Using Heat Mats for Leopard Geckos
- Caitlin Griffiths
- Aug 9
- 3 min read
When I started keeping Leopard Geckos, the communities I was a part of actively discouraged the use of overhead heating. The thinking was that Leopard Geckos only needed belly heat, and that basking was not something natural to them. We could provide synthesised D3 via their calcium, and keep them in dark enclosures where they feel safe.
Needless to say, this is closed-loop logic based on incorrect assumptions that Leopard Geckos:
Are nocturnal - In reality, they are crepuscular (active at dawn and dusk) or even cathemeral (active at various times with no strict schedule).
Do not bask - They absolutely do!
Only need the broad concept of 'heat' - Heat is infrared, a part of the electromagnetic spectrum, which is split into three groups based on the length of the wavelength - infrared A, B, and C.
Spontaneously combust when exposed to light - When raised in dark rack systems, there is an adjustment period, but once they go through the long-term benefits of appropriate lighting far outweigh the brief stress.
Infrared
The light, warmth, and UV the Earth receives from the sun is solar radiation. Just under 50% of this radiation is made up of infrared. You may notice UVC is crossed out in the figure below - that's because UVC is entirely blocked by our atmosphere. It's a good thing too, as it's germicidal and gives gnarly burns even after short exposure.
Some species, ball pythons for example, can actually see infrared as visible light, using this additional sense to detect the body heat of mammalian prey. Humans sense infrared only as warmth.
Leopard Geckos, being ectothermic (cold blooded) rely on external sources for thermoregulation, so likely feel the differences in infrared more than we do. Although even us mammals can feel the difference between standing near a radiator and lying in 30°C heat.
Of the three types of infrared, only A and B - the longer wavelengths - penetrate the atmosphere. This is what Leopard Geckos in the wild would be basking in.
When choosing your main heat source, it makes sense to compare available equipment to the natural conditions they have evolved to live in.
Heat mats emit mainly IRC, a far cry from the full spectrum they would be naturally exposed to.
This means that heat mats are:
Inefficient - Geckos have to stay on them for much longer to reach optimal body temperatures.
Poor for thermoregulation - They don't produce ambient heat, so a ectotherm is either on or off, with no gradient in between.
Unenriching - They do not offer the opportunity to bask
Unnatural - Wild Leopard Geckos would only experience IRC as radiant heat coming off of rocks overnight, not as their primary heat source for thermoregulation and digestion. A 20-watt heat mat is a far cry from the rocks heated from the blazing sun in the Pakistani grasslands.
Potentially dangerous - While basking bulbs have some risks, they heat the air and surfaces from afar, making it easier for an animal to move away if something goes wrong with a thermostat or probe.
What I Recommend
Incandescent basking bulbs or halogens offer both UVA and a more natural ratio of IRA and IRB. When paired with both UVB and an LED, you get the ultimate lighting setup and the closest we can realistically get to the sun without breaking the bank (too much...) or losing control of basic things like the temperature gradient (some of the LEDs out there get really hot!).
For a more in-depth look at how to set up lighting in a Leopard Gecko enclosure, see the below reading list:
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