Humidity

Thomas tortoise

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I know you all said a closed enclosure is what I need and now I have one and it hold the right temp & humidity I was just wondering... How long do I need him in a humidity holding enclosure? It would be very hard to keep my sulcata in a closed chamber when he is real big. So do I keep his humidity up his whole life? Or till hes at maturity or till I can keep him outside a lot if weather permits? So what age can I stop holding humidity?
 

wellington

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Until around 3 years or 10 inches which is when he can live outside. Then you make a humid hide for night time sleeping. What I do during the summer months when my leopards are mostly outside, I spray their yards down to help up humidity.
 

Thomas tortoise

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Until around 3 years or 10 inches which is when he can live outside. Then you make a humid hide for night time sleeping. What I do during the summer months when my leopards are mostly outside, I spray their yards down to help up humidity.
Until around 3 years or 10 inches which is when he can live outside. Then you make a humid hide for night time sleeping. What I do during the summer months when my leopards are mostly outside, I spray their yards down to help up humidity.
Okay thank you! If you could send a picture of your humid hide to help me get a idea I would really appreciate it!
 

wellington

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I don't have a humid hide for mine. They stay inside a shed for winter and they don't use their hides. I have buckets of water in the shed to add humidity.
Search Tom's night box threads. He shows how to build a hide box and what he hears it with and how he adds humidity.
 

Thomas tortoise

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I don't have a humid hide for mine. They stay inside a shed for winter and they don't use their hides. I have buckets of water in the shed to add humidity.
Search Tom's night box threads. He shows how to build a hide box and what he hears it with and how he adds humidity.
Thanks!
 

Tom

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I know you all said a closed enclosure is what I need and now I have one and it hold the right temp & humidity I was just wondering... How long do I need him in a humidity holding enclosure? It would be very hard to keep my sulcata in a closed chamber when he is real big. So do I keep his humidity up his whole life? Or till hes at maturity or till I can keep him outside a lot if weather permits? So what age can I stop holding humidity?
Leave him in a high humidity environment as long as you can.

My general recommendation is an hour of access to sunshine per inch of tortoise. As they grow I'll start leaving them in their outdoor enclosure all day once they hit about 5-6 inches. Your humid climate will be perfect for this in the warmer months.

Once they reach about 10 inches, which would be about a year for a well started baby, and maybe 18-24 months for a dry started baby, you'll need a heated night box outside for your tortoise that is controlled by a thermostat. You can add tubs or buckets of water to this heated shelter to add some humidity.

I don't know what you are going to do over your cold winters once the tortoise is too large for an indoor enclosure. They can't live in the night box for weeks or months at a time, and sheds are simply too small.
 

Thomas tortoise

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Leave him in a high humidity environment as long as you can.

My general recommendation is an hour of access to sunshine per inch of tortoise. As they grow I'll start leaving them in their outdoor enclosure all day once they hit about 5-6 inches. Your humid climate will be perfect for this in the warmer months.

Once they reach about 10 inches, which would be about a year for a well started baby, and maybe 18-24 months for a dry started baby, you'll need a heated night box outside for your tortoise that is controlled by a thermostat. You can add tubs or buckets of water to this heated shelter to add some humidity.

I don't know what you are going to do over your cold winters once the tortoise is too large for an indoor enclosure. They can't live in the night box for weeks or months at a time, and sheds are simply too small
I live in AR so there is only one month of cold weather usually... Depending on many other things... But my plan was a big heated chicken cook? Would that work?
 
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