Hisser genus humidity levels

jared

jared

Fourth Instar
Hey folks, now that I have 3 genus of hisser I just wanted to make sure I hone all the humidity requirements of each. I have water crystals available in all my enclosures but I just want to make sure I'm keeping them in the best possible breeding environments.

Gromphadorhina portentosa/gradidieri; I keep my tigers more moist than my normals, but both very dry sub and just a slight misting every few days. There's very little moisture retention as I've read they like dry sub.

Elliptorhina javanica: Much heavier misting and moist sub.

Auleropoda insignis: Same as gromphadorhina. Pretty dry.

Overall, I was wondering if anyone could enlighten me on the kind of environments these species live in in the wild. Do certain genuses live in parts of Madagascar that are more arid? Do some prefer moist leaf litter piles or live on higher humidity jungle floors?

Thanks in advance for the help.

 
First, the plural of Genus is genera. ;)

I believe that every hisser species can be kept about the same. They do come from the same environment/s, so it would make sense for them to have similar requirements. Hissers like dry substrate, but humid air. This can be achieved by misting frequently.

Dry your E. javanica out. Mine are kept on dry substrate, and do very well. I don't know where you got the idea that they needed it moist, but they like it dry.

 
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I keep Grandidieri with moist air, dry sub.

Javanica very dry with bi-weekly mistings.

A. Insignis moist substrate, drier air, but I believe this species will thrive in almost any conditions as long as food and Heat are available.

 
Thanks for the quick replies and the correction haha.

I'll change my care accordingly, right now I think I'm keeping everyone a little too moist.

 
I keep my insignis and javanicas in basically the same setups with around 55-60% RH. I don't usually mist anything, but it's fairly humid here.

 
With tarantulas we've come to understand that trying to keep humidity levels constant is a waste of time. How exactly do you keep dry substrate and humid air? By misting? Why not flood one corner? Save yourself some trouble. Misting is good for giving them an occasional drink, that's about all. The humidity from misting disappears very quickly. Flooding a small area, and providing cross ventilation is much easier. Just let the area dry out before you do it again, maybe in another corner, and you wont have any mold or pest issues. Just a suggestion.

 
MassExodus said:
With tarantulas we've come to understand that trying to keep humidity levels constant is a waste of time. How exactly do you keep dry substrate and humid air? By misting? Why not flood one corner? Save yourself some trouble. Misting is good for giving them an occasional drink, that's about all. The humidity from misting disappears very quickly. Flooding a small area, and providing cross ventilation is much easier. Just let the area dry out before you do it again, maybe in another corner, and you wont have any mold or pest issues. Just a suggestion.
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Flooding a corner even a well ventilated enclosure can make the substrate moist and soggy for too long, encouraging mold growth. Misting gives a boost to humidity temporarily for a couple of days, then you mist again. Some species appear to appreciate moist substrate while some seem to do fine with a simple misting every few days.

 
MassExodus said:
With tarantulas we've come to understand that trying to keep humidity levels constant is a waste of time. How exactly do you keep dry substrate and humid air? By misting? Why not flood one corner? Save yourself some trouble. Misting is good for giving them an occasional drink, that's about all. The humidity from misting disappears very quickly. Flooding a small area, and providing cross ventilation is much easier. Just let the area dry out before you do it again, maybe in another corner, and you wont have any mold or pest issues. Just a suggestion.
Click to expand...
You have to mist more frequently. There are species that abhor wet substrate, but still require high humidity. These are very high maintenance species, as you have to mist them ever day or so. Flooding one corner is inviting mites, mold, and disease. A water dish might seem appropriate, but unlike T's, roaches can drown.

 
I flood one corner for all of mine occasionally. The only time I had mold was when I accidentally wet the food dish. I'm a great believer in heavy ventilation though, for all inverts, and what works for one doesn't necessarily work for all I guess, given all the factors involved.

 
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