terryo said:Tom Wrote:
Mark, I don't care for the headache example, but that doesn't matter. The rest of that post was GOLDEN. It helped me realize something about my continual disagreements with people on this subject. The reason that I think it is primarily humidity/moisture/hydration above all the other factors is that for the past 20 years I've mostly had all the other factors RIGHT, even though I always had this ONE very important factor WRONG. So, from my perspective it looks like H/M/H is the defining factor. I guess I just assume that everybody else know that they need a proper diet, proper temps, exercise, sunshine and supplementation. Maybe I give "them" too much credit. The only groundbreaking NEW info is the H/M/H. All the other stuff is old hat to me and I thought it was to the rest of the world too.
I totally agreeTom, but a new Tortoise keeper wouldn't know any of this. Three years ago when I first went to Terry K. asking for advice, he stressed the importance of good nutrition to me, along with humidity. He gave me a list of foods to feed Pio, with the highest in calcium coming first on the list. He also told me not to supplement with vitamins or calcium until he was 6 months old and to let him get his nutrition from his food. He told me to do everything in balance, but stressed that humidity was very important. Then Andy H. told me to add the UVB light, and told me that humidity was important, but didn't stress it as much as Terry K. Confusing isn't the word. So when trying to help a new keeper, you guys have to stress the importance of balance, and just not assume that we know what it's all about.
Thank you Terry.. I appreciate the fact that you mentioned that.
Oddly enough 'some' of the info on humidity/diet did come from Highfield and is referenced on my caresheet..... however I learned mostly from Richard Fife. Guess why? His hands-on experience! Because he had been there personally! Also why I [ and others I've been told ] don't put much stock or confidence in those that base their knowledge on someone else's experience.
So when I say that the basics are basics ( my simple balanced caresheet ) and can be duplicated anywhere on the planet.. that means some may have to work harder at keeping the humidity, for example, "in balance" because of the particular environment they live in. Tom lives in an area where "you spit and it evaporates before it hits the ground" so he has to adjust accordingly.
I had leopard tortoises in my back yard [ 8 years ago ] when the temps were in the low 90's and so was the humidity. They could tolerate the temps all of the time but not the humidity 24/7 - they are now outside Dallas and producing last I heard. I would have had to build a greenhouse for them.. running "dehumidifiers" that they could access at will - possible but not practical.
I spoke briefly with Kristina earlier and she said that all of the different parts are needed.. and it's the humidity that holds it all together.. to me she was saying it creates the balance.
Terry K