I have a few lizards that are kept in the same room (room not enclosures) and they are kept around the same heat. Would it be cheaper to use my space heater to keep the one room heated to the correct temp or would it be cheaper or more beneficial for the animals to each have their own heat lamp? Any ideas or thoughts on this?
Most Reptiles need a variant with heat, The hot (Basking) side to aid in regulating body temperature for digestion and the cool side usually room temperature for cooling themselves. I am a heavy advocate to do what best for the animal and maintaining each habitat individually is always in the better interest of the animal. Depending on what your normal homes temperatures run the utility cost may vary but in general if the room is kept around 70ish and you use flexwatt or low wattage heat emitters on a rheostat or thermostats I don't think your going to see any fluctuations in your utility bills versus using a heater for the room. Although in drafty houses supplemental heat in the winter months is not a bad idea in some parts of the country. I have over 30 reptiles and as an example,most are nocturnal and live in a rack that house 20 of them. They all use the same type of belly heat ,a 10"X12" peace of flexwatt for each shelf/tub/enclosure. This setup may cost about the same as a lamp with a 20w bulb left on. Others like my Green Tree Pythons have large inclosures with multiple heat emitters and mist systems and may be a little more to operate but i really don't see any real cost changes in my utilities. The cost savings depends greatly if you have a thermostat controlling each cage witch should be common practice anyways. Just to note, My cats enjoy the the temps in my home to be around 75F at night.
