3 year old leopard humidity level

[Swanniejack]

Any advice on humidity levels for a 3 year old leopard tortoise, have maintained humidity around the 65-70% range in closed chamber and humid hide and sprayed carapace twice a day.

My question is do I continue like this or do I lower the levels and amount I spray at this age?

Cheers

 

[ReiGuy]

For a leopard tortoise their minimum humidity should be maintained at 80% and above. The humid hide, should also be kept very humid(above 80%) just ensure an absolute minimum of 80 degrees, night and day, in the coolest corner of your closed chamber. (Cool temps under 80 mixed with high humidity can cause respiratory issues)

What type of substrate are you using? When I set up my sulacata closed chamber, I never had to add water(aside from spraying or watering the potho plants) after initial setup and it always remained in the 90% plus humidity range. I had good luck with a coco coir/orchid bark mix for the base, with a top of orchid bark. Seemed like it held in the humidity well.

Misting your tort is great to do a couple times a day, but you just want to make sure the humidity is always maintained at 80% and above regardless of if you're misting them.

I am by no means an expert or longtime tortoise owner but this is what I've taken away from readings on this forum and my own experience. I'm sure some of the senior members will be in touch shortly to chime in.

 

[ReiGuy]

For a leopard tortoise their minimum humidity should be maintained at 80% and above. The humid hide, should also be kept very humid(above 80%) just ensure an absolute minimum of 80 degrees, night and day, in the coolest corner of your closed chamber. (Cool temps under 80 mixed with high humidity can cause respiratory issues)

What type of substrate are you using? When I set up my sulacata closed chamber, I never had to add water(aside from spraying or watering the potho plants) after initial setup and it always remained in the 90% plus humidity range. I had good luck with a coco coir/orchid bark mix for the base, with a top of orchid bark. Seemed like it held in the humidity well.

Misting your tort is great to do a couple times a day, but you just want to make sure the humidity is always maintained at 80% and above regardless of if you're misting them.

I am by no means an expert or longtime tortoise owner but this is what I've taken away from readings on this forum and my own experience. I'm sure some of the senior members will be in touch shortly to chime in.

This is also the caresheet here on the forum, which I've used that delves much further into all of their care:

The Best Way To Raise A Sulcata, Leopard, Or Star Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. Babies hatch during the...

www.tortoiseforum.org

 

[Swanniejack]

@ReiGuy Thanks very much for all the info I am using orchid bark as a substrate and finding it very good for holding humidity.

I was just under the impression that this high a humidity was only essential for hatchlings and could ease off with humidity levels throughout chamber, maybe only keeping humidity up in hide.

Thanks again ??

 

[ReiGuy]

@ReiGuy Thanks very much for all the info I am using orchid bark as a substrate and finding it very good for holding humidity.

I was just under the impression that this high a humidity was only essential for hatchlings and could ease off with humidity levels throughout chamber, maybe only keeping humidity up in hide.

Thanks again ??

Anytime and again, I'm no expert but this my understanding of what is best. That's great to hear about the orchid bark, it really does work very well.

As I understand it, the humidity is essential to smooth growth but also, the humidity is important in helping make sure your tort stays hydrated and doesn't dry out, which is important to its overall health and well being.
Your leopard also still has a lot of growing a head of it, albeit maybe not as dramatically fast as in its first few years, so the humidity should help keep it on the right track.