Why Heat Mats are Bad

Подписаться 1 тыс.

Просмотров 1,9 тыс.

50% 1

A brief explaination on why heat mats are a bad primary heat source for reptiles - probably most relevant for people who keep snakes (such as ball pythons and corn snakes) as well as leopard geckos, as these animals are often kept on a heat mat set up. Hopefully this will show you that when looking at the heat lamp vs heat mat debate from a scientific perspective, it is quite clear which is the better heat source! Again, I don't want to shame anyone for using a mat, as the issues with them are not really discussed much within the hobby, and they are sufficient to allow your animal to survive and stay healthy. I have used them myself! However, there is a difference between providing an animal with the basics it needs to survive vs providing it with an environment in which it is free from discomfort and able to express its full range of natural behaviors (look up the five freedoms of animal welfare for more information).
As mentioned in the video, the two main problems with heat mats are the fact that they do not provide heat from above and the fact that the emit infrared C aka far infrared, which does not allow a reptile to warm its body very efficiently. That being said, I personally also had issues with getting the temperature of my set up right when using a heat mat. Despite using a thermostat, it seemed that the warm spot temperatures would constantly flucturate depending on how much substrate was on top of the mat and how damp it was etc. Using a deep heat projector or a heat lamp lets you control your enclosure temperatures much more precisely as you can stick the probe into the warm hide and control its ambient temperature.
If you want a more detailed explaination and more infos on different heating methods, feel free to check out the following videos:
My video on why I switched from a ceramic heat emitter to a deep heat projector:
• Deep Heat Projector Se...
PDF of "Why infrared matters" by Roman Muryn (where the pie charts are from):
www.reptifiles.com/wp-content...
Animals at Home Podcast episode featuring Dr. Frances Baines (light and heating):
• Ultimate Reptile Light...
Animals at Home Podcast episode featuring Roman Muryn (Infrared radiation and heating):
• The Power of Infrared ...
Reptile Wellness Management Study (behind a paywall):
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25766...
JTB Reptile's lighting and heating trilogy:
part 1 (physics of heat)
• Reptile Heating & Ligh...
part 2 (most relevant to my video - where he dunks on heat mats)
• The Best Heater for Re...
part 3 (UVB)
• UV Guide For Reptiles ...
"Best Reptile Heating Methods & Infra Red Radiation" by Reptiles and Research:
• Video
----
I tired to cite all my sources where possible, and the only images or recordings without citations are ones I created myself. If I did miss anything out or wrongly attributed something feel free to let me know so we can sort it out. Some of the repitle footage you see was taken by me at the Paris Zoo.
Table of contents:
00:00 Introduction
00:57 issue #1 no top-down heat
03:22 issue #2 wrong kind of heat (IRC)
05:16 surviving vs thriving
06:07 I use a heat mat, now what?
06:33 Conclusion

Животные

Опубликовано:

25 июл 2024

Ссылка:

Скачать:

Готовим ссылку...

Добавить в:

Мой плейлист

Посмотреть позже

Комментарии : 33

@CatharticOutlet 2 года назад

sorry to those who saw my previous video about the deep heat projector - this video may not be that interesting for you as I did recycle a bit of my content from the last one... but this was something I had to get out of my system! Heat mats are like, everywhere, man...

@peetakispeetopoulos3982 2 года назад

Heat mat is not meant to keep warm day reptiles bc they truly take the heat from above.BUT, night reptiles like geckos or some snakes hide from the sun and take all the heat they need to survive from rocks and earth underneath them so they are not completely bad. I will say though that i highly recommend deep heat projectors because they are for sure more natural.

@CatharticOutlet 2 года назад

I think heat mats can be good as a secondary heat source for night time heat. However, the primary heat source for nocturnal animals is still the sun so they will also need an IR-A and IRB-B emitting top-down heat source to provide warmth during the day.

@naeari5793 Год назад

This is a very good video on ur opinion of heat mats:) although i will still continue to use my heat mats(i do have heat lamps as well but i use them at different times every day)😂 reason: ive done quite some research on them and especially with owning nocturnal snakes that need an efficient amount of humidity. i think people just need to learn how to use both heat mats and heat lamps right because they are both beneficial to nocturnal species and they both have their pros and cons like any other topic:) also its not normal for a nocturnal species to bask it may indicate that their hides are to cool which force them to come out and bask:) but this video is so good!!! and its very informational and a good way for people to learn:)

@LydiaGrace-tk3en Месяц назад

@cathy outlet Thank you for this video! I'm in the process of adopting my first baby snake and am super excited 😁!! Would it be advisable to use two deep heat projectors instead of a heat lamp on one side and a DHP on the "cooler" side? Additionally, I was considering incorporating a UVB light to provide some lighting, which is why I am hesitant about using a heat lamp (too much light).

@lynnesouthall6458 10 месяцев назад

What about raising hztchling snakes?Colubrids such as Corns and kings are notorious escape artists i found best way to keep them is in lockable tubs i cant give them heat from above so i tend to use heatmats...which enclosure would you reccomend for keeping hatchlings?On the topic of Ceramic Heat Emitters i use them but i think i will swap to Basking Bulbs i cant seem to get a hold of Deep heat proj3ctors here in UK

@ReptileSeb 7 месяцев назад

I 100% agree !!! Hate that they are still so prevalent in the hobby. Thank u for this video 🙏 However ofc, I do understand that there are some circumstances that they are necessary e.g an emergency heat source or with some aboreal geckos e.g cresties.

@darinrhoton4919 Год назад

Thanks for this! I use a heat mat for two baby ball pythons right now, I've read that some people have an issue changing from a heat mat to a lamp because their baby is scared of the light, should i just ignore that and go for it? I want to switch from a heat mat asap, probably as soon as they get their tank upgrade.

@CatharticOutlet Год назад

I think it may initially be a bit stressful, as all change tends to be for snakes, but if you make sure to have a set up that provides enough space and shaded areas so the snake has the opportunity to choose how much light it wants to be exposed to, it should be alright. I think it's important to provide a warm hide that allows the snake to avoid being exposed to direct light while still absorbing heat, while also allowing it to stick out parts of its body if it wants to do some basking (which should be possible with a standard hide with a front-facing opening). If you have the space you could keep the hide with the heat mat under it in a shaded area of the new set up while the snake adjusts.

@TopFurret 2 года назад

Great video, but I have to disagree in some cases. I know where you're coming from and I appreciate the science being in the science field too. But generalizations and blanket statements aren't great with something as diverse as all reptiles. Heat mats alone are okay for *some* species. Definitely not the ones that bask and require UVB if that's their only heat source. But some, like ball pythons can live long happy lives on heat mats. After all, the primary purpose of heat for them is proper digestion. It doesn't really matter where the heat comes from. All this to say it's okay to have either a heat mat or overhead heating (depending on species) as long as the animal has heat in general. I personally prefer heat mats for my ball python as it does a better job maintaining humidity in this arid high elevation desert I live in where it's regularly 0% humidity. I've tried lamps as well but it caused my humidity to plummet way too much too often. I'm sure places that aren't as dry would have more luck with a lamp but this is just what works for me personally.

@CatharticOutlet Год назад

Thanks for your feedback! I agree that a snake will be able to live all its life on a heat mat, but I disagree that it doesn't matter where the heat comes from. I would say a mat is an okay heat soure, but there are better options. While there are some species where providing overhead heat is more critical for the animal's health (for example bearded dragons), that doesn't mean other, more hardy reptiles wouldn't benefit from it either. I'm not a snake physiologist, but I'd say that if you are concerned about proper digestion, then an IR-A and IR-B emitting heat source would be more useful, as this will warm the inner tissues and organs more efficiently, as opposed to an IR-C emitting heat source like a heat mat that only warms the outer layer of a snake's belly from below (which is quite uncommon in the wild, where most heat will come from above). I don't go into too much detail in this video so I really recommend checking out some of the podcasts I linked in the description if you want more extensive, scientific explainations on heating and lighting for reptiles in general and how they benefit when you replicate the sun's heat as closely as possible (if you're interested). That being said, I can see how in your circumstances it may be challenging to maintain the correct humidity with a lamp or DHP. I agree that they do dry the terrarium out more ( by virute of raising the ambient temperature and actually creating a proper thermal gradient). My place is relatively dry (20-30% humidity), but I was able to maintain my desired humidity in my glass terrarium by covering most of the mesh lid with clingfilm and spraying the insdie down a few times a week. In my wooden terrarium, where I use a deep heat projector, I am able to maintain the correct humidity by spraying it down around once a week. The fact that the wooden terrarium only has ventilation on the sides helps as well. But, if the environment is too extreme then it's better to use a heat source like a mat that will allow you to have good humidity levels in your current set up. While a python will survive on a heat mat, it may not survie in a super arid environment...

@darinrhoton4919 Год назад

Sorry for the double comment, but the same goes for UVB. Also, does your UVB light affect your temperature gradients much?

@CatharticOutlet Год назад

What I mentioned in my previous comment also goes for UVB - give the snake a set up that lets it choose how much light it will be exposed to, and keep the UVB on the same side as the heat lamp to mimic sunlight. You probably know this already but be sure to get a UVB tube with the right output (not too high for ball pythons), and make sure it has the right distance from the basking area to match your snake's UV requirements (you can find guides for this online). I elevated my hide so the maximum UVI zone (3) is on the top of my ball python's hide, while the ground level of her terrarium features a UVI zone of around 1. In my experience, I'd say the UVB barely affects the temperature at all.

@avaogara Год назад

imteresting.however I've heard overhead heat lamp dries out the enclosure too much .do you have that problem?

@CatharticOutlet Год назад

They dry out the enclosure more than a heat mat, but how manageable that is depends on your set up. In my wooden terrarium I only need to spray the inside down once week to maintain the right humidity levels. If you have a terrarium with a mesh lid, you can cover part of the lid with clingfilm to keep the moisture in.

@avaogara Год назад

@@CatharticOutlet ty Cathy I'm planning on getting a front opening terrium....so wyt ? heat mat or overhead lamp ?

@CatharticOutlet Год назад

@@avaogara Personally, I'd go with a lamp!

@krk_457 2 года назад

Should I avoid any type of light sources or UVB if I'm getting an amelanistic snake? I'm looking at a Coral Pink Snow corn snake and don't want to hurt him. Great video!

@CatharticOutlet 2 года назад

Thanks! that's a very interesting question! I am not too sure myself...I've seen people keep their albino corns with UVB but it seems like there are also people totally against it (but a lot of those seem to be anti-UVB in general). Some sources say that you can provide them with UVB but at slightly lower levels and with more hiding opportunities than for a wild-type - which is probably the advice I would follow. I think this reddit post: www.reddit.com/r/hognosesnakes/comments/mffej6/uvb_and_albinos/ and this video about albino leopard geckos: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-1Aoe0iVeaJc.html make some good points.

@heddabedda306 Год назад

I did see a study on ball pythons that measured the time spent doing different activities during the day. The point of the study was to determine what percentage of time the pythons spent in a rectilinear position (stretched out), but they documented multiple activities - one of which was basking. The albino pythons spent a fraction of the time basking under UVB that non-albinos did. As such, the albinos spent significantly more time hiding during the day. It did make me reconsider whether I’d provide UVB if I had an albino animal. I’m leaning towards either not adding it or having it on a separate timer that only turns it on for an hour or two per day. I’d love to see someone further study if albino snakes avoid light in general more than their normal counterparts or if they can tell the difference between lights and only avoid prolonged UVB exposure. I have similar questions about UVB exposure for scaleless snakes. I wish we knew the answer to these kinds of things before we intentionally breed “special needs” animals.

@krk_457 Год назад

@@heddabedda306 can you cite the study plz I'd be interested in reading it

@tangyntart Год назад

@@krk_457 Edit: found it! "The three albinotic ball pythons were basking for on average 10 ± 2 min/day, much less than the other ball pythons, which were basking for on average 144 ± 13 min/day." (It's definitely a small sample. Still - very interesting to see that the normal snakes basked over 13 times longer per day than the albinos!) Also: "Due to their heightened light sensitivity, the albinotic pythons in our study visited the basking spot under UV light less often and for much shorter duration (daily average: 10 min) than the pigmented pythons did. Because basking, with approx. 10% of the 12-hour light period, made up a large share in the behavior repertoire of the ball python, the question arises in how far the selective breeding of albinotic morphs represents cases of so-called torture breeding in terms of the German Animal Welfare Act [39]." journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0247082

@krk_457 Год назад

@@tangyntart I find it interesting that they still basked just significantly less. Hmm I think I'm going to add more shade in front of my UV light or perhaps shorten the cycle. Mine is very weak but this is still interesting and something I've thought alot about

@DangerZebra Год назад

Also you could argue that you dont see every single reptile come out and lay on roads and sidewalks for belly heat. They clearly thrive in the wild where there may not be rocks to get their "belly heat".

@dawdthdfh4543 2 года назад

6:27 did you have a thermostate connected?

@dawdthdfh4543 2 года назад

he can get way too hot if he sits ontop right under it, i would keep thermostate on the outside or right under the ceramic heater and just turn it up and up, so incase he gets ontop he cant get burned

@CatharticOutlet 2 года назад

@@dawdthdfh4543 I realize I didn't show it in this video, but I never use any of my heat sources without a thermostat. The probe is in the the warm hide, right under the surface (I drilled a hole in the side of the hide and wedged the thermostat probe in, you can see it in my videos on the deep heat projector and the ceramic heat emitter if your're interested). I set the inside temperature to around 30 degrees celsius and the surface under the CHE would get up to 35 which is like the maximum basking temp for ball pythons. But yeah, using CHEs or deep heat projectors without thermostats is super dangerous!

@PixelAquarium 2 года назад

Good video, I don't keep reptiles, but I imagine heat mats are bad for fish as well.

@CatharticOutlet 2 года назад

...and yet there are still people crazy enough to try and stick a heat mats under their aquariums! Luckily the heating of fishe seems less complicated than that of reptiles, although I'm sure the aquarium hobby has its own share of ridiculous husbandry myths.