he actually stays 5 degrees warmer than the house. The cabnet traps allot of floor heat. No light, natural light gets to him 4 hours south sun in winter, and 2 hours west in summer. No blinds at all on my 9 ft windows. And I don't use AC. I think it's just wild smell from outdoors. Funny story, he's escaped his old cage(now frog cage) many times. The lid has 6 turn locks. He'd work on 2 locks for days, hitting them with his nose, and would pick the right two to get out. My smart baby!! Let's hope the froggies don't learn to use their thumbs!!!