halmahera Questions.

[Jnicotina1]

Hi, I’m not sure if I’m writing this in the correct section..but after exploring this forum for a bit I have a few questions.

Yesterday I got my first BTS at a reptile expo in PA. My little guy(or girl) Beaver, appears to be a halmahera BTS..which I thought nothing of. I chose him because the guy selling him had me feed him right from my hand and I fell in love with how tame and cute he was. Like a little puppy dog!!

But now I’ve read on this forum that these are only wild caught? And they require different needs that other types of BTS?

Any advice is appreciated!!

[EricaLikeBurrito]

Do research. They need a decently high humidity.

[Marmar]

As the above person mentioned they need very high humidity. And they arent as forgiving as other blue tongue in terms of humidity and temps. The care sheet on this site states blue tongues temps can go into the 60s at night. For Halmaheras though I wouldnt let it get below 70. What i do for temps is I have a UTH dimmed to the lowest setting that runs 24/7 and a heat lamp that runs a 12 hour cycle. They like it warm. 70-75 at night. 75-85 on cool side. 85-95 on warm side and a basking spot from 95-105. Though i recommend keeping it at 100 in case of fluctuation. As for humidity you wants at least 70% and higher. What I do is I have about 3 inches of substrate that is ReptiSoil/ Cyprus Mulch and some spahgnum moss on top. Then i cover up about half of the ventilation on top with foil (though i am getting glass cut outs soon). I spray at night and sometimes in the morning. You want it to dry out a bit during the day because constant humidity will create bacteria to form. So, I include a humid hide as well for when the cage dries up during the day, my little guy has some where he can still get his humidity if he needs. There isnt a good amount of info online for these guys. So this is all the stuff i have gathered throughout the internet about them. I also had much trial and error before doing the above, and the above works well for me. He/She is very cute! Also, it is either wild caught or captive born, meaning the mother was collect in the wild but the clutch is born in captivity. Either way, keep an eye out for mites and get a test done for worms. Good luck!

[splashy07]

Great advice from Marmar, just would like to add watch for mites, They're rampant at Hamburg. And many imports come in with them and are sold before they're treated for parasites. He's adorable, best of luck!

[Jnicotina1]

Thanks guys! Right now I have him on eco earth/cypress mulch with some moss stuck in corners. The humidity when I left for work today was 90% after I sprayed. It goes down to about 60% by the end of the day. Is this okay?! I’ve been looking out for mites and haven’t seen anything (knock on wood) but am eager to get him tested for internal parasites. But there hasn’t been a poop yet!!

[aaronhouts]

I definitely agree with the deworm suggestion.
That should also help with the defecation, too. Most likely they will give Metronidazole which is a gut stimulant and should get him to go.

[Jnicotina1]

Awesome - thanks! Now I just have to wait for his first poo to send in!

[splashy07]

Best way to check for mites is a damp warm paper towel rubdown. Watch for crawling black dots.

[Jnicotina1]

Thanks, I’ll do that Saturday. I’m giving him a few days to settle him, his nickname right now is huff daddy here’s a pic of his enclosure atm, I’m having s hard time keeping humidity past 60%

[splashy07]

When I kept Halmaheras I had glass tanks also. I used to put a piece of foil on one side and a huge water bowl in the cage. They get quite large, mine did anyway, he will probably outgrow that cage and you can re-configure. I also misted the cage twice daily. Never had any of the common Haly problems. Good luck with him, they are IMO the most beautiful Indonesian species.

[Jnicotina1]

Thank you!! I’m looking into a PVC enclosure as they are supposed to be better with holding humity. AND they have front doors. And they overall look better. Haha. I heard that having a tank with a top opening isn’t the best, because their main predator are birds? I’ve only had him a few days, I don’t want him to be retried of me!

RE the aluminum foil, I’m trying that now but it doesn’t seem to be keeping the humidity up either.

[Jnicotina1]

Here’s a photo, I’m not sure why it didn’t attach in my last post!

[aaronhouts]

I’m looking into a PVC enclosure as they are supposed to be better with holding humity. AND they have front doors.

That's a really good idea.
Also, instead of using bulbs or heat emitters to heat from above, heat from below using a good quality heat mat/heat tape and a good quality thermostat.
Anything that heats from above will really take the humidity out of the air.

[splashy07]

True, heat lamps do dry the air out very quickly. I have all PVC now and believe it or not they can be heated with a 25 watt bulb. Those cages hold heat very well. Heat escapes much faster in glass tanks, and they also feel more secure not surrounded by glass.

[Jnicotina1]

I use an UTH for my leopard gecko as they require belly heat, I didn’t even think about it for BTS’s. Maybe when I make the switch when I transfer to a PVC.

I’m not sure if I should post this here or if there is a designated spot, but anyone know what this could be? It’s a light pink bump. Maybe scar tissue from a scuffle with another BTS? Or something more serious?