Thermal gradient

A thermal gradient is the range of temperatures across an enclosure — a warm basking end and a cool end — that lets an ectothermic reptile move between them to regulate its own body temperature.

Reptiles are cold-blooded (ectotherms): they can't make their own heat, so they need a choice of temperatures to thermoregulate. A tank that is all one temperature — too hot or too cold everywhere — is a common, serious husbandry mistake.

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