BLUE TONGUE SKINKS

Hi Guys, I have just received a Blue Tongue Skink that I was told is a Halmehara. I did a good deal of research before getting him (or her!) and found that the humidity for Blue Tongue Skinks should be in the 25% to 45% range. However I read a forum post on this site that said they had their Halmehara BTS in a humidity of - I think it was - 80% (I can no longer find the post - I have read so many today). It has been playing on my mind ever since and I have tried to find info on Halmehara BTSs specifically but I can't really find much.

Soooo, my question is, for all you knowledgeable BTS keepers, what would the perfect humidity be for this new addition to my family?

Thank you kindly!

Hey, ive got a few Halmaheras and they seem to be very happy in the 70+ range. I rarely let my humidity fall below 75%.

The person who had mine before me did not keep the humidity up... because of that they had some shedding issues and skin problems. Now all is well and their skin is getting much better.

I recommend using moss in the enclosure, it keeps the humidity up quite nicely and doesnt fungus or mold like the coco bark i was using at first.

I have a halmahera as well, but I don't really use humidity. I used to but found it was causing stuff in my tank to mold so instead I soak her on e or twice a week. When she sheds I soak her everyday til her shed comes off. I always use luke warm water when doing this. All of my skunks scales are beautiful and well taken care of. But.. I also live in south Louisiana which naturally his very humid. We often have 50-90% humidity. Some days it gest to 100%

I think that may have been my post.
We try to keep it over 80%.
The first signs you'll see when their humidity is too low will be with their eyes and toes.
Cypress mulch is a good substrate to use to hold humidity. Right now, we're mixing cypress mixed with aspen.

Yes, Halmaheras need high humidity. Not only for respiratory health, but also scale health. Most important aspect of keeping Halmaheras in my opinion! If you notice the scales on your Halmahera is very winkled and corrugated, that is a good sign you need to bump up your humidity. It is important to understand these animals come from the lowland rainforests of an island/region that is on/near the equator.

Agreed. These guys really need humidity. Live plants always help. When I was keeping these I hung a couple of plants from the ceiling of the vivarium which looked good and helped with keeping the humidity up.

Mark.

Again, just my opinion here....

Soaking is not enough. Thats exactly what the person who imported my skinks did. She had them for about a year...and yes they were living...but they are SOOO much better now that they are in a constantly humid environment.

krmike wrote:Again, just my opinion here....

Soaking is not enough. Thats exactly what the person who imported my skinks did. She had them for about a year...and yes they were living...but they are SOOO much better now that they are in a constantly humid environment.

I agree 100%! They aren't semi-aquatic.

Wow, thank you so much for the replies everyone!

Unfortunately he is in a wooden vivarium so I am going to have to figure out how to keep the humidity up in there without it destroying/warping/rotting the viv! If need be I shall have to get him an all glass one.

aaronhouts - yep it was your thread I was on about, and I am very grateful for it, had I not read that I wouldn't have realised that the halmehara skinks need such a high humidity! So thanks for that!

Thanks a lot all, very much appreciated!

I thoroughly mist my Halmahera's enclosure every other day and I always keep a huge water bowl filled to the top with water, and keep a towel over the top of that side of the enclosure to keep the humidity in. It works well, I haven't had any problems with it.

Humid is good, but wet is not! Keep the humidity up, but make sure you're not keeping a wet enclosure. Cold+wet can lead to respiratory infections, so make sure you don't overdo it just because he is a Halmahera.

donkeybuff wrote:Humid is good, but wet is not! Keep the humidity up, but make sure you're not keeping a wet enclosure. Cold+wet can lead to respiratory infections, so make sure you don't overdo it just because he is a Halmahera.

Excellent advice.

Just 2 more cents here. I find a large water dish over the hot spot in my tank works well for humidity. I have an under tank heater as well as ceramic bulb. The water stays about 80 degrees or so and humity stays over 70% with no misting needed. The last shed my guys had was perfect! No stuck pieces (like they had with their previous owner who just bathed them, didnt keep them in high humidity).

Thanks again for the advice guys. With a huge waterbowl under the heat lamp my humidity is only reaching 30-40% so I bought a fogger and with that it is sitting nicely up at 70-80%. Though I am now worried that that is perhaps just making the enclosure wet

Yeah, it"s important to look at the condition of your skink and the condition of your tank more than what any gauges say. A wet tank is not good; you may be overdoing it.

Your ultimate goal is to keep the enclosure dry (maybe slightly dampened), whilst as humid as possible. As stated before, these animals are not semi-aquatic. Living in a constant wet environment is not good for them, at all. You want the AIR to be humid, not the enclosure be soggy - if that makes sense. If you open your enclosure and feel the humid air while the cage is relatively dry, you are good to go. That is how all my enclosures are. All I do is lower the ventilation of the enclosure and offer a large watering bowl. Outside of the enclosures (in my reptile room) ranges from 50-60% during the day, but inside the enclosures they are 80-82%, this is without spraying (I spray lightly maybe once a month).