Ventilation?

[Moozillion]

I want my tort (a not-yet purchased Hermann's) to get used to high humidity because s/he will be in an outdoor enclosure most of the year. Here in south Louisiana our DAILY humidity ranges from 90%-50% much of the time. It averages out to 70% daily but it feels a lot muggier!

I got the indoor/winter enclosure started last week: 1/2 inch untreated plywood floor and sides 4' x 3' and 18" tall. I will be using primer plus 2 coats of semi-gloss latex enamel to paint it and will seal any crevices with silicone caulk. I plan to put a hinged plexiglass top on it to help keep humidity in.

I intend to use a combination of organic potting soil and coconut coir (70-30% ratio) because I want it heavily planted. I will be sinking some pots into the substrate (I've got begonias and spider plants rooting now) and will sow tort seed mix directly into the soil. I know plants will increase the humidity of the enclosure.

Do I need to think about ventilation? I read somewhere else that a person provided natural ventilation by drilling just a few larger holes closer to the substrate level and a few smaller holes near the top (smaller so they would't lose too much humidity). Or is it easier to just prop up the lid? I work full time and my hubby is not "into" torts enough to check on the enclosure humidity during the day to make adjustments.

 

[ascott]

http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/cs-easthermanns.htm

Are you getting a Western or an Eastern?

 

[GBtortoises]

Good air exchange as well as regularly churning the substrate will help prevent mold and fungus from growing in it and other spots within the enclosure. Damp, trapped air will encourage mold and fungus growth. In your location you shouldn't have any problems maintaining a high enough humidity range for Hermann's tortoises. Their "comfort" zone is 50-70% but they will easily tolerate higher humidity as long as they have fresh air. The suggested 30-50% in the link posted above is much too low. Not sure how old the information is in that link but it has a lot of mis-information in it.

 

[Moozillion]

http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/cs-easthermanns.htm

Are you getting a Western or an Eastern?

As to whether I'm getting a western or an eastern, it doesn't really matter to me. My only thought was to get a yearling (or at least 6 mod old) because I would be much too anxious to try a hatchling for my first tort. I joined this forum just 6 months ago and and have noticed how many threads are about hatchlings dwindling and dying despite good husbandry. In checking all the different classifieds here and elsewhere it seems like there are many more hatchlings than yearlings for sale, so I'm not sure if I'll have a whole lot of options re eastern vs western. Do you recommend one over another for our humidity?