Fl@sh
Member
- Joined
- Feb 16, 2017
- Messages
- 94
Ah those new facts are refreshing indeed. The seeking higher humidity under growth is all good and well and is an excellent point. However i see these creatures often in natural habitats, they are in dry climates but never too far from a water hole. Thus a dry climate with provided water is best . I tend to mist my tort enclosure 3 times a day when he is in his indoor one but never to extent of high humidity. Can i also state that my tort does indeed have a smooth shell and so do the ones in the wild which are from dry regionsA couple of thoughts @Fl@sh
I have literally raised a few hundred tortoises they way you describe. All the Temps and diet correct, yet humidity was never a concern. ALL pyramided. ONLY when changing the humidity did I see smooth, more active, babies. I never thought the health or activity level of all those babies was not optimal before. But I was very surprised about the difference when I changed the humidity for them. Over the years I also always noted that once I moved them to outside enclosures, the growth smoothed out. Where I live, the "humidity" (meteorological humidity) is normally in the 10-20% range throughout the summer. But they grew smooth outside, and as you note, they are much more active. Now I know why, exactly. The live in micro climates. If I stick a data sensor next to where they will push under a bush to spend much of their time outside, the humidity is 70-90%, yet the humidity at 2 meters above ground level (where all official meteorological data is collected) is 18%. Tortoises are extremely good at seeking out areas of higher humidity which also provide great cover and hiding from predators. Experts for years, and many still do, think tortoises are simply hiding from danger and predators. I now think that is only half of the story. I think they are looking for optimal conditions that they can find in an area a meteorologist will tell you is too dry! Ever watch a female tortoise looking for a place to lay eggs? Constantly pressing her nose to the ground? Testing temperature and humidity? They are amazing creatures we still do not fully understand.
In your response to Yvonne, you stated her statement was ignorance that was dangerous. I will not say that about your statements, as I think ignorance is the wrong word, but I will say that misapplied information can indeed be detrimental to understanding optimal husbandry. As someone who has strived to understand what works and what does not for over 50 years now of keeping tortoises, attending symposiums, visiting breeders, and seeking out and talking to the best experts I could find, I constantly heard and even repeated many of these myths myself - mostly all draw from incorrect conclusions about what we saw in the areas they tortoises occur naturally. You cannot look at climate data alone. You must study micro climates. And we must keep in mind that tortoises are extremely hardy. If left to range naturally, they will range into territories that they are able to do well in, yet are not optimal. Climate variations and a drought or unusual wet season are things these amazing creatures have found ways to overcome and survive through. But that does not mean we can look at those conditions and conclude since they are there that year, or in that part of their range, they are in the optimal state. We will see pyramided tortoises in drought years. We will see pyramided tortoises in parts of their range where they are not in optimal range, but suitable range. We see pyramided tortoises in their native areas where ample food is given by artificial means (local pens or assurance colonies), yet the climate has dried the area where that time of year the tortoise would normally be aestivating.
We are making huge strides in understanding optimal conditions for tortoises. And I see so much of myself 20 years ago in what you are saying - the same arguments and comments I even made in lectures back then.