Brumation Humidty?

[Tom]

What is the ideal humidity range for brumating Northerns? I have them in 40 gallon plastic tubs with black lids. Each of them has a large non-tipping water bowl, and about 6" of coco chips to dig into. My climate here is very dry. We have unusually low humidity here all year long. I use large closed chambers to maintain my tortoises and other reptiles that benefit from higher humidity and I have the 40 gallon brumation tubs with the skinks in one of these large 4x8' closed chambers. I'm having no problem maintaining temperatures right around 65. 63 on a cold night climbing to 68 on a hot day, but usually staying right around 65. With the doors on my chamber shut humidity starts to climb a bit, so I crack open the doors a bit to let it dry out some.

Anyhow, What can they tolerate? How low is too low, and how high is too high? What do people in South Florida do to keep humidity down and does it harm the skinks to be in a higher humidity environment? Do people in humid climates have trouble keeping Northerns, brumating or not?

[Dakota]

I cannot comment on what is too low or two high, as I do not keep Northerns, but for the Florida question, it isn't humid all year round, it actually gets decently low during the dry season. Then suddenly spikes when the rainy season comes (in which it rains just about everyday). During the dry season, we only get a hand full of rains. And from what Richard has been saying, Northerns are also tropical as well.

[Jeff]

Northerns a are very tolerant of varying humidity. They do well in humid areas as well as very dry places. In general, I prefer to keep all species on the dry side during cooling because the combination of cold and wet is probably the worst scenario for most Tiliqua. The one species that seems to tolerate cold and wet together ok is nigrolutea.

I would see your dry climate as a good thing during cooling. I would not attempt to raise humidity at all. At the same time, a reasonable humidity level in the 30-40% range wouldn't concern me either. I'm sure they can tolerate even higher than that at the temperatures you are cooling them, but I have never kept any at those levels myself.

[Tom]

Humidity climbs into the 60's with the doors closed. I've been opening the doors and blowing the damp air out and that drops it into the 20s or 30s for a while. Temps hover in the mid 60s for all of this.

Should I drop the temp down to 60ish?

[Jeff]

While I don't have any evidence to suggest that humidity in the 60's would be harmful, I would personally prefer it to be lower during brumation just to be safe. Can you just leave the doors of the big enclosure open?

I am not sure exactly what you mean when you say "blowing the damp air out, but another thing to be careful of is drafts. I have never had a bluey develop a respitory infection, but some people claim that one of the most common causes for them is cold, damp air, especially if there is a draft.

Your current temperatures sound good to me. I wouldn't lower them, especially if you are running higher humidity.

[Richard.C]

Northerns are tropical,found accross the north and north weat of australia in the monsoonal belt,its 30 degrees plus there year round,but they have distinct wet/dry seasons,they estiviate during the dry when food is scarce,but also breed during this time,so they have babies early in the wet season

In the dry nights are cooler,days still hot,in the wet its hotter at night,temps generally only drop to mid 20S over night and humidity in the wet is generally in the 90S constantly,in the dry its a heck of a lot lower,and temps drop to mid teens over night on average

Northerns dont need a full shut down,i keep mine warm during day year round,ambient in cage is hotter in summer though and gets really cold in winter,but still have a hot basking spot

I dont offer night heat so in summer its milder at night, in winter it gets pretty cold over night,which is more natural for cooling them than just restricting them to a cool temp,eg 60

My way of thinking is offer them choices rather than force it on them,thankfully though northerns seem to be hardy to varying cooling methods,i just think offering choices is safer in the long haul

[Tom]

Thank you for this insight on wild temps and conditions Richard.

[Richard.C]

No probs,i think its often over looked how hot it can be even in winter for tropical forms,northerns and indos ect,keeping them at a flat cool temp gives them no option to warm like they have in nature,in saying that,some of mine go to cool end and stay in a cool spot anyways,but they still pop out and bask here and there,others stay quite active and still eat,probably forcing them to need to bask more

They definatly arent at full pace though,mine start mating in the middle of winter probably when back ground temps are at there lowest,which is really cold here,with babies born late spring early summer like they do in nature