I've recently faced a difficulty to create proper humidity levels for my 13 inch sulcata tortoise. She will be 3 in March. As most of you know, humidity creates smooth shell growth, among other reasons. I've raised my sulcata from a 2 inch baby according to this forum. I thought that i was still doing things properly. I thought that humidity and soaking did not need to be as high as they got larger. I was still soaking, spraying her shell and providing water and proper diet at all times.
I visited Tom this past summer and we talked about a topic I don't recall reading on the forum; jagged growth. here's what it looked like (first picture)
She's been growing like crazy lately, so I'm constantly seeing new growth on the caparace and the plastron.
Where I live, in the central valley, humidity only gets 20-30%. Before I just had a bowl of water in the heated enclosure. Now, I have two bowls of water on a shelf near the oil heater in the enclosure and I spray her shell 3-4 times a day with warm water. Ive been soaking her 2-3 times a week. It has only been about 3 weeks but I can see straight growth lines. I thought it would be much longer before I see straight clean lines. I'm very happy to see that it is working. the second picture is the new growth today.
I visited Tom this past summer and we talked about a topic I don't recall reading on the forum; jagged growth. here's what it looked like (first picture)
She's been growing like crazy lately, so I'm constantly seeing new growth on the caparace and the plastron.
Where I live, in the central valley, humidity only gets 20-30%. Before I just had a bowl of water in the heated enclosure. Now, I have two bowls of water on a shelf near the oil heater in the enclosure and I spray her shell 3-4 times a day with warm water. Ive been soaking her 2-3 times a week. It has only been about 3 weeks but I can see straight growth lines. I thought it would be much longer before I see straight clean lines. I'm very happy to see that it is working. the second picture is the new growth today.