Reptile Heating tape is used by many reptile pet owners to keep their pets warm. It is important that you learn how to properly use this product so that you can ensure that your animal stays warm during cold months. The first step in properly using Reptile Heating tape is to understand how it works. Properly wrapping the tape on your pet will allow your animal to stay warm and prevent frostbite.
To extend the life of the heating tape, be sure to properly store it in its proper location to avoid damage and accidents. Wrap the heating tape over the barrel of an empty paintbrush, or other similar surface, and place the heated object into the water or warmer for a few minutes. Once the area has cooled, remove it from the warm water and store in a cool dry location. This should be done once per week to maintain the temperature.
Another method to keeping your pet warm is by using electric heating tape with heat-resistant backing. There are several different brands of reptile heating tape, but “Sculptus” brand is recognized as having the best insulation, which also makes it more flexible. This allows the electric heating tape to provide an even heating film, regardless of the temperate in your region. It is very difficult to get your hands around an electric heating film if you don’t have a large area to heat, but you can place multiple objects onto one heating film. This makes for a very versatile way to heat a small space.
When wrapping the film on your new member of the family, be sure to leave at least three inches of unbraided Velcro on each side. If you choose to add a Decal, be sure to position it correctly. A proper placement means that the dec will cover the whole circumference of the new member’s snout, not just a portion.
The easiest way to use electric heating tape is with a new reptile decal. Simply place the decal over your new member’s snout and turn on the heating tape. After a few seconds, your reptile will be warm and soft. Use a stick or other cold object to give him a snack.
Reptiles really like the warmth of the endothermic effect of direct current, so they can very easily sense it. One reason why you don’t want to use an endothermic heat source is because it can make your reptile cold. If this happens you could cause your reptile to become sick. It is important to understand that reptiles are cold blooded and must maintain their body temperature in order to survive. Using an endothermic heat source can actually cause your reptile to become even more stressed out causing even more health problems.
There are two types of reptile heating tapes. There is active heat tape which is used for active snakes. This type of tape has tiny heat emitters underneath the tape. These heat emitters excite the warm air to travel up and around the body of the snake. For example, if your snake is sleeping it would create a heat bubble under his chin that would keep him warm.
Active heat tape acts more as an insulation than an actual heat source. The active tape helps keep your reptiles warm but it does not heat them. This is why this type of tape is not recommended for long term use on reptiles. Many people who purchase heating units for their reptiles are shocked when they find out that the UV lights do not heat their reptiles but only a temporary warm up.
