Red foot humidity, pyramiding, and bugs Help!

Joined
Dec 28, 2021
Messages
98
Location (City and/or State)
America
Spider plant and Pothos are really easy to grow in a habitat and are pretty easy to come by...the safest are plants (or cuttings) you get from friends, family...anyone who does not use pesticides or weed killer in their pots (ones you buy in stores always have dangerous chemicals in the potting mix and that gets into the plants). You can also find people selling baby plants or cuttings on etsy, cr*igslist or other swap/yard sale websites.
I have an example of the bugs that i found in my enclosure. If you look up “tortoise bugs” on tiktok there is a video by linnigudem. I have no idea what bugs they are and how to prevent them.
 
Joined
Dec 28, 2021
Messages
98
Location (City and/or State)
America
If you describe what your habitat was overrun with, people can try to help figure out *what* they are and how to control/prevent them.

Even something harmless (and helpful) like springtails might become a problem in Lousiana where it is humid and warm year-round. Fungus gnats and other wee flies would make a real mess.

There will be a balance point between keeping the substrate damp enough to provide healthful humidity to your pet and making it so wet that it decays and attracts insects that lay their eggs in acidic muck. If you choose a bark chip substrate, you basically add some water every day so that the bark chips stay wet, without any water pooling underneath.

This is a Redfoot? The vet was wrong: this species evolved in a very humid and warm part of the world (South America). It needs an overall stable temperature in the 80-85*F range. No blazing hot spots, no parts of the enclosure cooler than 80*F day or night.

The uneven shell growth that you are seeing means that there is too much dry heat hitting the top of the carapace (top shell). The pyramids are from the keratin curing too quickly under heat bulbs.

Post some photos of the entire enclosure and the lamps you have to work with to get more specific tips.

Thanks for rescuing!
What do you recommend for the pyramiding to stop?
 

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