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low humidity

ZoologyGirl

ZoologyGirl

Under Tank Heather
Hello.

I just stuck a battery in my thermometer to see what I'd get for readings in my house. As expected the humidity is ultra low (I knew it was low because my body has been suffering the consequences...I might have to look into a humidifier I suppose). Anyway...the humidity is so low that it's below my thermometers range and just reads "lo".

What's the best way to put humidity into the cage and monitor the humidity (don't worry there is no snake in there yet). I wonder if I should get another hygrometer? The only one I have is connected to the thermometer and above the UTH.
 
A hydrometer is great to see the ambient humidity, but to raise the humidity you can do a few things. 1. put a water bowl on the warmer side of the cage as well and cover half of the cages holes. 2. lightly mist the sides of the cage not getting the furniture, substrate, or snake overly wet. 3. run a humidifier in your reptiles room and keep the doors closed so the extra humidity stays there. You can buy thermometers/ hydrometer combos to keep around so you know when these things are necessary from most pet stores and even walmarts, targets, home depots, and places like that usually cheaper. Happy new year!!
 
As a cheaper and easier alternative, you can also moisten a terra cotta dish or pot (the kind you buy at a garden center in home depot) and put that in the cage so that you don't have to mist it all the time and get everything wet.

If you're going to buy a humidifier anyway for yourself, go for it, but I don't see any reason to buy one for a snake. Do you have a tank with a screen top? If so, you can cover part of the screen to limit loss of humidty and heat. The terra cotta pot can also double as a hide, but you can just get a terra cotta dish too if you don't want to do that. Another alternative is to get a sea sponge, moisten it, and use that, or provide a humid hide made of tupperware (cut a hole in the top, put some moist substrate in and you're good).
 
Here in Ohio low humidity is a way of life in the winter. So I know what your talking about.

I wouldn't be too stressed about your humidity. Worse case scenario is your corn has a bad shed from the low humidity. That has an easy solution. I don't even keep track of humidity for my corns anymore. If one has a bad shed I remove the dry skin after soaking the snake for a half hour, if it doesn't come off on it's own. Then I put a glad container with a hole in the top and fill it with damp moss. Not too big of a deal.
 
Put a pot of water on your woodstove. If you don't burn wood, put it on your..Not-wood-heat-source. The water evaporates when it gets hot and adds humidity to the air.
 
When I got my snake I had a glass tank. For the first year or so I had no idea what the humidity was. After I got a temp/hygrometer I found out that it stayed at less than 35% relative humidity in that tank most of the time.
When I found that out I started misting when she was blue but I don't think it was necessary, in fact I stopped doing it and she was fine.
My snake has never had a bad shed, even when the humidity was lower. Maybe it depends on the snake. I wouldn't add humidity unless it is indicated by shedding troubles.
 
sounds good. i'll watch for any signs of shedding problems and add a humid box during shedding if need be. most likely the humidity will go up some once winter passes.
 
I keep humid hides in almost all my cages. Many of my snakes really seem to like their humid hide above others. I keep those on the "warm side" of the cage.

That being said, I had a new heating system put in in May and since I turned it on, I have had an alarming number of bad sheds. I don't know if this is why I am seeing an increase in this problem, as all the snakes having bed sheds are new to me this winter... maybe they are just poor shedders overall. But it does concern me.

I was thinking about getting a humidifier, but I am not sure how much good it would do. I already have 150 gallons of aquariums in the same room as the snake tanks-- if those aren't humidifying enough, what good would a room humidifier do??
 
just curious... have you thought about getting an under tank heater (UTH)? I got one for my baby corn and shes been doing great here in Ohio. I use a humid hide for extra moisture.
 
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