Humidity issue

[EasternGirl]

I need a way to increase the humidity in Hermes' enclosure. Right now it is only registering at 40%. I have two water dishes in his tank...one on the cool side and one on the warm side...and I have been misting. I want to keep the humidity levels up in case he is going to shed...since it is hard to tell with albinos. Any suggestions for increasing humidity?

[Stefan-A]

What kind of enclosure did you have, again?

[angrygamer]

Get some sphagnum moss. I though 30-50% was the ideal humidity?

[EasternGirl]

I thought it was 50-60%...was I wrong? Maybe I was thinking too high...but I did want to try to get it on the high side for right now since he is albino and they have shedding issues and he has been here for a few weeks and hasn't shed yet and it's difficult to tell when an albino is going to shed. But since I am confused about ideal humidity...can someone post humidity ranges again for me? I have sphagnum moss...should I just put some in his enclosure or are you talking about making a shed box? I have a 20 gallon tank.

[chris-uk]

I think 40% as an ambient level in the viv is fine. In the UK our atmospheric humidity doesn't tend to vary much, and tends to be around 50%. Our house has pretty dry air, and with the central heating on more at the moment our air is dry. The humidity in the two vivs with hygrometers is around 30%... I'm misting a couple of times a day, but for me the most important thing is to keep some damp moss in the cold hide, this means that there is an area of higher humidity that they can seek out if they need it.

[Stefan-A]

Cover the lid partially, eg. with glass or acrylic to reduce the evaporation rate.

[EasternGirl]

Okay...I can try that. I have a towel over half of the top of the tank but I can try using glass or acrylic. As far as moss goes, I can try it with Hermes, but for some reason whenever I try to use moss in Cee Cee and Seeley's enclosures, they won't go near it. Thanks for the help!

[snakehill]

I've been having a very hard time controling the humidity in my tanks because we have a pellet stove going 24/7! It's going down to desert conditions constantly no matter how many times I spray etc.! I am really getting worried about this if anyone can help! :(

[EasternGirl]

Putting a bowl of wet sphagnum moss and covering 1/2 to 3/4 of the tank lid and constantly misting is getting my humidity levels up some...changing from carefresh over to ecofresh and reptibark helped a bit too although I'm not convinced my snakes like the change in substrate.

[chris-uk]

Apparently different substrates can make a huge difference, I read on another forum about using an orchid bark substrate in vivs for Amazon Tree Boas which need humidity in the 80s.
I don't know if anyone has experience of using it with garters.

[EasternGirl]

Hmmm....I haven't noticed a huge difference with the change in substrate...but I have noticed a bit of a difference. Now I am working on decreasing the amount of ventilation. I have noticed humidity going up when I do that.

[angrygamer]

I am bumping this thread because I would like to know myself if anyone has a definitive answer as to what the ideal humidity is...when I got my new tank set up a few weeks ago I stuck a hygrometer in it...I hadn't done that because I was under the impression that I could use the general humidity from weather reports as a reference...what a newb I am. The humidity inside the tank falls between 22 and 28%. I immediately rigged a household humidifier to the tank to bring it up to at least 50%.

I did this for two reasons: Glyph started showing signs she (still in the dark on whether it's M/F, going to the vet next week) was going to shed, and I have read up on at least 20 or so sources on the 'net as to what the ideal humidity should be, and from what little I could gather, 50% is ideal, and for shedding maybe raise it up another 10%.

I have to really stress this, in all the reading up I have done, it is not addressed very much...heck, the care sheet on this site doesn't address it at all except in the case of juveniles, and even then it is very vague.

Some people would say things like, "well, I have a really big water bowl, that kind of takes care of it."

I am particularly worried about humidity because 1.)I live in the desert. 2.)I live in a studio apartment, and the furnace is a mammoth gas burner, and this causes the air to become very dry.

I DO have a big water bowl and I did set up a shedbox, but Glyph did not want to go in it. Nevertheless, I raised the humidity to about 55% and the shed went very well I am happy to say, in two pieces, the body and about 3 inches of the tail.

I do have a vet appointment next week and I will ask him, but I'd thought I'd bring it up here as well.

And I'll have him do his probing thing too.

[chris-uk]

I don't think there is a definitive ideal humidity. Different people will respond with different ranges.
I'm happy if mine is above 40%, and I struggle to get it any higher at the moment. If it got over 60% I'd be taking steps to reduce it.

[angrygamer]

I don't think there is a definitive ideal humidity. Different people will respond with different ranges.


That's what I was afraid of.

[Light of Dae]

I DO have a big water bowl and I did set up a shedbox, but Glyph did not want to go in it. Nevertheless, I raised the humidity to about 55% and the shed went very well I am happy to say, in two pieces, the body and about 3 inches of the tail.

As for making up a Shed Box, I put mine in and shut the lid with a warm moist towel folded under n over her so that she has to squirm out of it. She doesn't get the option of wanting to or not. I will also just put her in a luke warm bath n let her soak for a few minutes.

[EasternGirl]

I never really got mine up above 40% but my albino checkered had a perfect first shed...all one piece...and albinos are known for having problem sheds from what I understand. I gave up on the sphagnum moss bowls because they weren't making much of a difference and they were becoming a pain. So I just mist and mist more when it's shedding time...and I cover about 1/2 to three quarters of the tank lid with a towel when I want to get the humidity up as well. I try to keep my humidity levels around 30%-40% on average and try to get them up a little higher...aiming for 50% or 60% if I can get it during shed time. It's the best I can do and my snakes seem to be doing okay.

[Selkielass]

My snakes all seem to enjoy my damp basement. (60% or better.) in the summer, but the Butlers seem to enjoy having an even damper area to hide in at night when its available. They sun themselves high in their enclosure most of the morning, and then some seek cooler damp places to hide later in the day or at night.
My eastern and checkered seem to prefer it somewhat dryer (40-70% depending on weather.) and don't appreciate a damp hide unless shedding.

[EasternGirl]

My albino checkered has been sitting high in his vine plant under his red lamp a lot lately. My easterns seem to like to bask under the light most of the time and will seek cooler parts of the tank...I would say about a quarter of the time. The albino always stays on the warm side of the tank...he goes in his hide sometimes, but never to the cool side of the tank. I have been misting all the time in all of the tanks...but the humidity never goes above 50% at the most this time of year....it usually stays around 30-40%. It actually takes a lot of work to get it to 50%.

[chris-uk]

I may have stumbled across a method that raises humidity without any need to mist. Since I rearranged the UK checkereds viv by putting a bigger water bowl in there's a couple of silk leaves dipping in the water. Since then humidity has stayed constant around 45%, before that it was dropping down to low 30s and I was misting to try to keep it up in the 40s.
What I think is happening is that the silk leaves are wicking water and the evaporation from the leaves is raising the humidity.

[EasternGirl]

Hmmm...I just bought a silk plant. I haven't been using though because it's huge and Cee Cee didn't seem to like it...she just stared at it like some big predator in her enclosure...lol. But I just noticed that the humidity in her tank has been staying up...over 50%. I have ecoearth and reptibark in there and I have some of the lid covered and I have been misting a lot since she is getting ready to shed again. I may look into buying some more small silk plants though...because I don't think I'm going to stick with the reptibark. Thanks for the tip Chris!

[EasternGirl]

Well now I am having a humidity problem again. I have decided it must be this Delaware weather...it can be 65 degrees outside one day and then 19 degrees outside the next this time of year...and it is making the humidity in my house go up and down. I guess the brief increase in the humidity in my enclosures was due to the warmer temps and rain here last week...but now the temp has dropped significantly outside and the humidity in the tanks has dropped as well. I can't seem to get Cee Cee's humidity over 30%...even with misting and covering the lid 3/4...and she is getting ready to shed. Since she had that problem shed last time, it is concerning me a bit.

[guidofatherof5]

Put a shed box in the enclosure with a hole in the side so she can come and go.
The lid will keep the humidity very high in the box only.

[EasternGirl]

Can you post another link to your shed box video please? I can't remember which thread it was in. Thanks.

[guidofatherof5]

Cs0Vqm2pP18

[EasternGirl]

Thanks Steve...I'm going to try that for her! The video was great.

[Invisible Snake]

I wanted bump this because I wanted to know if there was a consensus of the ideal humidity for garter snakes?

And if it depends on the garter snakes, what would be the ideal humidity for albino checkereds?

[chris-uk]

Around 50% will probably be the consensus... how much variation is acceptable seems to be what is more open to debate.

[Steveo]

I wanted bump this because I wanted to know if there was a consensus of the ideal humidity for garter snakes?

And if it depends on the garter snakes, what would be the ideal humidity for albino checkereds?

ideal: humid enough to not cause shedding problems :P

I always try to think about where in the world my snakes come from. My desert/cali king hybrid is just fine with the dry Denver air (average humidity is probably in the 25% neighborhood), but my sinaloan milk snakes are from the west coast of Mexico and need extra moisture to to shed cleanly. My wandering garter spends half of her time fully submerged in her water dish, so I'm not sure what she'd need if she didn't.

[EasternGirl]

I would agree with Chris...I try to keep my humidity at least around 50%...which can be tough during the cool months. Luckily, now it has been staying around 60% in all of my tanks. I try to mist a lot...and I am extra careful to make sure it stays up in my albino checkered's enclosure...I mist in there a lot and also keep a moist hide in there at all times for him because he has a history of problem sheds. With the humidity up lately...he had his first good shed a few days ago.

[Invisible Snake]

Does anyone know what potential dangers there could be to garters kept in an enclosure with too much humidity?

[kibakiba]

Scale rot and other skin issues.

[ConcinusMan]

I wanted bump this because I wanted to know if there was a consensus of the ideal humidity for garter snakes?

And if it depends on the garter snakes, what would be the ideal humidity for albino checkereds?


Put a shed box in the enclosure with a hole in the side so she can come and go.
The lid will keep the humidity very high in the box only.

good advice. Don't be too concerned over the ambient humidity if it is beyond your control. If you can't keep it at 40-70 percent then garters adapt by taking advantage of micro climates. I have found that very young garters especially, including albino checkereds, (some wild checkerds live in very dry, arid climate desert oasis') can have trouble shedding, and can even die from failure to shed. In spite of low relative humidity, garters get through it by finding a moist place to hide. An area of moist substrate to bury into, a damp hide (for example, a "shed box") etc.

I would take Steve's advice. Create an enclosed hide (preferably not near the basking, or hottest area) with damp paper towels, moss, newspaper, etc. inside. In spite of low humidity in the air of the tank, this will give the snake the moist micro climate it needs, as it needs it.


Scale rot and other skin issues.

Agreed. But high humidity alone (65-75%) won't cause those issues. Constantly damp substrate underneath them, causing bacteria growth, with no dry areas for them to retreat to, will.

[kibakiba]

He asked if you put too much humidity. Not just 65-75. Could be over 80, over 90 or any other number that is considered "too much"

[ConcinusMan]

He asked if you put too much humidity. Not just 65-75. Could be over 80, over 90 or any other number that is considered "too much"

Well then, if your enclosure starts smelling like an old damp dish rag, I would say it's "too much" ;)

[kibakiba]

Indeed.

[EasternGirl]

I concur with everything Chris and Steve said...just try to keep the humidity up at 50% if you can...but many of us struggle with this during dry or cold months. Misting and keeping a nice moist hide can help with that. Just make sure when misting that you aim for the plants and do not make the substrate damp. I wouldn't recommend humidity over 70% for a garter on a regular basis...but like Chris said, normally wet substrate...a garter sitting in an area of damp or moist substrate for a prolonged period of time is what leads to skin problems like scale rot.

[BUSHSNAKE]

at 60% or lower i feel your snake is slowly becomming beef jerky... proper shedding, dehydration and respirtory problems i feel are directly linked to low humidity levels

[EasternGirl]

I wish I could get my humidity to stay up at 60% at all times...but it won't in the colder months. But I agree...at 60% my albino checkered finally had a successful shed after all his shedding problems.

[kibakiba]

You know what I do to raise humidity in dry months? I use my rice cooker, and stick a gallon of water in it... And I press "white rice" and let it boil for a few hours, letting the steam release in my office. I have to do that now, actually! I have 5 snakies shedding :D

[d_virginiana]

I tried misting Houdini's enclosure once... It was probably the biggest snake panic attack I've ever witnessed. We just rely on the water evaporating from their dishes to keep the humidity at an okay level.

[Light of Dae]

I was looking at a frog fogger, you can set it to replicate morning dew, or low cloud cover etc. I think with a substrate that can handle moisture like coco husk(I feel I should be getting paid for advertising...) That it would work wonders... Think I'm going to try it, If I like it, I'll get one for each tank, if I don't like it I'll just use it for my Lizard :)

[guidofatherof5]

For a garter enclosure? Sounds like too much humidity.
If you meant for your salamander then disregard my post.;)

[Light of Dae]

I was thinking of trying it for my garters... It is programmable but we'll see, I would try it out first without them in the tank. Monitor it for a few days.

[chris-uk]

One of my vivs that tended to have low humidity through the winter I fixed by putting a small ramekin dish with some damp sphagnum moss into the viv and kept the moss moist. This is in addition to proving a damp moss hide. When I ended up with the dish partially over the heatmat it did a good job of raising the humidity to 40-50%. In the winter our ambient humidity tends to be pretty low.

[guidofatherof5]

One of my vivs that tended to have low humidity through the winter I fixed by putting a small ramekin dish with some damp sphagnum moss into the viv and kept the moss moist. This is in addition to proving a damp moss hide. When I ended up with the dish partially over the heatmat it did a good job of raising the humidity to 40-50%. In the winter our ambient humidity tends to be pretty low.

I had to look that up.:D
Ramekin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramekin)

[chris-uk]

I had to look that up.:D
Ramekin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramekin)

You get them in the States don't you? Probably called souffle dish. They're ideal because we don't use them very often (souffle and creme brulee doesn't feature on the weekly menus in our house) so I didn't get any complaints when I re-purposed one from the the kitchen to the viv, it's the right size and holds the moss without letting the substrate get damp.

[EasternGirl]

In Delaware, this time of year and continuing throughout the summer...I will now have the opposite problem of what I usually have...now I will be monitoring to make sure the humidity doesn't get too high in my enclosures. It has been staying at around 60% lately...but it can get quite humid here in the summer. Now I know we have members on here from states that are far more humid than Delaware in the warmer months...any suggestions for keeping humidity from getting too high?

[kibakiba]

Fans kind of take away some of the humidity. At least, in my experience they do. I have one running at all times, and it seems to keep my room a little more dry.

[chris-uk]

...any suggestions for keeping humidity from getting too high?
Good ventilation, fans, a dehumidifier, or a huge sack of silca gel.

[Steveo]

Running an air conditioner will reduce absolute humidity, though it's a rather expensive solution. (Cold air cannot hold as much moisture as hot air; humidity is reported as "relative humidity" because it is a percentage of what the air can hold, relative to temperature.)

[kibakiba]

An impossible method for people without acs, haha. :p