Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have been trying to raise the humidity to an acceptable level in my Red Foot¡¦s enclosure for three months now and I¡¦m still at a loss. On a good day, it¡¦s around 20% in there. I have moistened coco fiber bedding, moss in the hiding spot and heat lamps¡KI even have a humidifier in that room and I¡¦m using two humidity gauges (both are digital and both were pretty spendy) and both of them are giving me the same grim reading. ƒ¼

So I¡¦ve come to the conclusion that I need to get rid of my red foot and find a variety that does not require high humidity and one that can thrive in our dry, desert climate, including outside in an enclosure during the summers.

That said, what breeds fit into the dry/desert climate? (I have had sulcatas in the past & loved them but our new house simply does not have the room indoors for them and my new hubby would flip.) Ideally, I¡¦d like something small to medium-sized that I can keep & enjoy as pets and perhaps breed, later on. Ideas?

Also, I¡¦m not sure what I should be expecting to get for my tortoise? I believe it¡¦s a female. She¡¦s about 6 inches long, good shell, great appetite and she¡¦s friendly and inquisitive as red foots, go. Decent coloring¡K..

Thanks!

~Heather

What wattage are these "Heat Lamps"?

It's 150, I believe. And it makes the hiding spot about 84 degrees. The cooler end of the tank is in the mid to upper 70's.

Theres your problem. You can use either a single fixture, or a bank of 2 or 3 30 watt indoor floods ( depending on the animals size ) to achieve a basking spot of 130 degrees at 6-8 inches away and not dry out the enclosure ( or raise the ambient temperature ). The wattage your using is the equivalent of putting your Tortoise in a food dehydrator.

Ohhh....crap! No wonder it wasn't working. Well, I will get some smaller bulbs and see if that helps. The enclosure is large, but it's not large enough to put more than about three lights on the top of...I changed the hide box and it seems to have helped, a little bit.

Thanks!

I'd be curious to see his set-up. Since redfoots are "forest" torts they need very little light so you heat with "heat-emitters" over their "humid hide". Place the thermometers at ground level [ where they live ] and maintain mid-upper 80's in their hide. The enclosure needs to have a full cover to maintain the proper humidity.

Email me from my website in my signature and I'll get you detailed [ with pics ] info on how to set-up like we're talking about.

Terry
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Terry E. Kilgore
Turtletary.com