Humidity Question for RTs

[yuri2012]

Hey All.

So I've read a ton about the humidity levels of Russian Tortoises. Some say you need humidity above 60% and that you need substrate that holds in moisture while others say keep it around 30-40% tops or even lower and that substrates that hold humidity are not needed.

My understanding is that RTs come from arid, DRY, almost desert-like conditions and therefore should not need humidity. Is this correct?

I'm looking to have this question answered once and for all!

 

[JoesMum]

Tortoises do need humidity be healthy. Those that live in desert environments spend a lot of time in burrows where humidity levels are higher to prevent dehydration. Some need higher levels of humidity than others... Redfoot torts for example need much higher levels than Greeks.

Russians spend a huge amount of time underground to protect themselves from the cold weather in the wild.

It is a huge mistake to keep tortoises 'dry'... it is one of those old myths that we keep trying to kill off.

Equally, cold humidity is bad for tortoises. That encourages respiratory infection which can be fatal. This is why it's important to get your temperatures correct.

 

[yuri2012]

Tortoises do need humidity be healthy. Those that live in desert environments spend a lot of time in burrows where humidity levels are higher to prevent dehydration. Some need higher levels of humidity than others... Redfoot torts for example need much higher levels than Greeks.

Russians spend a huge amount of time underground to protect themselves from the cold weather in the wild.

It is a huge mistake to keep tortoises 'dry'... it is one of those old myths that we keep trying to kill off.

Equally, cold humidity is bad for tortoises. That encourages respiratory infection which can be fatal. This is why it's important to get your temperatures correct.

Ok - I get that. So what level of humidity do RT's need that's healthy and normal for them? The inside of my place here moves around 30-45% humidity given on the day but I have not seen it lower or higher than that. I just want to make sure that I don't have to do anything extra about the humidity.

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

All tortoises from arid or semi-arid climates have several "tricks" to avoid dehydration, and one of them is taking advantage of the moisture in soil (even if sandy) to help prevent the loss of moisture from their own bodies. By bedding down or digging in the substrate, tortoises may experience a ~20% higher humidity level over ambient. So, if the relative humidity is about 40%, a sheltering tortoise may enjoy about a 60% humidity in his burrow, or even in a pallet under a bush.

So yes, steppe tortoises are adapted to semi-arid grasslands and arid deserts, where the ambient humidity may range from 10-60%, but even they need the benefit of a humid microclimate to keep from losing too much water.

In captivity, some people like to duplicate these conditions with top soil, potting soil, or organic soil. Others use cypress mulch or orchid bark. Me, I think coco coir does the best job, because it is soil-like and provides a humid microclimate, without fostering the growth of pests. The climate here in Colorado is rather similar to the that of this tortoise's native Central Asia, and the ambient humidity may range from 10-50% (rising into the 90s when it rains, of course). If my steppe tortoises didn't have moist coco coir to burrow into if they need it, they would have more difficulty staying well hydrated. Of course, they also have a shallow dish of fresh water to drink and bathe in if they want to, and they also get greens glistening with water to help them stay hydrated, too. This arrangement works well for them.

 

[JoesMum]

That sounds pretty low to me. Others who keep Russians will give better advice, but I think you need something like 60-70%

A plexiglass top on your enclosure can help to raise humidity levels along with misting and keeping your substrate moist. this has to be done with the correct temperatures though. Our damp climate in the UK means I've never had to this (when Joe was small tortoise keeping was much different to how it is now - he just got stuck in the garden) so others will be on soon I'm sure to advise you more specifically.

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

A relative humidity of 30-45% is okay. That's about what mine is here in Denver (more like 20-40%), which again is much like Central Asia. And it's fine as long as they have a moist substrate. About 50% would probably be ideal, with 60-70% being acceptable as well.

 

[yuri2012]

A relative humidity of 30-45% is okay. That's about what mine is here in Denver (more like 20-40%), which again is much like Central Asia. And it's fine as long as they have a moist substrate. About 50% would probably be ideal, with 60-70% being acceptable as well.

Ah great. Yeah I didn't want to overdo the humidity because of the possibility of them getting sick or getting shell rot from constant humid areas. I'll work to keep it about 50% max within his enclosure and then he can crank it up to 60-70% if needed through his "tricks".

Good explanation.