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Q: Humidity for Dumerils?
Posted By:

darkplatypus

In Relation To:

Celia
A question for the Dumerils owners... how high do you keep the humidity at in your cage setups?

As we're getting closer to a NY winter, the overall humidity in my house has dropped a lot. The current humidity in Celia's tank is only around 30%. She recently had a shed where I had to assist in getting a little bit of leftover old skin at the tip of her tail off otherwise it was a good shed. To keep her temps up she has a heat pad and ceramic heat emitter (I know it sucks up moisture) on a thermostat. I keep half of the screen top on her tank covered to keep more moisture in. She gets misted twice a day which ups the humidity for a bit but the humidity mostly hovers around 30% otherwise. Is this a good humidity level for her and if not what else can I do to raise it up?
Points: 100
Topics: General Health , Skin
Tags: Dumerils, Humidity
Species: Boas > Large Boas > Acrantophis dumerili
Administrative: Show/Hide
Accepted Answer 10/20/2009 1:02:08 PM

shellboa
I would try switching to a red bulb for temps and mist more often. My enclosure has just enough screen for ventliation so I seem to not have many issues with humidity. Another idea is to use a substrate that holds moisture but isn't always damp, coco bark and cypress mulch are good for this and of course you can always give a hide with some damp moss in there for aide in shedding.
 
Assisted Answer 10/20/2009 2:01:44 PM

Sonja K. Reptiles
I keep my Dums at ~ 55% humidity and the temp. gradient runs from 75-78 degrees on the low end to ~ 85 degrees on the hot spot. Do you need the ceramic heat emitter to maintain those kinds of temps or would you be able to with just the heat pad? If you can, then you'd be able to cover the screen top - even with just a towel and that'd help with humidity.
 
Assisted Answer 10/20/2009 2:06:55 PM

vonnick52
I have been using eucalyptus mulch for my dums for about 6 months and its worked well.  Just make sure it has been well dried and doesn't have a strong smell to it, as it can be toxic if too fresh.  I can't remember a single issue I've had with these guys shedding, but I live in Florida, and the humidity here is always 50-60% at least.  I have never supplemented them by spraying, but I do use a large kitty litter pan for a water dish, so even my big 7ft female can sit in it comfortably.  She only does this when she wants to crap though.  I would try adding a larger water dish or maybe using mulch and mist the mulch a little bit when you see them going into shed. 

Taken last night:  30 days from her shed will be Thursday, and you can see how her belly is plump.  ( I switched the mulch out since she's due to have babies soon)
 
Assisted Answer 10/20/2009 7:43:39 PM

sideshowbob1

For me the best way to keep humidity for any snakes is to have a hide box with new zealand spagnum moss inside.  I have used a regular spagnum moss before but you have to pick out all the crap in it.  The new zealand moss doesn't have any of that and it is very soft.  I keep a hide box like the one I mentioned on all my bloods and dumerils.  It also works great for them to hide in, they all like to hide under things.  Good luck
 
Author Comment 10/21/2009 10:23:28 PM

darkplatypus
Thanks for all the great advice everyone. I'm going to switch my substrate over to a mixture of aspen and mulch instead of just aspen and putting moss in the hide. I'm reluctant to give up the ceramic heat emitter just yet because it keeps the temps in her enclosure just right.
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