This sounds like a good reason to implement another practice that de Vosjoli
suggests in "The Leopard Gecko Manual", i.e., to measure the maximum
allowable temperature directly at the focus or below a light, instead of on
the side of the enclosure, as us "tankers" probably mostly do. I suppose
that would apply to under-tank heat too.
>From: Doug Johnston <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>Subject: Re: [Gecko] Hot Rocks revisited
>Date: Fri, 09 Feb 2001 16:32:12 -0800
>
>Greg...
>
>I agree with your last statement, but I don't agree with the back having
>thermal-pain receptors while the belly doesn't. I have treated several
>chameleons that were allowed to bask too close to a heat lamp and
>developed 3rd degree burns. I just think they never developed a need
>because the sun isn't ever going to get as hot as an improperly set up
>basking lamp.
>
>Greg Watkins-Colwell wrote:
> >
> > on 2/9/01 4:56 PM, Steven Groginsky at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
> >
> > > I thought they might fall asleep and get burned while they're asleep,
>which
> > > might be possible.
> >
> > I seem to recall something about pain receptors in reptiles being
>different
> > as well as thermal receptors. I may have it mixed up, but I think that
>the
> > belly does not have thermal-pain receptors (but the back does... so they
> > know when to stop basking!) and that what happens is the lizard
>perceives a
> > hot rock as warm... but doesn't detect pain associated with the heat.
> > Unlike us. We have pain receptors for dull pain... sharp pain and when
> > extremes of temperature occur it triggers a different kind of pain that
>may
> > actually include "sharp". Reptiles seem to have reduced pain receptors,
> > especially in the area of sharp pain or thermally-induced pain (which
>may be
> > why many of them can lose their tails without going into pain-induced
> > shock... or have digits or entire limbs bitten off and seem essentially
>okay
> > with the idea). I once had a box turtle brought to me that had been hit
>by
> > a lawn-mower... a 2 inch x .5 inch hole was chopped in the carapace and
> > lungs and other internal organs were clearly visible and completely
> > unprotected by any skin or bony shell. After an hour of cleaning the
>fly
> > eggs out of the wound... the turtle ATE a full meal. I've heard of
>similar
> > stories that involved amputations and yet the animal ate within hours of
>the
> > trauma and seemed otherwise normal. Point is... reptiles seem to not
>detect
> > pain the same way a mammal would.
> >
> > Greg
> >
> > --
> > Gregory J. Watkins-Colwell
> > Dept. of Biology
> > Sacred Heart University
> > 5151 Park Avenue
> > Fairfield, CT 06432
> >
> > and
> >
> > Yale Peabody Museum
> > Dept. of Vertebrate Zoology
> > 170 Whitney Ave
> > PO Box 208118
> > New Haven, CT 06520-8118
> >
> > ######################################################################
> > THE GLOBAL GECKO ASSOCIATION LISTSERV
> > WebSite: http://www.gekkota.com
> > The GGA takes no responsibility for the contents of these postings.
> > ######################################################################
>
>--
>Doug Johnston
>www.ncal.verio.com/~scubadug
>
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