Reptile & Amphibian Forums

hey i didnt know sulcatas needed humidity! i was told the less the better what is good/bad for them as far as humidity goes? my sulcata ..cash... has also been having some resp problems such as wheezing and like the others posting on here the vet visit and meds did nothing for him! help!

Humidity is often one of the most commonly overlooked/misunderstood husbandry requirements when maintaining tortoises.
Think of it this way, While many tortoise species do occur in arid areas they almost always utilize a burrow or vegetation to spend much of their day. These areas are typically considerably higher in humidity than the overall enviroment and an effort should be made to incorporate this "microclimate" into their captive enviroment.
Regards
Jackie Lapradd

I agree that sulcatas need an area such as hide box or burrow with higher humidity. A few years ago, respiratory problems were the norm for my tortoises in the dry desert of southern New Mexico. Since moving to Dallas area, where ambient humidity is normally 50%, the problems have stopped. There is an interesting article at Sulcata Station that mentions keeping the soil moist in one area of an indoor enclosure that eliminated constant digging behavior.
James Floyd

I think there are some tortoises that simply do not like humidity at all. My Golden Greeks were always sick for the first 2 years I had them and I know it was because of the humidity. I live in coastal southern California where it is pretty humid, but certainly not like the midwest.

Medeterranean tortoises do not dig the deep, long burrows like Sulcatas and many others species do, and they are not adapted to the humidity found in these burows. They tend to hide in plants instead. They like it dry, dry, dry, in my opinion.