Get the guns!

The heat is on for reptile keepers after cheeky lizards wrecked thermometers in their enclosures by repeatedly kicking sand over the vital equipment.

Their actions prevented the accurate recording of daily data and prompted keepers into investing in portable thermometer guns.

Reptile keeper, Sam Grove – pictured right – explained: “The old thermometers were simply left in enclosures, but the lizards kept kicking sand on them which stopped them from working properly.

“It’s really important to maintain correct levels of heat and humidity in reptile enclosures and each species has to have a different constant temperature which must be accurately recorded every day.”

Keepers have now started using portable infrared digital thermometer guns.

Sam added: “The guns shoot out an infrared beam of light when the trigger is activated which records the temperatures and displays the figure which can then be noted in our record books. 

“Thankfully, the new guns don’t have to be a permanent fixture in the enclosures so the lizards will have to find something else to kick sand at.”