Heating pad temperature

[jgl]

I just got a heating pad for my gerbils, and I was wondering how hot it should be. (I'll put it in one corner of the tank so they can move off if it does get to hot.)
Thanks!

[jgl]

Also, can the heating pad be attached to the side? Has anyone had experience with the Zoo med reptitherm, it has all these warnings about burrowing animals getting burned. Has anyone had problems with that?

[asher]

You can have it on the side if you are worried about burning, though as long as you dont have it too hot it shouldn't be a problem.

I dont know how hot mine is, but I would estimate 70-80 degrees fahrenheit? Just make sure its not hot to the touch, you shouldn't want to pull away from it.

[betty]

Most reptile heat mats are just about warm to touch and most have only that one temperature - unless you have brought an adjustable one?

They can be sat underneath the tank in a back corner or stuck to the back of the tank - but beware that the self adhesive ones are SUPER STICKY and might not be easy to get off.

I sit mine under the tanks with more than 50% of the tank base not heated so they can sleep or lay wherever they want. None of mine have yet seemingly injured themselves - even the older ones - and some of my chaps have moved all the bedding and are sleeping directly on the glass above them. Reptiles may be different though as they are not self-regulating temperature-wise.

My current gerbil room is quite cold at the moment though, so if your room is warm (ie - you don't need to wear a sweater) then perhaps you shouldn't be using a heat pad apart from overnight or just in one tiny corner.

[jgl]

Okay thanks.  Did get an adjustable sticky one, so we'll see how that goes.