard. The first one we are going to talk about is background, or ambient temperature. It is the general temperature inside the cage. Every species of lizard requires a different ambient temperature and it is beyond the scope of this particular article to list them all. Many people have great success by keeping the ambient temperature around 82 to 83 degrees Fahrenheit.

You need to be aware of what is commonly referred to as the “basking temperature”. This is an area of the lizard’s tank which is kept at a higher temperature than anywhere else. When they need extra heat (such as when they are digesting their meal) they will go and bask in this area. As with the ambient temperature each lizard species is different as to how warm they need it. Often times it will be well over 100 degrees. The basking area is localized to a fairly small area. The goal is to get it as warm as needed and the further you move away from that area the lower the temperature goes until it reaches the lower end of the gradient.

Temperature Gradient

This is the change in temperature in different areas of the lizard’s cage. One end should have the basking area and as you move towards the other end of the enclosure the temperature should drop until it reaches the lower ambient range. This way the lizard can better thermoregulate its own body temperature by moving around in the cage.

Thermometers and hygrometers

You can get a good digital thermometer with built in hygrometer and a remote probe from almost any store that carries those kind of items. It doesn’t need to be a specialized for pets as long as it is accurate. A great one can be found at Wal-Mart for about $15.

Set the body of the thermometer on the cool side, and run the probe over to the basking area. This way you can watch both temperatures and it will also keep track of the humidity levels.

Temperature guns

Another method that will allow you to keep track of the temperatures is to use a little device that allows you to “read” the temperature of a surface by pointing towards it. A good temp. gun is very accurate.

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