Humidity?

[JonahQKline]

I just have a very simple question, why is humidity so important for Redfoot Tortoises? I mean, what does it do and what is it for, for their general health?

 

[ascott]

Yes, for their general health

They require humidity to aid in maintaining hydration...to aid in passing of poo...to aid in proper shell growth...to aid in proper eye function and development....their body has been designed to require certain exposure and levels of humidity to allow their general well being and health. However, they also need to be able to regulate their needs of drying out...to bask in the sun --while their need for basking is nothing like let's say a CDT..a Sulcata...a Leopard...they still need some...

Evolutionary traits are very specific for each species in life...humidity needs for that species is a bit more than some others...

I am sure if you wait round a bit the others will give you their input as well

 

[Jacob]

yes, In The World Tortoise's Burrow Underground Where The Dirt Is damp And That Creates Natural Humidity Which Is A Key To Health As asscot Mentioned already!

 

[tortuga_please]

It's for their general health and hydration, unfortunately i don't know more.

 

[Madkins007]

(Just another way of saying what Ascott already said)

All animals need a certain amount of water in their system to keep healthy. HOW they manage the water depends on many factors, including the environment they evolved in. Tortoises and other animals from arid places have lots of strategies and tools for protecting their precious moisture.

Animals from more humid habitats, however, generally don't have as many tricks available and loose moisture by breathing, urinating, elimination, etc. pretty freely since the next breath they take in will be laden with humidity.

Red-footeds, even from the more arid parts of their range, depend on the fact that it is pretty humid there much of the time.

 

[ascott]

Yeah what Mark said...

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

Yes, for their general health

They require humidity to aid in maintaining hydration...to aid in passing of poo...to aid in proper shell growth...to aid in proper eye function and development....their body has been designed to require certain exposure and levels of humidity to allow their general well being and health. However, they also need to be able to regulate their needs of drying out...to bask in the sun --while their need for basking is nothing like let's say a CDT..a Sulcata...a Leopard...they still need some...

Evolutionary traits are very specific for each species in life...humidity needs for that species is a bit more than some others...

I am sure if you wait round a bit the others will give you their input as well

---

(Just another way of saying what Ascott already said)

All animals need a certain amount of water in their system to keep healthy. HOW they manage the water depends on many factors, including the environment they evolved in. Tortoises and other animals from arid places have lots of strategies and tools for protecting their precious moisture.

Animals from more humid habitats, however, generally don't have as many tricks available and loose moisture by breathing, urinating, elimination, etc. pretty freely since the next breath they take in will be laden with humidity.

Red-footeds, even from the more arid parts of their range, depend on the fact that it is pretty humid there much of the time.

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

(Just another way of saying what Ascott already said)

All animals need a certain amount of water in their system to keep healthy. HOW they manage the water depends on many factors, including the environment they evolved in. Tortoises and other animals from arid places have lots of strategies and tools for protecting their precious moisture.

Animals from more humid habitats, however, generally don't have as many tricks available and loose moisture by breathing, urinating, elimination, etc. pretty freely since the next breath they take in will be laden with humidity.

Red-footeds, even from the more arid parts of their range, depend on the fact that it is pretty humid there much of the time.

Great post. Yes, all life requires water for a variety of functions, mostly as a way to dissolve nutrients so they can be used. For example, if you ate solid sugar crystals, you wouldn't be able to get any energy out of them. Only if they are dissolved in water do they become available to your metabolism. Same thing with other types of sugars, proteins, fats, and DNA. Without water, there is no chemistry, and without chemistry, there is no life.

Animals from arid environments have adaptations for holding onto water. These adaptations cost energy to evolve and develop, but it's worth it because it allows them to survive. This can mean thick skin to hold in moisture, kidneys that produce uric acid, burrowing behavior, etc.

Animals from moist environments, on the other hand, don't need to do much to make sure they have enough water, because it's everywhere. So, they don't bother with much behavior or physiology for moisture conservation. As long as they are in their element, they do great.

The problem comes when you take a moist habitat animal and stick him in a dry habitat. His skin gets dry, he loses moisture, and can eventually become dehydrated if you don't take steps to correct his environment so that it more closely resembles what the animal can handle.

BTW - Similarly, arid land animals can develop problems if you put them someplace too wet. They can develop respiratory problems and skin lesions, because with more moisture comes more microbes (like fungi and bacteria). Such animals evolved to hold onto water, not fight those kinds of microbes, so they get sick.

Most animals have some range of conditions they can tolerate, so a little wetter or drier is okay. A little colder or hotter might be okay, but that's usually more critical. But if you go outside that range, their body either loses too much water (dryness) or gets overwhelmed by wetness (moisture) if they are not adapted to those conditions.

 

[JonahQKline]

Thank You All For Your Great explantions.