Chahoua heating

[Rhacodactyl]

I posted this on another forum, but thought some members here might benefit from reading it:

I got a new chahoua recently and although I haven't had it long enough to claim any sort of experience with the species, I have made one observation that may be worth sharing. I'd heard from a few sources that chahouas like a warmer basking area (Anthony being one of them) and the first night I got mine home, the temperature dropped to 65 so I was worried it might not be very tolerant of such cool temperatures.

To remedy this, I put a heat pad under one small area of the enclosure so it could have access to a warm spot. Every time I looked in on it that first night, it was right above that heat pad, and I found it there again in the morning. To be safe, I checked the surface temperature of the enclosure directly above the heat pad with an infrared thermometer. The surface temp (not ambient) was measuring in the 90s and when I used the laser thermometer on my chahoua, it registered at 85 degrees.

This worried me at first since I'd heard of cresteds apparently having heat stroke at about those temperatures, but the chahoua seemed perfectly fine apart from being a little more active. I checked and the rest of the enclosure had a surface temp of about 70, so it had plenty of space to escape the heat. I haven't seen it leave that heated portion of the enclosure yet (only about 10% of the floorspace is heated) but it's been moving a lot in that one area which suggests to me that it really appreciates that warmer spot.

That's what I observed the first weekend I got it home.  I've had this gecko for over a week now and it still spends the majority of its time laying on that heated area with no apparent problems.  Those of you who provide your chahouas with a heated area, I'd be curious to know how hot it gets and how often they use it. 

[KatiesCresteds]

I'm getting one hopefully after Christmas, so thanks for the observations. I'll definitely test it out and see how it works. Again, thanks!

-Katie-

[Rhacodactyl]

I have several juvie cresteds in a large container together now and I plan on adding a heat pad to a small area of their enclosure as well to see if they congregate around it since ambient temperatures are low enough that it should be safe.  If I notice any interesting results about their temperature choices, I'll let everyone know.  It just seems weird to me that the chahouas would appreciate the heat and cresteds wouldn't, so I'll put it to the test.

[KatiesCresteds]

It gets pretty cold upstairs at my house (uncle keeps window open... ) so I have a heat pad under my females rubbermaid. I sit it away from her hide and food bowl, and that's where I always find her. Right on top of where to heat pad is. I find it so weird. I have removed the heat pad in fear of her burning herself, and now the adults have eco-earth substrate so hopefully that will help with temps.