# heating hedgehog vivs



## scooby1 (Apr 24, 2009)

hi guys/girls

im after a little advice, we are adopting an albino APH next week and have pretty much everything in place, but i'm a little confused over the above.

i've read that these little hoggies will live quite happily at room temp, but i've also read about people using heat mats or even ceramic lamps for a heat source for them.

basically, which approach is correct?? our house isn't a cold or drafty house by any stretch and we are more than comfortable in t-shirts or even topless some nights, me only not the missus!!! lol

any advice appreciated.

steve


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## abandonallhope (Jun 19, 2009)

Mine lives in with the reptiles, the room is at about 24 degrees ambient and his viv sits on top of another with a ceramic so he has a nice warm sleeping spot from the heat transfer. 

Basically unless you have a similar set up you will need a heat source, either a ceramic or reptile rad is a safe bet. 

Hope this helps.


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## EVIEMAY (Mar 6, 2008)

I have always kept his room warm - additional heat from a halogen heater overnight


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## ChazzieJo (Jun 14, 2012)

I would suggest a Ceramic Heat Emitter for a vivarium or a heatmat if you're using a zoozone2, some hedgehogs are more sensitive to temperature changes than others, but I would definitely suggest putting a heatsource into place, heard of too many recent hibernation attempts due to people relying on our up-and-down weather. If you're willing to leave your central heating on throughout the colder months (which here in the UK is around 10 of them!) then that's fine, but realistically, who does that?


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## animal addict (Jun 1, 2008)

as a basic rule as long as you are comfy in a tshirt and your house is naturally warm then no extra heat is needed - houses shouldnt really get colder than 18 degrees as this is seen as the safe minimum - you will always get exceptions to the rule and some hogs will hibernate at 18 degrees so most people like to keep them at around 22 degrees. Some hogs really dont feel the temperature and dont attempt to hibernate even as much lower temps but generally its not really worth the risk. As well as heat you need regular 12 hour cycles of light and dark - this enable the hog to self regulate their rest/activity cycle and some hogs have been known to attempt hibernation even when temps have been fine due to the lack of light. If you are going to need an extra heat source (assuming your house isnt that warm despite the cage being free of drafts etc and also the light cycles are addressed as well) then you might need to provide extra heat sources and different things work for different people.

You can get :
snugglesafes - microwavable heat pads that last for about 10 hours - handy for travelling but imo a pain in the butt to keep heating and provide intense heat that grandually fades
petnaps - my personal favourite - has an internal thermostat, armoured cabling to prevent chewing and provides a gentle and consistent heat
external radiator - either central heating or a stand alone oil filled radiator - my 2nd fav - easily controlled and provides an ambient temperature
CHE (ceramic heat emitter) - effective but needs the correct stat to run it that can be expensive and needs to be well out of hedgehog reach to prevent burns
reptile style heat mat - my least fav option for hogs - needs a mat stat and to be set up correctly to prevent over heating and can be a fire hazard if not set up correctly (needs an airflow) not so good if you have a plastic cage and not safe to be placed in the cage with the hog like the petnap can be 
there are other different types of heat pads but generally these are short term use things although theres something called the hottie micro pad or something that a few people have mentioned but I have never tried them so I couldnt comment but they look ok and are a bit similar to the snugglesafe only softer so look more comfortable

Anyway I hope that helps a bit


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## Lord Vetinari (Mar 4, 2011)

animal addict said:


> as a basic rule as long as you are comfy in a tshirt and your house is naturally warm then no extra heat is needed - houses shouldnt really get colder than 18 degrees as this is seen as the safe minimum - you will always get exceptions to the rule and some hogs will hibernate at 18 degrees so most people like to keep them at around 22 degrees. Some hogs really dont feel the temperature and dont attempt to hibernate even as much lower temps but generally its not really worth the risk. As well as heat you need regular 12 hour cycles of light and dark - this enable the hog to self regulate their rest/activity cycle and some hogs have been known to attempt hibernation even when temps have been fine due to the lack of light. If you are going to need an extra heat source (assuming your house isnt that warm despite the cage being free of drafts etc and also the light cycles are addressed as well) then you might need to provide extra heat sources and different things work for different people.
> 
> You can get :
> snugglesafes - microwavable heat pads that last for about 10 hours - handy for travelling but imo a pain in the butt to keep heating and provide intense heat that grandually fades
> ...


I just looked at the petnap website - it doesnt say anything about an internal thermostat?


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## ChazzieJo (Jun 14, 2012)

Short term heating devices such as snugglesafes will be useless for heating a vivarium, they're more appropiate for travelling and those extra chilly nights. There really is no excuse not to buy a heat device, you'll have it set to a thermostat and it'll only come on if temperatures reach below 22. Hedgehogs have been known to hibernate and die at anything lower than this so I would seriously consider having one to be on the safe side.


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## animal addict (Jun 1, 2008)

petnap ltd on ebay:
Petnap Cat dog bed pet electric whelping box heat pad heater mat with cover SAFE | eBay
'*The temperature of the heat pad is regulated by an internal thermostat.'

 *


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## animal addict (Jun 1, 2008)

you have got to take into consideration the persons environment as well - this is why people get so confused over heating because people say you MUST have this or you MUST have that when thats not always the case - its about whats right for the animal given your set up provision. I know plenty of people who heat vivs and cages with snugglesafes - not my personal choice as I do prefer them for travelling but they arent 'useless' to heat vivs and cages they are just a nuisance to keep heating all the time. Most of my hogs arent on extra heat as my house is warm enough - I do have one hog on a petnap constantly because shes in my bedroom and for some reason that gets really cold. Some of my hogs live in my 2nd bedroom which is converted into an animal room and have never needed any extra heat and I have one in my living room whos viv is in a corner free from drafts etc and has never needed extra heat but my house has a warm ambient temperature that never drops to low levels - to the OP - it isnt about either approach being right or wrong its what suits - consider your environment and your ambient temps and ensure theres no random dips - the cage you are providing and read through the pros and cons of different heating equipment and then decide what you think is going to work best for you and the hog. Its always good to have a back up option just in case and/or an option for travelling. Petnaps also usually come with a car adaptor for travelling as well or some stand alone heat pads are always good to have to hand (water bottles arent really safe)


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## Lord Vetinari (Mar 4, 2011)

animal addict said:


> petnap ltd on ebay:
> Petnap Cat dog bed pet electric whelping box heat pad heater mat with cover SAFE | eBay
> '*The temperature of the heat pad is regulated by an internal thermostat.'*


Ah - I found: 

Cat heat pads | Whelping boxes | Heat pads from Petnap Ltd

Which seem to be the same product, but only with a thermal cut out? and a couple of quid more expensive. 

Is it an ajustable thermostat? Or is it an over-heat cut out?


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## animal addict (Jun 1, 2008)

yeah they do a massive range - im sure they have added a lot since I first bought my pads! No its not adjustable but they dont get that hot and its more pressure activated than anything as well - its like a nice warm glow when the animal is sat on them (I used my spare one to sit on throughout the winter lol - its really nice - they stay the same temp and its a gentle comfortable heat)


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## clark60 (Mar 18, 2013)

you might want to think about joining in on another forum its pygmyhogsuk they wil be happy to help set you on the right road


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