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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Tomoran" data-source="post: 106674" data-attributes="member: 1152">You're obviously free to do whatever works for you, but I've found them to be totally unnecessary and, in many instances, they can do more harm than good. They're not reptiles and don't need a basking spot to digest their food, and they do just fine growth-wise when kept without a warm spot. When folks start dabbling with heat mats and heat lamps, they can end up with a dead and dehydrated tarantula. Two weeks ago, I spoke to a keeper who was told to add a basking spot to his tarantula cage by someone in Petco, and she ended up with a dead Avic.I would love that link, as it is definitely not a fact that a basking spot makes them live longer. We don't even know how long these animals live for, and some still believe that they can live past 40. How on earth did this guy manage to do an experiment that proved that a basking spot makes them live longer? Has he been studying multiple groups for over 40 years? Did he have control groups with basking spots from multiple clutches and others without? How did he determine that spider that didn't have a basking spot and died didn't just die from natural causes? I'm sorry, but it's just not possible. There is no way to prove that.And where does the seemingly arbitrary 25°C come from? A quick search of their natural habitat would reveal that they experience a wide-range of temperatures. So, my B. smithi that has been doing great in my care for years in temps between 21 and 27 isn't doing well? Nah. And if you're trying to keep them "naturally", wouldn't you then have to simulate seasonal changes? You certainly wouldn't keep them at the same temp all year. Not to mention that the hotter it is, the faster they grow. So, by adding heat, you'd be jacking up their metabolism, increasing their growth speed, and possibly shortening their lifespan. It just doesn't make sense to me.Again, I'm not trying to be rude or contrary, but I spend a lot of time speaking with new keepers on proper care, and have heard numerous horror stories about folks harming these animals by obsessing over arbitrary "ideal temperatures." You obviously have a system that works for you, and there is often more than one way to skin a cat in this hobby, but I always worry a bit when someone starts quoting "facts" that aren't and stating ideas or opinions as absolutes. If the basking spots work for you, great; I wouldn't even attempt to argue that it's wrong. But the stuff about life span and ideal temps for certain species is just not true, and I just worry that the wrong person will read this and take it as fact. Then we'll have more Ts fried by heat sources.</blockquote>

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