When do you stop worrying about humidity?

[mcory]

Just curious if there is a certain size/age where humidity no longer is a concern? I have learned how important humidity is for hatchlings but my baby is 3 yrs old and about 5 inches ... I am keeping her enclosure humid and how about when the weather warms up and she gets to go outside? Do I need to worrying about humidity outside? I'm in Colorado so it tends to be dry. Just want to get all the knowledge now so I can prepare proper care ! Thank you

 

[Tom]

My strategy is to give them an hour or two of sunshine when they are little and gradually more as they grow. If you have a well planted irrigated enclosure for her, I would leave her outside all day when the weather permits at her size. Then soak on the way in and let her sleep in her humid enclosure overnight. I have not found a size where humidity doesn't matter for leopards. If they are growing, they need some humidity.

 

[gieseygirly]

Great question, mcory. I have wondered the exact same thing, but my lil leo is only 1. Humidity seems to be the worst struggle......EVER....humidifiers break, wrong substrate molds, etc, etc, etc....for me it's been one hell of a trial and error to find what works best for my situation. But it only gets better and better as I come up with more ideas!

 

[Levi the Leopard]

My 6" leopard spends all day outside and has since he was 4". I also have 2, 5" leopards that spend all day outside. I do not worry about humidity levels outside. They have some tall grasses, weed patches, a heated house and the lawn available to them. They can figure out their own micro climate. BUT they do come in at night to sleep inside a humid chamber. The humidity level in their night chamber is always above 80%RH but usually over 90%.

My current plan is to continue with this until they are 8" or 10". Then they can sleep locked up in their outdoor heated house.

So far, their new growth is still smooth.

 

[TortieLuver]

Team Gomberg~ what are you using to keep your humidity at 80-90% all night long?

 

[Levi the Leopard]

Team Gomberg~ what are you using to keep your humidity at 80-90% all night long?

Two words...
CLOSED CHAMBERS

Btw, the humidity in the night chamber has been in the 90s for going on 2 weeks now. I have not sprayed or added water in all that time.
My hatchling chamber was recently re decorated about a week ago..?..or so. I have not sprayed it or added a drop of water since the initial set up of rehydrated coco coir. It's been 80-90% since then, too.

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

In my closed chamber for my 16 month sulcata, Little Ricky, I use a zoomed,(I believe) fogger that is hooked up to a hydrostat,(sp?). The probe for the unit is located at the top of the enclosure about 4" from the 100watt Powersun. I chose this location to help counter the drop in humidity when the light is on. With this set up, I'm maintaining 87%+/-3% 24/7. Little Ricky is growing nice and smooth. He gets a diet of pasture shovels of sod which contain broadleaf weeds as well as at least 4 types of pasture grasses.

 

[mcory]

What type of wood do you use for your enclosure? I plan on making a bigger enclosure that can last longer when she grows I love looking at people pictures but I see mostly hatchlings enclosures. Would love to see indoor enclosures for the bigger torts!

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

What type of wood do you use for your enclosure?

The wood in these photos is red oak plywood. I'm more prone now to using MDF with melamine on both sides.

 

[mcory]

Sorry ken but what is mdf?

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

No problem. Medium Dense Fiberboard. It is much more solid than plywood and with the melamine on it, it is very moisture resistant.

 

[jshaw9_]

I use melamine for my indoor enclosure

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basically a big square box

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

I use melamine for my indoor enclosure

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basically a big square box

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Yup, that's the stuff.

 

[jshaw9_]

It's heavy stuff tho!! Lol

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

The ones I currently make are out of 3/4" material. 4'x2'x2'. This is equal to one full sheet. Yes, they are heavy. But they do the job well.

 

[jshaw9_]

Yeh I use 3/4" mine is 4ft square closed chamber with another 4ft square "open" all indoors.