How to raise humidity in a terrarium? / How to make a moist hide

Vietnamese Blue Beauty snakes don't require any specific humidity level as long as they have access to a large (and I mean LARGE) water bowl.

With that said, you may want to consider raising your terrarium's humidity level when your snake is due a shed. A good, one-piece shed requires humidity; if you live in a dry place, you will need to raise it artificially. 

There are a few ways to do this:

1. Move the water bowl above the heat mat (if you have one). This easy step will allow more water to evaporate than keeping the water in the cold side of the tank. Depending on how much you need to increase the humidity level, you may also want to make sure the evaporated water is kept in the terrerarium to the further possible extent by covering its top with a blanket or a plastic bag / cover.

2. Spray water once or twice a day. Just try to keep the spraying moderate.

3. Put damp sphagnum moss in your terrarium. Also, no need to buy it fresh; you can get a large batch, cut it into sections and freeze the ones you will not use. 

To get them ready to use just pour boiling water over them and let them soak in for a while. Pat them with a towel or tissue until they're damp -not wet!- and put them in your terrarium. Voilà!

4. Set a moist hide. First of all, pick a container. Any reptile hide or cave will work, as well as any tupperware or RUB, provided that you cut a hole in it for your snake to get in and out. Second, get some dampening material, i.e. paper or fabric tissues, towels, sphagnum moss, you name it. Third, moisten your dampening material with water and place it in your hide. Leave it preferably in the hot side of your terrarium and let the snake make use of it. If you're worried your snake won't, take all other hides out or leave only moist hides for it to sneak in.

Here's the quick moist hide I made last time The Fury had to shed:

All methods above can be combined as it suits you best. However, keep an eye on your hygrometer, you don't want humidity to raise too much.

For reference, my snakes usually get good sheds when humidity is over 50%. However, I like not to get it under 60% when a shed is due.

Let me know what you think.

Scale up!

M.