Why is high humidity important?

Julian32122

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I'm just curious as to why it's important that young tortoises have high-humidity enclosures. Also, would frequent soaking be a good way to make up for a lack of proper humidity? I'm struggling to find information on how the two work hand-in-hand.
 

nicoleann2214

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I'm just curious as to why it's important that young tortoises have high-humidity enclosures. Also, would frequent soaking be a good way to make up for a lack of proper humidity? I'm struggling to find information on how the two work hand-in-hand.
Humidity is the key how to prevent pyramiding, also is good for moisture. @Tom has a lot of good articles on each specie, what they need and why.
 

wellington

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Years of threads and post on the importance of humidity. Do a search on here, you should be able to find all the info you would ever need.
 

ArmadilloPup

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Tortoises can grow very fast in their first years. Even with a proper diet, if they don't have enough moisture to carry nutrients through the body, they may not develop properly. Babies can be especially stubborn about actually drinking enough (or eating their veggies).

As @nicoleann2214 stated, a dehydrated tortoise will show pyramids on the shell. The spikey "koopa" tortoises you see have had a rough start. What you don't see is how it affected them internally. Rescued torts with pyramiding will often have internal bone or kidney issues.

Soaks cannot replace a good enclosure. It's a supplemental way to be sure your baby is taking in water that is lost through respiration and pooping.

They are not domesticated animals, so it's up to us to duplicate their native home. It's important to follow the right parameters for your species' habitat. Different species intake and respirate water in different amounts because that is how they are built for survival in the wild. Some may swim more and eat more fruit in the wild (like red and yellowfoots), while others rely on the humidity in a cool underground den (like Hermann's).

I remember one of the veterans described it as a sort of "care pyramid." You have to balance all of the things they need for them to thrive. A tortoise can live a very long time on neglect, but survival does not mean that they are comfortable.
 

Julian32122

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Tortoises can grow very fast in their first years. Even with a proper diet, if they don't have enough moisture to carry nutrients through the body, they may not develop properly. Babies can be especially stubborn about actually drinking enough (or eating their veggies).

As @nicoleann2214 stated, a dehydrated tortoise will show pyramids on the shell. The spikey "koopa" tortoises you see have had a rough start. What you don't see is how it affected them internally. Rescued torts with pyramiding will often have internal bone or kidney issues.

Soaks cannot replace a good enclosure. It's a supplemental way to be sure your baby is taking in water that is lost through respiration and pooping.

They are not domesticated animals, so it's up to us to duplicate their native home. It's important to follow the right parameters for your species' habitat. Different species intake and respirate water in different amounts because that is how they are built for survival in the wild. Some may swim more and eat more fruit in the wild (like red and yellowfoots), while others rely on the humidity in a cool underground den (like Hermann's).

I remember one of the veterans described it as a sort of "care pyramid." You have to balance all of the things they need for them to thrive. A tortoise can live a very long time on neglect, but survival does not mean that they are comfortable.

Thank you for the lengthy reply! I appreciate it. That clears things up for me. Luckily, using plexiglass, I’m able to get the humidity up to 80%+ with frequent misting even though the top isn’t 100% covered. But I’m also making sure to soak my little friend everyday for 20+ minutes and keeping the soil nice and damp + thick for burrowing. I’m hoping this should all be enough to keep the humidity levels in check :)
 

ArmadilloPup

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That's great! Your tort is lucky to have you :)

If you use bark over the soil, eventually the bark will start to hold in moisture. When my tort was little, I used a fogger on a timer while I was away at work, but was able to stop relying on it after a few months.
 

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