5 Things To Know About Your Reptile's Bulb
If you own a reptile pet, whether it be a lizard, snake, or tortoise, you want to be sure that you know the basic ins and outs of how to take care of them. This is especially true when it comes to controlling the temperatures in their environments. Here are five things you should know about your reptile's bulb:
- Know the Temperature Needed for Your Specific Reptile: All species of reptiles are going to require a different temperature range. It's important that you know what this temperature is for your reptile. This way, you know what kind of bulb you need to be looking for.
- Know the Heat Output of the Bulb: When you buy a bulb, you want to be sure that it is a bulb that has the proper heat output. This is going to come in a range, usually, so it's best to find a bulb that meets the temperature needs the closest to it.
- Buy a Thermometer: To ensure that your reptile is living in the right temperature, you want to use a thermometer that is designed to measure the temperature inside of terrariums. This is going to ensure that you know whether or not the bulb is working. At some point, you may find that the bulb is not giving off the same temperature that it did when you first purchased it. At this point, it needs to be replaced.
- Place Thermometer Correctly: To get an accurate reading, you need to place the thermometer in the terrarium correctly. You want it placed under the bulb, specifically in the direct space where your reptile likes to bask. This is where the most heat is coming from. This means you should always be getting the highest reading, so you know that if the reading becomes extremely low, you definitely need to change the bulb.
- Mark the Date: Most bulbs only last about 6 months before they need to be changed, so be sure that you mark the date. The reason for this is that once the six months hit, you can pay more careful attention to the bulb so that you know when to replace it immediately the moment it begins to loose it's power.
When you know these five things about your reptile's bulb, you can be sure that you are protecting your reptile from becoming too cold, which is the most common reason reptile owners find their reptiles have died.
Also keeps these tips in mind when looking for reptiles for sale as pets.