Heating
Turtles are cold-blooded animals and therefore depend on their environment to regulate their temperature. Water turtles do this by sunbathing or getting back into the water. Tortoises warm up in the sun or sit in the shade or dig a hole when it gets too hot. Therefore in captivity, the animals should also be given the opportunity to warm up or cool as needed. In the baskingspot, it is best to provide a heat spot with a radius large enough to include the entire turtle. A heat spot with a radius that is too small can cause a small part of the turtle to get very hot while the core temperature remains cold. This animal will remain lying here in an attempt to fully warm up and in doing so runs the risk of burning itself locally. With the help of fluorescent tubes, energy-saving lamps, LED lamps etc. the enclosure of the animals can be illuminated and (water) plants can be grown in the enclosure. However, these lamps are not suitable as a heat source.
Heat sources
Ceramic lamp
A ceramic lamp emits infra-red C radiation that heats the air and it's surroundings. This lamp should be controlled by a thermostat so the temperature can be controlled. By mounting the lamp on one side of the enclosure a thermal gradent can be created. This enables the animal to more to the temperature zone they feel most comfortable at.
Deep heat projector
An infra-red projector emits infra-red b radiation and to a lesser extent also infra-red a. This radiation does not heat the air but the objects and organisms that are under this lamp. The lamp is therefore not very suitable providing ambient heat, but it is very suited to heat the animals themselves.The infra-red of this lamp feels like sunlight. It penetrates into the upper layer of an animal's tissue, heating it more effectively than infra-red c radiation. The lamp itself emits virtually no light and should therefore be combined with, for example, a UV lamp or another lamp that emits light so that the animals lie down underneath to warm up.
Heatmat
A heat mat is only usable in a terrarium. It is a very ineffective way to heat a terrarium. But a heat mat can be used to offer in a warm corner. A heat mat must always be used in combination with a thermostat.