Before looking into the different ways to manipulate humidity, it’s important to know the basics; how to check the humidity level in the first place and how temperature affects it. If you already know this information, feel free to skip this section.
Humidity requirements for pet herps vary over a wide range. At one end of the spectrum, some of the species need moist, tropical rainforest conditions, some of them require arid conditions. Whichever humidity level your pet requires in his enclosure, it must be monitored and maintained continuously. If the humidity would drop too low, your herp may not shed its skin correctly and develop other health problems, such as egg binding in females. If humidity is too high, your pet could suffer severe fungal infections or even pneumonia.
Animals pant to evaporate moisture from their lungs, which takes heat away from their body. If the humidity is too high, they are unable to cool themselves and their temperature will skyrocket to dangerous levels—very quickly.
Our humidity tracker will help you out to keep everything under control