12/07/2025
We have been getting a few phone calls & messages recently with people struggling to keep their reptile & amphibian enclosures cool enough.
Overheating can be fatal to reptiles & amphibians, & it can happen quick. They are far more tolerant with a drop in temperature than an increased spike.
We thought we would share a few tips to how you can help to cool your enclosures down & keep your reptiles safe.
Thermostats – Whether it is a heat mat, basking bulb, ceramic heat lamp, deep heat projector etc, by having an appropriate thermostat fitted, it will turn off the heat once it reaches or exceeds its set temperature. If you don’t have one for your heat source, we strongly recommend you get one.
If you don’t have a thermostat fitted, are currently unable to get one & your enclosure is getting too hot, consider turning off the heat source. Remember, reptiles & amphibians are far more tolerant of a drop in temperature than a spike & prolonged increased heat.
Lighting – LED & UVB Lighting are used commonly in enclosures, and they do give off an amount of heat. Turn them off over the hotter days… your animals will be fine for a few days without lighting & UVB.
Direct Sunlight – Make sure your enclosures are not being hit by direct sunlight. If the room they are in gets a lot of sun or heats up a lot in general, consider moving the enclosure(s) to a cooler part of the home. If this isn’t an option, try shutting blinds &/or curtains to limit the amount of sun coming into the room.
Moist Boxes/Hides (Not suitable for all reptiles - If you are unsure if suitable for your pet, please ask) – Providing a Moist Box or Hide to your reptile in which they can cool themselves in during the day whilst waiting for the cooler night time temperatures. This could be damp coco coir, sphagnum moss, soil based substrates or similar.
Likewise, substrates in the vivarium can also be dampened.
Reptile Coolers – If you have a mesh or mesh top enclosure, there are now reptile cooling devices available on the market (we sell them in store). These simply sit on the top of your mesh roof and help pull cooler air into the enclosure.
Ice - Frozen bottles of water or freezer blocks can be placed on top of mesh lids. This will cool the surrounding air & this cool air will pe*****te through the mesh lid into the enclosure, helping to cool it.
They can also be placed inside wooden vivariums, but your reptile cannot come into direct contact with them, so be sure to wrap them in a towel.
Fans – Fans that are aimed so they have the air flow across the front glass of your enclosure, which in turn helps to cool the air inside the enclosure. Don’t aim the fans directly at the enclosure as you don’t want to cause draughts for the occupant.
Air Con – If you can invest in a portable air-conditioning unit, this is defiantly the most effective way at cooling down your reptiles as you are cooling down the entire room. This is especially helpful if you have a reptile room or a reptile shed with multiple enclosures in.
