Humidifier

Florrie11

New Member
Joined
Apr 17, 2020
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9
Location (City and/or State)
Milford haven
I live in Wales and have a 9 year old Redfoot. Recently I bought him a humidifier as it's hard to keep the humidity up in his enclosure. I have been using it now for 3 days and have noticed that when he's out for exercise he is moving very slowly, much more slowly than normal. He's eating well (he is very greedy) but is definitely not moving like he used to. Are all humidifiers the same? And should I keep using it?
 

iAmCentrochelys sulcata

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Joined
Aug 10, 2019
Messages
1,322
Location (City and/or State)
Alief
Humidifiers won’t keep the humidity up if you have your enclosure open. Your tortoise must be pretty big by now. We will need to see pictures of your enclosure.
 

Florrie11

New Member
Joined
Apr 17, 2020
Messages
9
Location (City and/or State)
Milford haven
Humidifiers won’t keep the humidity up if you have your enclosure open. Your tortoise must be pretty big by now. We will need to see pictures of your enclosure.
It's not open, it's got perspex walls and top. Trying to attach a photo, I'm not very good at technology. He is quite big now, he can get out of his enclosure and wander round the house. We have a metal tray on which I keep a mud puddle with a basking light above where he can go when he's out if he feels cold, there's also a little hidey hole there too. That was why I wanted the humidifier for his enclosure, which contains his bedroom, basking area water bowls etc.
 

Markw84

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Jan 17, 2012
Messages
5,041
Location (City and/or State)
Sacramento, CA (Central Valley)
Your tortoise is moving slow most likely because it is too cold. Wandering around the house is certainly too cold for a tortoise where you live. Unless you keep your house heated to about 30°C, and even then the floors where the tortoise is, will be substantially cooler. Offering a basking light "when the tortoise feels cold" does not work. MOst of the time a tortoise will want to find a nice secure hiding spot. As a species they come from areas where the ground temperature is always in the 26° - 28° range. They "know" the ground and their hides are where they can stay with good temperatures and protection from heat and cold. There is no way they understand an area where the ground is 18°-19°. They will lay there expecting to warm and only get cooler. A tortoise roaming the house is never a good idea for many reasons, but in the case of heat, all of its instincts will tell it to do things that will only get it colder.
 

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