# Night time temps for reptiles?



## Rocksher (May 15, 2019)

Hi 

We own 12 pythons, 3 beardies and 4 water dragons and a blue tounge

6 pythons are over 1-1.5 years old
6 pyhtons are younger then 6 months
1 beardie is 3 years and 2 beardies are less then 6 months old

our question is...What temps are we meant to have them on at night? or do we turn them all off at night? 
trying to look for ways to save on electricity bill... 

We live in Melbourne, Vicotria in the western suburbs. Our herp setup is in a double garage. 
If people in melbourne western suburbs can give us an idea if they turn off their temps at night that would be great. 

Thanks


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## Herpetology (May 15, 2019)

Not sure about for lizards, but for snakes you can completely stop heating over night or if you have a dimmer thermostat, at this time of year around 12-15c over night

I personally heat from 8-5pm and rest is ambient temps

My heater is weak enough that it can’t compete too well with outside temps, so it gets to around 28-30c on the coldest days


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## Southernserpent (May 15, 2019)

It depends what temp your double garage gets down to. If it uninsulated and gets close to zero or in the minus during winter I wouldn't turn them off completely especially if you are still feeding.


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## Rocksher (May 15, 2019)

Our double garage is pretty insulated.. the only draft coming through is just where the garage door opens.. theres a a slit so air comes through in there. and the top of the garage. 
Everytime we come in the morning to check on them which is around 7.30-8.30amish their enclosure (for the beardie's, we have them off and snakes on 24/7) temp is around 20 degrees 

But we are wondering if its safe to turn off the snakes heat off at night.. the older snakes.. and leave the little ones on.


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## Southernserpent (May 15, 2019)

I turn my adults of at night for around 8 hours and it gets into the single digits for a short period in mid winter. But I don't feed them at all for about 4 months


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## nuttylizardguy (May 15, 2019)

My skinks and dragons are spoilt, they live in an airconditioned home , and it never gets colder than 23 degC even on the coldest winter night .

Basking globes are on 6am , off 9pm.

My lizards don't seem to loose interest in food , basking and being active over winter.


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## dragonlover1 (May 15, 2019)

Obviously I am in Sydney so not really applicable to Rocksher, but I thought I'd chuck in my 2 cents.All my reptiles are inside the house so it's not as cold as outside,we don't have A/C or heat. The only reptiles with night heat in winter are my frillies because they are tropical and don't brumate.And it's only a 50W CHE.
Other than that NO NIGHT HEAT. All my beardies,netted and the Ants have natural temps,and the lace monitors are outside
[doublepost=1557922977,1557922229][/doublepost]


nuttylizardguy said:


> My skinks and dragons are spoilt, they live in an airconditioned home , and it never gets colder than 23 degC even on the coldest winter night .
> 
> Basking globes are on 6am , off 9pm.
> 
> My lizards don't seem to loose interest in food , basking and being active over winter.


you're soft and you are ruining your reptiles, they need to cool down at night for health reasons.12hours of UV and 8-10 hours of heat is all that's needed. 23C on the coldest night is over the top,that's a nice day temp for us


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## Herpetology (May 16, 2019)

I heat from 9-3 in middle of winter at 30c flat


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## Pauls_Pythons (May 16, 2019)

I'm in Melbournes west.
No lizards but all my snakes (other than hatchies) never have heat at night.


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## Rocksher (May 17, 2019)

This morning i checked and one of the enclosur temp. got to 17 degrees.. still ok? whats the lowest they can get up to?


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## Bl69aze (May 17, 2019)

my snakes are getting to around 14-15 overnight at the moment.

you will find temps too hot are more detrimental than temps too cold 

(temporary) cold temps = slow reptiles 
Hot temps = Burns and other nasty issues


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## BredliFreak (May 17, 2019)

Most Species can cope with down to 15 or so - I'd be careful if it went down to 10 or lower for desert/temperate species and 15 or lower for tropical species. If you're worried you can always supply ceramic heat globes/heat mats in their sleeping spots. Canberra winters are brutal so I know what you mean.


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## Southernserpent (May 17, 2019)

I think we need to be very careful about the advice given about cooling. Cold temps equal more than just slow reptiles. I am by no means an expert and can only give advice from experience and what I have researched. But when dropping night time temps it's needs to be ensured that they are given an adequate day time basking spot for the specific reptile. My adult carpet pythons regularly get down to below 10 degrees at night over winter but I always ensure they get about 8 hours basking above 30 degrees and I don't feed at all during this time. This is just what I do and I am very wary of respitory infections during this period and so far I havnt had any. Their are no rules and I think most reptiles are hardier than we think but it's always best to er on the side of caution. If anyone thinks I'm wrong or has anything else to add feel free to comment I just don't want any one to get sick animals for the sake of a smaller power bill.


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## nuttylizardguy (May 17, 2019)

dragonlover1 said:


> Obviously I am in Sydney so not really applicable to Rocksher, but I thought I'd chuck in my 2 cents.All my reptiles are inside the house so it's not as cold as outside,we don't have A/C or heat. The only reptiles with night heat in winter are my frillies because they are tropical and don't brumate.And it's only a 50W CHE.
> Other than that NO NIGHT HEAT. All my beardies,netted and the Ants have natural temps,and the lace monitors are outside
> [doublepost=1557922977,1557922229][/doublepost]
> you're soft and you are ruining your reptiles, they need to cool down at night for health reasons.12hours of UV and 8-10 hours of heat is all that's needed. 23C on the coldest night is over the top,that's a nice day temp for us



My wife and I like to be warm. We choose to run the aircon 24/7 in winter in rev cycle to keep the house comfortable . That's our choice and we don't mind paying a little more each quarter for our powerbill as a consequence (we can afford it).

What works for you is fine (for you and your reptiles).


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## Yusuf_Kormez (May 29, 2019)

Very interesting responses, 

Ive had my Bredli adult female now for 3-4 years, she's about 9 and 
I always
Keep her temps at one end of huge 3meter long enclosure at, 
26 to 32 deg varies from day to day and at night usually when sun goes down I put it on 20-25deg
She had two heat lamps ceramic, 
She managed to snap one of its cord 
The one is still adequate and heating up pretty much 3mx 1mx1m and they other end would be approx 5 deg lower at cold end never have been a issu


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