Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Well, winter seems to be the WORST for keeping the humdity up in my reptile cages, and my poor tegu seems to suffer the worst of it having shed skin around his toes. I'm taking him to the vet on Wed. but I wanted to get other opinions before I go.
I end up having to take him out and give him warm baths to help him shed right. right now the only way i get humidity into his cage is by misting and he also has a large water bowl to swim in. But i'm looking to purchase something to help out. I was thinking of one of those waterfalls, but a nature center out here has a one for their tegu and they are having the same problem. So my other options are a humidifier or fogger. Does anyone know which one would be better or know of a different product I could purchase to keep the humidity high? Or should I just make a giant sized humidity box with peat moss? Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Amy

CYPRESS MULCH-and i also use compressed coconut fiber(it comes in a brick--you float it in a bucket of water for 30 minutes--squeeze out water.you can find it in reptile section of local store---same stuff that i use for leopard gecko humid hides--anyway mix both and should help---- a humidity gauge also if not already in tank-brian

Hi Amy. What kind of cage is he in? Any kind of screen top will wreak havoc with humidity so consider covering most of it with plastic if you do have a screen top. Also, I've found that unfinished Mexican saltillo tiles soaked in water will release plenty of moisture into the air slowly and keep humidity up. You may have to experiment with how many tiles and how often to wet them, but it worked great with my Blood pythons when I had them. Good luck! Billy

>>Well, winter seems to be the WORST for keeping the humdity up in my reptile cages, and my poor tegu seems to suffer the worst of it having shed skin around his toes. I'm taking him to the vet on Wed. but I wanted to get other opinions before I go.
>> I end up having to take him out and give him warm baths to help him shed right. right now the only way i get humidity into his cage is by misting and he also has a large water bowl to swim in. But i'm looking to purchase something to help out. I was thinking of one of those waterfalls, but a nature center out here has a one for their tegu and they are having the same problem. So my other options are a humidifier or fogger. Does anyone know which one would be better or know of a different product I could purchase to keep the humidity high? Or should I just make a giant sized humidity box with peat moss? Any help would be appreciated.
>>Thanks,
>> Amy

Thanks, great ideas!
Well, I have him in a 4' X 2' enclosure I made myself using that white laminate wood... like for shelves. He's got a plexy glass front that opens, and on the top of the cage I drilled holes for ventilation. The sides are 1 1/2 inches higher then the top because I have the same sized cage on top of his for Leos. He's got cypress mulch in there now. I've used bed-a-beast for the leos but not him yet. I'll try that. He's got a huge water bowl, stainless steel shallow dog dish. I'm going to buy a humidity gauge today, do you recommend ZooMed? I use their thermometers. I think I may still buy a humidifier for him. I should buy one for our furnace too. The air here is DRY in the winter.
Well, thanks for the help. This tegu is the first one I've had and I'm still learning but I LOVE this little guy. Well, he's off the the vet now. Thanks again.

Well, the vet says a humidifer in the cage will not work because fungus could start to grow on the substrate. But he told me I could try to put a humidifer in the same room as him. I think I am just going to buy one for the furance. I also picked up a humidity gauge from the pet store so I can keep better track of it, and bought him a super-sized hide log, he's out growing the old one. I'm going to try the other tips you guys have given me too. Thanks again for your help.
Amy