a quick question

[Jeannine]

i recently got a new bearded dragon, currently shes been placed in an outdoor enclosure which has a section you can close off to the rest of the cage and in this i placed some wood shavings then i put an old dressing gown in and then placed her on and covered her with the rest of the gown to try and keep her a little bit warmer as we have had some shocking frosts lately, the whole enclosure is under the back verandah offering some protection from the elements

im still concerned about the cold though, yes i know its what they are use to and she came from an outdoor enclosure, guess im a worry wart

but i have a 5 watt heat mat here i would like to place in this closed off section under the shavings to add a little warm area for her but im concerned whether it would be safe or not so im asking for advice whether to do this or not? would the heat created by the mat cause the shavings to smoulder? or should i put something over the mat but under the shavings?

any advice would be greatly appreciated and thank you in advance

[Chris1]

i would at least place a tile over the heat mat to spread the heat more evenly and avoid hot spots, i generally make a small frame out of wood and place the tile on that so theres breathing space.

with 5 watts you'll probably be fine without a thermostat, but test the temp once its been running for a day to make sure it isnt getting too warm.

[Ramsayi]

Did the beardy come from an indoor situation prior to you getting her?

[Jeannine]

thanks Chris will see if i can pick up a couple of tiles somewhere

No Ramsayi, she was in an outdoor enclosure prior to coming here, but here is 'colder' then where she came from