Kane Heat Mat for Sulcata

[Big Charlie]

Charlie's Kane heat mat has stopped working. I bought it at the end of 2016. Is it expected for them to stop working after so much time? I'm ready to buy another but before I do I have a question. Charlie is 22 years old and well over 100 pounds. I haven't measured him lately. My current mat is 18 x 28. He can't fit his entire body on it. His box is about 4 feet by 3 feet. Because of his size, he can't move off the mat entirely if he gets too warm but that has never seemed to be a problem. I don't lock him in at night so if he gets too warm, he can poke his head out. Would you get a larger mat, and if so, what size would you suggest? There is a RHP on the ceiling. It is keeping his house in the 70s at night, while the outside temps are in the 40s. The thermostat is set to 84F.

 

[wellington]

I had one that stopped working too. I can't remember how old it was but it wasn't more then 3 or 4 years.
The mats aren't suppose to be on the floor where they can lay on them without a heat source above. They can stay on the mat to long trying to get their carapace warm as they warm themselves from above.
I would put the mat on the side wall and build a bigger hide so he can stay within the hide but get away from the heat.

 

[Tom]

Charlie's Kane heat mat has stopped working. I bought it at the end of 2016. Is it expected for them to stop working after so much time? I'm ready to buy another but before I do I have a question. Charlie is 22 years old and well over 100 pounds. I haven't measured him lately. My current mat is 18 x 28. He can't fit his entire body on it. His box is about 4 feet by 3 feet. Because of his size, he can't move off the mat entirely if he gets too warm but that has never seemed to be a problem. I don't lock him in at night so if he gets too warm, he can poke his head out. Would you get a larger mat, and if so, what size would you suggest? There is a RHP on the ceiling. It is keeping his house in the 70s at night, while the outside temps are in the 40s. The thermostat is set to 84F.

I've never had a Kane mat stop working. I'd send it back to the manufacturer after a call to discuss it. It would be a good idea to get another one right away. These things always happen in winter, and it would be good to have a spare. Luckily, we've got warmer weather coming in the next few days.

I'd also make him a bigger box. They need to be able to get off the heat, but still be inside that warm box. You don't want his nose sticking out breathing cold air, and he shouldn't have the option to go out into the cold night.

Last: He needs to be locked in at night. They can't be trusted to make the correct decisions and it may kill him one day. Here is one possible scenario: He goes in the box and stays in it every night for years. One night a rat wanders in to the his box. This critter moving around disturbs him, so he exits and parks under a bush or in a corner on a cold winter night. You find him dead in the morning. Don't learn this lesson the hard way, as I and so many others have. Lock him in at night.

 

[Big Charlie]

Thank you for your responses! A bigger hide is out of the question for the moment. I might be able to do it next summer. For right now, I'd like advice on which size heat mat to get.

 

[Len B]

Thank you for your responses! A bigger hide is out of the question for the moment. I might be able to do it next summer. For right now, I'd like advice on which size heat mat to get.

If I was in your situation I would get a 24x36 mat which he would be able to sit his whole body on and using a lamp dimmer to adjust the temperature of the mat to a safe temperature for him to sit on constantly without it overheating to a dangerous level. It helps to have a temp gun and a kill a watt to do this. I don't think Kane offers this size mat but Stanfield does. I just bought one for the litter of puppies I was expecting and it worked out fine. I also use Stanfield for all of my outside tortoises and I use dimmers with all of them to keep them at safe temperature's.

 

[Big Charlie]

If I was in your situation I would get a 24x36 mat which he would be able to sit his whole body on and using a lamp dimmer to adjust the temperature of the mat to a safe temperature for him to sit on constantly without it overheating to a dangerous level. It helps to have a temp gun and a kill a watt to do this. I don't think Kane offers this size mat but Stanfield does. I just bought one for the litter of puppies I was expecting and it worked out fine. I also use Stanfield for all of my outside tortoises and I use dimmers with all of them to keep them at safe temperature's.

Thank you!