Under tank heater

From UroWiki

An under-tank heater (also known as a UTH or a heat pad) is a category of device made from a thin wire mesh inside a plastic sheet, which heats up when current is passed through it. These are commonly used for other types of lizards which need a certain amount of ambient heat at night, all throughout their enclosure.

Direction of heat source

It is not recommended to use under-tank heaters with uromastyx for a number of reasons. The primary among these is that uromastyx have their thermal sensors along the top side only, and cannot easily sense heat from below. If they begin to overheat, they may not become aware of any discomfort until they have already suffered burns along their underside (in a similar fashion to heat rocks).

An additional reason not to use under-tank heaters is because it may create a cozy warmth in a cool-end hide (if so used) and this will not encourage the uromastyx to move out during the day to bask. This represents a lack, or reduced amount, of exercise and will not be in your uromastyx's best interest.

Potential dangers

As noted above, there is a potential for under-tank heaters to reach very high temperatures (possibly as high as 60'C, or 135'F), especially as many under-tank heaters are also not connected to thermostats. In some occasions, under-tank heaters have been known to fail and overheat - similar to hot rocks - and again, since the uromastyx lacks thermal sensors on its underside, it cannot tell when it is too hot: the under-tank heater will potentially cook the lizard from below.

Alternatives to under-tank heaters

There are a number of alternatives to under-tank heaters if a keeper feels that the temperature needs to be maintained at a higher level, especially at night. The best of these are heat emitters and heat projectors. It is not recommended to use red bulbs, as uromastyx are known to be able to see red light, and this may disrupt their sleep.