Dry vs humid vs wet enclosure

[TortillaTheTortioise]

I would like u to share your experiences raising hatchlings in the threads titled conditions. I'm doing research on how I should raise my 1 month hatchling as getting the right conditions while they are still young is important.

My angulate tortoise is currently in a dry environment, I will sometimes mist the enclosure on rainy days.

 

[Yvonne G]

I've been raising tortoises for over 30 years. 99% of that time they were raised on alfalfa pellets under a 100 watt hot light. I lost some, and some lived. The ones that lived were pyramided and stunted.

The 1% of the time was the recent past, in closed chambers with no desiccating light, but a tube type fluorescent bulb with a radiant heat panel for heat. I also had moist substrate and plants in the closed chamber. So far using this method I've cared for several clutches of leopard babies, a couple sulcata babies, desert tortoise babies and a couple of box turtle babies. All these babies have grown smooth shells, show no health problems and the ones I've kept are growing much bigger than the beef jerky babies I raised in the past.

 

[wellington]

If you do a research on here you will find thousands of threads or posts on hot and dry causes pyramiding while hot and humid doesnt or less. Take the mercury vapor bulbs away and you will have a better result of no pyramiding.

 

[Tom]

I would like u to share your experiences raising hatchlings in the threads titled conditions. I'm doing research on how I should raise my 1 month hatchling as getting the right conditions while they are still young is important.

My angulate tortoise is currently in a dry environment, I will sometimes mist the enclosure on rainy days.

No one knows the requirements for your species. If you talk to 10 different people, you'll get 10 different answers. Then you need to ask each of them what sort of success they've had with their recommended methods. Most people have have little success with this species and we don't know why yet.

In general, the people who succeed keep them primarily outside in a Mediterranean climate. SA, parts of Southern CA, parts of Australia, and a few areas actually around the Mediterranean Sea.

On thing we do know is that the excessively dry conditions that are created in a captive enclosure indoors with dry substrate and a heat lamp are BAD for EVERY species. Baby tortoises in the wild look for little humid microclimates in the areas where they live, even during so-called "dry" seasons. In a dry indoor enclosure, there is no humid microclimate for them to find. Hydration is key for captive tortoises. Daily soaks are good for babies of all species. Moderate humidity, and humid hiding areas suit all species well.