Quote Originally Posted by Willie76 View Post
I still find it simply appalling that one can't even FIND a thermostat in a big box store yet they sell the animal, the UTHs, and enclosures. The manufacturers of these products don't even mention the need for a thermostat to properly regulate these heat sources ANYWHERE on the packaging.
Actually the reasoning is quite simple. Just like the screen lids that are still marketed for reptiles even though they were designed for rodents, unregulated heating devices are cheap to produce and have a high profit margin for these companies. Adding a t-stat to these items would actually be pretty simple, but would drive up the cost and slow down sales. I mean come on, they wouldn't get to sell to all the impulse buyers if that $29.99 heat rock suddenly started costing $129.99 be theycause of the addition of a quality thermostat. Plus it would then last practically forever, which would kill repeat sales. These companies know exactly what is needed for these animals, but sadly profit will always overrule what is right. There is also the sad fact of the idea of the disposable pet, which to many people herps qualify as, same as the two dollar goldfish. Think about it, if you told a complete stranger your dog died your almost certain get get some sympathy. If you tell them your snake died you might just get a response like "Good." or "Go buy another one". unless we can change peoples perceptions, and get them to quit buying these poorly made products, this kind of thing will continue. Ok, sorry, rant over now.