Humidity gradient

[Stefan-A]

Do any of you provide some kind of humidity gradient in addition to a heat gradient?


I was also thinking about sealing off a part of a terrarium to make a section with a much more humid micro-climate. In part just for fun, but also because the humidity drops drastically during the winter and that causes some shedding problems if you don't keep misting. I was thinking of making a "terrarium within a terrarium" type of thing out of glass, with one side or the top hinged and just a narrow slit big enough to let the snake through.
Maybe live moss or other plants inside to provide humidity.



Just another crazy idea that probably will get stuck in development hell.

[anji1971]

It looks like an interesting idea!
I've never done anything for humidity other than to put the water dish in the warm end of the tank during winter, hoping for a little extra evaporation. Although I haven't really had any real issues with shedding; just once with the little Dekay's snake.
I guess it would work fine unless you find the snakes like to hang out in there just a little too much, and then you'd have to worry about excessive humidity instead!

[adamanteus]

A humidity gradient isn't something I've ever considered before. I think you're probably on 'the right lines' with your tank within a tank idea. I'll be interested to see how your design progresses.

[drache]

I provide a damp hide to most of my snakes all the time and to some of my snakes some of the time

[GarterGuy]

I actually mist the cooler side of my garters' tanks every day. It easily dries out by days end and they seem to really like it. After I spray, all my garters go over to the silk plants on that side and just sort of crawl all around them. Don't know if they like the moisture or if they're hoping that the "rain" will bring out prey. Maybe it's just something instinctive in them, but they seem to like it.

[Zephyr]

I don't have a humidity gradient, just a *comparative to the snake's size* huge water dish. I always find sheds in or on the rim of it, so I think it works just as well, if not better, than a humid hide.

[Stefan-A]

My snakes may not be smart enough, I've never seen any of them use the bowl that way.

I tried the huge bowl trick, but it didn't help enough.

[adamanteus]

I use a secondary heat-mat underneath the built-in water bowl. This is usually turned off, but can be utilized if I need high humidity for whatever reason. It wouldn't provide a gradient though.

[Stefan-A]

I have the heat lamp partially above the bowl. It manages to raise the relative humidity to the upper 30's right now. But it does provide a gradient of sorts, the humidity declines as you move to the other end of the enclosure. Winters are really tough on the snakes here, the previous winter the humidity dropped to 18% and they were almost always in the 20's. I don't really have a choice but to provide a "wet box" or keep misting daily. And I don't like the idea of constantly wet surfaces in a terrarium.