Humid Hide??

[MildredsMommy]

I am on the learning curve of caring for my RF, Jerry Lee. I have a question-is a tortoise table okay as long as there is a humid hide available? Example: the table has ecco earth and repti bark for substrate-Powersun 100 watt mvb-the humid hide is a 5 gallon rubbermaid container with top that has a hole cut out for Jerry to get in at the bottom. The inside is stuffed with spaghum moss and ecco earth and the humidity gauge says it stays at 80%. The temp in the remaining area of the table is around 90 degrees. I am very open to suggestions so fire away. Redfoot Experts!!

 

[ascott]

No expert here...but, is the hide heated so it never falls below 80-83 degrees? Is there a way you can cover 3/4 of the top with something that will help retain heat and some of your humidity?

 

[MildredsMommy]

No expert here...but, is the hide heated so it never falls below 80-83 degrees? Is there a way you can cover 3/4 of the top with something that will help retain heat and some of your humidity?

I live in TX and its been 100 degrees here on a COOL day lately-I have the vents shut off to that room so at any given time it remains about 85-90 degrees where Jerry and Mildred stay . I was contemplating rigging a "mini greenhouse" like contraption over half of it with a shower curtain liner or something similar-he seems to be staying in the humid hide most of the day, then comes out in the morning to eat and soak and then at night to soak/drink again...I will post pics shortly.

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well never mind..got a new smart phone and cant figure out how to send via Jpeg why does a smart phone make me feel so stupid? LOL

 

[Beck]

What is humidity in the rest of the enclosure?

Can you pour water into the corners of the enclosure, to make bottom layers of the coir moist, and keep the top dry? That will help you keep humidity up.

Approx how old is Jerry Lee? While all redfoots need high humidity, for young ones its especially important to prevent pyramiding because its hard to stop.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using TortForum mobile app

 

[Madkins007]

Not all red-footed tortoises need the same levels of humidity- the younger they are, the more they seem to benefit from it, but tortoises like older 'cherry-heads' (Brazilians) do not need it so much.

Having said that, the key would be- what is the normal humidity level in your tortoise room? If it is normally 50-60% or higher, a humid hide and perhaps some leafy plants might be enough. If it is usually lower, you may need to tent over the table a bit. Tents or covers also help with temperature management quite a bit.