How long to keep humid?

Meganolvt

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I've read all the arguments for keeping hatchlings in a closed chamber. I either can't find and/or can't remember at how old it is ok to move them into a less humid enclosure?
 

wellington

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Around 2 you can use a humid hide instead of the whole encloser. The humid hide should be 80% and temp 80. It wouldn't hurt to have some humidity in the rest of enclosure too though.
 

Tom

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I've read all the arguments for keeping hatchlings in a closed chamber. I either can't find and/or can't remember at how old it is ok to move them into a less humid enclosure?

Pyramiding is caused by growth in conditions that are too dry. If your tortoise is growing, it needs humidity.

I usually move them outside full time with a heated, humidified night box when they reach about 8".
 

Ramsey

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I remember once reading @Tom's response to this question and it was "as long as they are growing, they need high humidity."

Although this made complete sense, I got worried that I would have to dedicate an entire bedroom to a tortoise until it fully grew.

Now I realize that they can be moved outside earlier and a humid hide is sufficient.
 

Tom

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I remember once reading @Tom's response to this question and it was "as long as they are growing, they need high humidity."

Although this made complete sense, I got worried that I would have to dedicate an entire bedroom to a tortoise until it fully grew.

Now I realize that they can be moved outside earlier and a humid hide is sufficient.

You've got the idea.

This is very climate dependent too. Its really really dry where I am, so I have a difficult time keeping the growth looking smooth and nice the more time they spend outside. In a more humid area, this transition would be much smoother, and so would the growth.
 

Ramsey

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You've got the idea.

This is very climate dependent too. Its really really dry where I am, so I have a difficult time keeping the growth looking smooth and nice the more time they spend outside. In a more humid area, this transition would be much smoother, and so would the growth.

Oh, I feel ya. Down here in Diego it's hard to believe we're next to the ocean. Eight months of the year the relative humidity outside caps in the 20s, hence my concern with larger animals. Very dry place, California is.
 

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