That is only correct under perfect conditions. Under almost all conditions, because the amount of water vapor the air can hold increases rapidly with temperature, the relative humidity actually decreases with increasing temperature, unless the evaporation potential can be met. This means that unless the rate of evaporation can keep up with the demand for moisture brought on by the rising air temperature, there will be a net loss in relative humidity. This is why rainforests and deserts can have major differences in humidity when at the same air temperature. This can also be seen when keepers spray cages fairly frequently to maintain moderate humidity levels, as the warm cage interiors force out the water vapor into the exterior room. A water bowl has one of the slowest rates of evaporation of almost any setup, as the surface tension of the water inhibits rapid evaporation. Cages with temps in the 80’s range usually do not have big problems with humidity. However, when raising cage temps into the 90’s, the rate of evaporation from a water bowl alone will never reach anywhere near its potential, and the humidity could easily drop well below 50% within the cage. That is too low for a healthy tropical snake in most people’s opinion, let alone one that is compromised by an RI. Wick system substrates or evaporation dishes with cloth, paper towel, or wood shavings have more rapid evaporation potentials and will produce much higher humidity levels than even a large water bowl alone.
Overly dry air within a cage will not kill a tropical snake directly, but the drying out of healthy lung membranes will cause tissue damage, and increase the possibility of a bacterial infection. Typically, relative humidity in the 70% to 80% range is adequate for snakes being treated for RI.

Kelly

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