Basking Lamps

[summoner12]

I have been playing around with different basking lamps and the angles that the light is pointed at the basking spot. I have found that for my melleri they take to the side ways light better than straight down. They will 'rest' or 'hang out' under a lamp that is of lower wattage and is pointed straight down... but they bask and fill out their body in front of a warmer basking spot that is angled more to the side.

I had an issue with my larger melleri Henry. He wasn't pooping right and gaining weight. His poop was runny most of the time. I had a 100w basking lamp pointed straight down on his basking branch. it wasn't very often that I found him sitting under this lamp. After talking with Kristina Francis we came to the conclusion that he doesn't get warm enough when basking. Her suggestion was a heat emitter near his basking spot with a heat lamp. I decided to change out his basking lamp to a 50w and add a second lamp pointed into the free range from the side at his basking vine. I used a 75w halogen spot lamp. I started to find him basking more often.... then noticed better poop.... then I started to think of the electric bill and how i have two lamps on all day just for him to bask for a few hours...............

I came up with an idea.... use a sensor to detect him in his basking spot. I used a diffused photo eye to detect Henry when in his basking spot. This photo eye doesn't need a reflector to determine if something is blocking the beam... you can adjust how sensitive it is and fine tune it. I rigged up a relay with the photo eye and no his lamp is only on when he goes to bask.

you might be wondering how he knows to go to that spot? well the 50w lamp is on all day.... and after about three weeks of the new light setup I think he made a routine for himself... so he doesn't think 'ok gotta go turn the light on' he just thinks 'ok.. time to warm up.....' and moves to the area where he remembers heat being provided.

I have the photo eye tuned to detect him just before he enters the basking spot. Below you can see him entering the basking 'zone'.

Here he is in full basking mode.

I will find Henry basking at different times... and multiple times... especially after being fed. so this does make me wonder what his brain process is... does he know to turn on the light? does he know there is heat there? It is obvious he is aware of when he needs to warm up.... mostly I think to digest his food.

 

[Dave Weldon]

Howdy Kevin,

Now Henry thinks he is Master of the Universe . Just the mere presence masterful-self will make the sun rise .

 

[draetish]

You're a Genius and that Henry is awesome!

 

[tglassburner]

What model of Photo Eye did you get this is exactly what i wated to do when i set up Karma's Free Range.

 

[kpritch17]

That's awesome! What a great idea. I'm sure Henry appreciates it!

 

[boj3434]

Thats really creative I like the idea

 

[xanthoman]

nice setup

sweet, well thought out setup, almost enough to make a guy want to f.r. again. i am sure at some point i will, and when i do, i will try something similar. great post and great idea.

 

[summoner12]

Thanks for the compliments guys!

I think Henry does like it.... I mean... not actually likes it..... but because he uses it I don't think he has an issue... lol ya know what I mean? He knows he gets light and heat if he moves to a spot... so he goes there. He will come and go. At first he would go and stay for a long time.. then leave..... now it seems he comes and goes during the day. I don't know if it's the slightly warmer temps or breeding season? He is on the move a tad more than normal....

tglassburner...

 

[Vegas Chad]

HaHa, only you man... Great idea!

 

[Carlton]

Actually I noticed the same thing with my free range melleri and modified my heat spot angles for other species. When I set up my basking light fixtures they were aimed mostly down at first, but I watched the chams position themselves to get the heat more from the side. I changed the angle of the fixtures and they spent less time actively "trying" to absorb the heat (flattening, darkening, tilting themselves). It makes sense...a large bodied cham has the ability to create a broad flat dark surface for faster heat soaking. Very efficient. Some other species I kept didn't seem to prefer side over vertical. Then there was an odd example...my first verrucosus would roam the house near a sunny window. When the sun created a warm bright patch on the carpet he would almost lay down on one side to soak up the heat.

 

[Carlton]

I came up with an idea.... use a sensor to detect him in his basking spot. I used a diffused photo eye to detect Henry when in his basking spot. This photo eye doesn't need a reflector to determine if something is blocking the beam... you can adjust how sensitive it is and fine tune it. I rigged up a relay with the photo eye and no his lamp is only on when he goes to bask.

I just read the OP again. Wow, I missed the photo eye idea! Really ingenious! Consider a wild cham who knows its territory well. They obviously learn when the sun will hit certain convenient perches at certain times of day, as many wild chams choose a night roost that positions them for morning sun on the following day. My free range chams had routines they followed like this too, as their lights were predictable with all the timers. What would be interesting to compare is whether having this heat spot "on demand" instead of "on schedule" makes a significant difference in his routine. Are these light/heat regimes equally predictable in his mind?

 

[Mesnik]

Kevin,

I just taught my cham to turn the swith on and off as needed...




Like all your stuff, this one is AWESOME!!! Thanks for sharing.

Now I can see why my cham also doesn't bask directly under the lamp...

Do you think it gets more heat on the side? Why would they do that...

 

[Carlton]

Obvious...the side of a cham has more flat surface area than the top of the back. They can reach operating temp much quicker and also heat up their internal organs faster. The cham who can warm up and start hunting earlier in the day is probably going to be more successful and productive.

 

[summoner12]

the early bird catches the worm

So last night I was messing with his heat lamp and unplugged it and forgot.... today at work I emailed my GF to tell her to make sure it was plugged in. She hadn't realized he was sitting in his basking spot... but no light. So after reading the email she plugged it back in and his light came on. He then inflated a bit and warmed up.

haha I wonder if we went up to the photo and tapped it a couple of times to make sure it was working?

 

[summoner12]

So I am sitting here at my computer.... lights have been out since 7pm... Then all of a sudden Henry's basking lamp comes on, and I look up just as the light is turning off... I didn't see Henry in his basking spot.... Then the light comes on again.... then off... This time I could see what was turning on the light....... a 3" silkworm Henry neglected to eat Everytime the worm lifts it's head the light comes on.....

Sometimes Henry will leave his tail out on the vine and sun it.... not sure if he does this on purpose... but he'll leave it for a while and then remove himself from the light completely. Kinda cool this photoeye is that sensitive.