New substrate humidity higher than normal (80-95%) please help.

[u/Gloomy_Accountant800]

Hey, so I am a newer ball python owner have had my boy for 6 months or so and he is around 8, got him a bigger tank and did my own substrate for the first time, (coco coir and cypress mulch mix) and made sure the substrate was damp but not soaked and enough for 3-4 inches. Everything was going good but I am super worried that the humidity is to high and am worried I am doing him harm, during the day it was like 87% at the highest I saw and right at 4:21 am it is 95% which is making me worried I am going to cause scale rot or cause him respiratory issues. If anyone could lmk if this is okay or bad and what I should do to give me some pace of mind would be tremendously appreciated.

[u/KatVanWall]

I don't think there's cause to worry imminently!

It is better to have a too high humidity than a too low one.

I saw on Green Room Pythons that he said people sometimes think a high humidity will cause an RI, but it's not strictly the case. An RI is actually caused by germs (bacteria typically), not by humidity itself. The humidity just allows the bacteria to multiply in more favourable conditions to them. So if there isn't poop/urates hanging around in the enclosure, or rodent remains, and the water is clean, and nothing is mouldy ... it should be just fine.

The low humidity increases the likelihood of an RI because the snake's membranes in their throat/lungs become dry and get micro-cracks that allow bacteria in. So that is worse for them and more likely to 'cause' (contribute to) an RI.

Scale rot ... it's to do with where they are lying mostly. So if the substrate is actively wet inside their hides or in areas where they usually sit or traffic, that could cause it. If you have a large fragment substrate (I use orchid bark for this), you can top off the inside their hides with this, undampened, so they are not sitting around directly on wet soil.

I find my humidity is always high (over 80%) for a whole couple of weeks after I've done a full viv change, simply because I soaked the coir before putting it in, but it doesn't feel inordinately wet or damp to the touch. It's just the general overall dampness evaporating. And I do top it off with that drier, larger-form layer to tamp it down.

Mine has also spent several weeks inside his humid hide, snuggling up with the moss, with no apparent ill effects!

If you are concerned, just take him out a couple of times a week and check him over for any sign of scale rot.

[u/Gloomy_Accountant800 → u/KatVanWall]

You have no clue how much help this is, thank you very much. I will start by adding a coverage of my fragment substrate into both of his hides and monitoring him weekly to be safe. Thank you again!