Care guide
African Fat-Tailed Gecko Heating Guide
Quick answer
Belly heat from a heat mat or under-tank heater on a thermostat is the best way to warm a fat-tail, because it matches how they digest and does not dry the air the way overhead lamps can.
On this page
- Best fit
- Heat mat + thermostat
- Avoid
- Heat rocks
Heat mats and UTHs
Cover about a third of the floor so the rest stays cooler. Use a thermostat with a probe placed on the surface above the mat.
Overhead heat
Ceramic emitters and lamps warm the air and dry it out, which works against humidity. Use them only when the room is too cold for a mat to hold the gradient.
Never a heat rock
Heat rocks can develop hot spots that burn a gecko lying on them.