Try sphagram moss under a plastic container large enough for them to enter and turn around. If the height of the hide is 1/2 again as the tort, that is great.

Or as suggested in another post you can glue a sponge to the top of the hide and then keep the sponge damp, thus raising the humidity inside the hide.

Thanks Terry, but my point is that different species of tortoise have very different humidity needs, and so far nobody is clear on the humidity needs for Hermanns.

I'm quite keen to prevent any carapace growth problems in my tortoises by providing the right level of humidity when they are indoors, but I do not know what this is.

How can I make a humid hide to offer them as an option to see if they use it?

Sorry I was too stupid to see those last suggestions as they were on another page. I will look into the sponge and moss ideas.

Take Robyn's suggestion for making a humid hide!

And get the Mosser Lee [ 100% natural.. NO additves ] moss!
Pull it apart until it is real "fluffy".. and lightly mist with hot water. It would be good if this "humid-hide" was located in the warm end of the enclose so it will stay warm [ but not wet ] in the hide itself. "We" have found it in the Garden dept at Lowe's.

http://www.mosserlee.com/products/lfsm.html

Keep in mind - this is not "rocket surgery or brain science" - so keep from making this more difficult than it is.. in other words.. keep it warm and dry in the main enclosure and warm and humid in the "hide"! Your tort will figure it out for themself.

Hope all of this helps...

Terry

This post was last modified: 02-05-2008 09:34 AM by Redfoot NERD.

I just had a thought (a rare occasion on my part) any of our members living in southern Cal (a Mediterean climate) would take a humistat reading of humidity in the open and then take same in sheltered area (i.e. under rocks or such shelter), you would get get an idea of what the humidity should be for a med tort.