RCReptiles.com

[deborahbroadus]

I just visited another forum and this is the advice given to a novice. I am asking because I WANT to know, because I may have incorrect information in the past.

"The humidity temps should be raised ONLY when he's in shed, too much humidity can cause a respiratory infection."

So isn't 50/60 the correct humidity temps for Balls?

[RonCrawford]

When a female delivers a clutch of eggs, she expends a great deal of resources and is considered to be in a "weakend state" after the clutch has been laid. One would think she would be extremely vulnerable to respiratory infections and the like. I've maternally incubated ball python eggs on many occassions and one of the pre-requisites for incubation is high humidity. These females were in a high-humidity environment for upwards of 60 days while incubating their eggs. I've yet to have a female develop RI as a result of maternal incubation in these environments.

I have, however, experienced RI's during breeding season and I partly attribute it to the "man made" rise and fall of the temperatures to simulate night time drops. I tried a different strategy this season and had zero RI issues to contend with. Males are often known to come down with RI if they're bred heavily and are not given the proper "down time".

With that said, I don't really keep an eye on cage humidity because I don't have problems with humidity. I know the humidity in the snake room has been about 80% these past couple of days and I'm pretty confident that none of my animals will develop RI as a result of the humidity.

I'll phone my DVM (exotic animal vet) today to get his opinion on the topic.

[deborahbroadus]

Thanks! Seriously.

[Jordan700]

I know snakes need certain humidity levels to shed properly. And I know that some snakes like green trees can get impacted from too low of humidity. Are there any other reasons for higher humidity?

[mleaster]

So please tell me what the humidity should be for ball pythons on a daily basis.

[deborahbroadus]

[deborahbroadus]

[mleaster]

I just recently bought a mister for the cage. It seems to be working, but need to know if there is anything i should do or not do with a mister. Ron any expertise in this area would be greatly appreciated.

[RonCrawford]

[deborahbroadus]

When I first began keeping Balls, I had a Habba Mister for the 100 gallon tank. It was a pain, and was more water than mist, so things just got damp, it didnt keep the atomsphere humid, just the substrate, really. I learned that it is not good for them to be constantly on wet surfaces.

I had to constantly refill it, and was unable to let it run while I was at work for fear that the motor would burn out if it ran out of water.

For me, the mister was a big pain. I also tried the foggers and the snakes kept pushing them over and they had to be constantly refilled. I have tried a lot of outside products that promise to mist, or provide a humid environment... and I eventually got tired of the hassle. 8)

[Jordan700]

We at the wildlife museum have about 6 habba misters. We have had no problems with them. The pump system is built to run wet or dry, it will not burn up. We were worried about it burning up if it went dry. So we called the supplier about it, and they said they can run dry, but over long periods of time(weeks) the gears will start to wear out. Also has an auto cut-off if it gets too hot.

You can also adjust the head of the sprayer to get more of a mist, or more of a rain like action. We use the mist for our bloods and carpets. And the rain for our GTPs and our geckos. The rain lets the animals lick the water off their body.

And if you want to keep the enclosure very humid let the substrate get soak. Then if you can keep a heat lamp over the substrate(with out heating the enclosure too much) it will boost the humidity through the roof!!

Hope this helps!

[Jordan700]

[deborahbroadus]

Agent 700,

I am glad that your experience with the mister was more enjoyable. It's too late for me now. I have already crossed over to the dark side!

[Jordan700]

Well, if you ever get any bloods, or GTPs, consider it!

[mleaster]

I have a dual temp/hygrometer. where should it be placed to get the best readings?