It is getting cooler outside which means it is time to check your temperatures. Reptiles, small animals, fish, even our dogs, and cats are likely to be impacted by the change in season. 

Dogs & Cats 

When venturing outdoors, consider the outside temperature and wind levels as cats and dogs can quickly get cold if they become wet. Bring your outdoor cats inside and/or provide shelter to your local feral cats. Check out some of our mud removers, paw socks, beds, raincoats, hideouts, and other items to help keep your animal cozy throughout the colder months. 

Smaller Animals

For smaller animals such as chinchillas and guinea pigs, their enclosures are typically okay in room temperatures of 65 to 80 degrees but their enclosure should never drop below 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Other small animals including gerbils and hamsters also require consistent room temperature settings to fight their natural drive to enter hibernation. You can check out our small mammal hideouts and our other cozy accessories to help keep your small animal warm and cozy. 

Chinchillas and hedgehogs are sensitive to heat so always be mindful of their habitat temperatures. Chinchillas, in particular, need to be kept colder than most other mammals while hedgehogs enjoy temperatures between 74 to 76 degrees but should never exceed 80 degrees Fahrenheit. 

In the event of a power outage, you can provide hand warmers and warm water bottles to your small mammal, either wrapped in a sock and/or under their bedding/substrate to help keep their body temperatures up. 

Fish

For fish and other aquatic animals, always ensure the water temperature is 70 degrees or higher. Bettas and other tropical fish enjoy resting waters between 75 to 80 degrees while goldfish and other cold-water fish require waters below 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Check out our aquarium heaters, thermometers, and timers to ensure proper water temperatures. 

Birds

Most domesticated birds are happy to be kept at room temperature, typically between 65 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit, with at least 8 hours of UVB lighting provided each day. Check out our birdie hideouts and cozy accessories. 

If your bird's enclosure drops below 50 degrees, they are likely to fluff up to help keep the body warm. We recommend using a basic room heater (kept a few feet away from the bird's cage) if your home drops below 60 degrees. 

Reptiles

For reptile owners, this is a friendly reminder to break out your nighttime heat and ceramic bulbs, extra heating pads, timers, domes,  and thermometers to ensure proper basking and resting temperatures. Reptiles should have at least 10 hours of basking light, heat and UVB lighting provided each day and UVB bulbs should be changed every 6 months.

We strongly recommend using a digital infrared thermometer to regularly check the temperatures in the basking, warm, and cooler sides of your tank at the highest accuracy. Whether you have a desert or tropical reptile, both require proper heating elements to remain comfortable and healthy.

Because reptiles are cold-blooded animals, they require terrarium temperatures of 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit with a basking area of about 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Reptiles' ambient temperatures should never fall below 70 degrees Fahrenheit. If these cold-blooded animals drop below 50 degrees, they will become sluggish as their bodies halt digestion. We encourage you to have hand warmers, heating pads, and other warming items on hand in case of a power outage. 

Bearded dragons and other desert reptiles should have a resting temperature of 75 degrees in the evening and basking areas should sit between 100 to 110 degrees Fahrenheit.

Ball pythons should have a resting temperature of about 80 degrees Fahrenheit with a basking temperature between 88-96 degrees. 

Turtles should have a consistent water temperature of about 72 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit while their basking area should sit between 85 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. 

As a side note, we DO NOT recommend using heat rocks as they cause too many burns and can be harmful to reptiles. Because reptiles can't regulate their body temperatures they are unable to sense the high heat emitting from the rock resulting in burns and lesions. 

Check out other blogs to learn more about caring for your small mammal and bearded dragon(s).