Why do they need 130 degrees

Why do monitors need 130-150 degrees basking spots, when the hottest place on earth ever recorded was 136 degrees
And that was just one day, where in the wild are their temps reaching 130-150 degrees?

That's crazy 16 views and no one knows y that even though it doesn't get to be 150 degrees on earth some monitors "need" these temps!?!?!?

Ever walk bare foot on sand, blacktop or rocks on a 90 degree day? The ground absorbs the heat and can get really hot. Monitors live on the ground, the hot ground.
Don't own one or know...just saying the ground gets hot enough to burn my feet on a sunny day.

most monitors dont need over 130 degress that i know of and where most of them live there are spots that get hot enough on the ground and that heat helps their digestion

That makes sence and I get it but does it really get that hot? It just seems like at that temp they would burn!?!?!?

The places on earth that get 136F is the recorded AMBIENT temps, not the temp taken near the ground or on rocks etc etc.

The high temps allow them to properly digest their meals. Undigested prey can go rancid and even cause regurges or refusal to eat.

Proof of higher temps on earth...
http://twitpic.com/2ngjeb

I took this outside on mulch this summer. The "daily high" was only 96F I believe. Moggie and Wilson regularly sit in this spot happily basking, when they have full choice to go elsewhere in the cage where the temps are lower, or even under cover where temps are as low as 80F. They are not burned, and are happy healthy monitors.

Hope this made sense.

On many of the species that require extreme basking temperatures, that was the research data collected on the species in the wild. As another poster already stated, certain ground surfaces absorb heat. Wait until it hits summer and go out in the middle of an asphalt road with a temperature gun, you'd be surprised how hot it gets. These are just the places these animals choose to bask too; rocks, sand, dirt roads, etc.

I'd also like to point out that some of these animals only start being able to digest at 100-105 degrees. Meaning the temperatures are important to their digestive tract as well.

Place the same species that requires high basking in two different settings, one with a basking of 100 and the other with 130, see which on is an overall healthier and happier animal, grows faster, eats more, and is more active.

When you are dealing with the word of more advanced hobbiest, they don't just pull this information out of a hat. I mean, seriously..who wants a more expensive electric bill? I spend an average of $80 a month on electric cost because I want to provide the best possible environment for my animals as possible. I understand it's inconvenient to bring temperatures up to such an extreme, but if you are unable to do so, avoid the animal and get one that is better suited for you and your lifestyle.

Hope this helps.

Well thanks for clearing that up and no I don't have a monitor and if I do get one it will be a while, I have done research on different kinds and I get all of the husbandry and how to accomplish it, I'm just the kind of perso. Who wants to know the "WHY" about stuff, no I only have a ball a burm and a rtb, it will be a while before I have room for a monitor!