Incubation Humidity...why so high?

I was just wondering why everybody incubates eggs at near 100% humidity when other people are maternally incubating with success. I'm not a herpetologist and seem to be missing the thoughts behind this process.

Can anyone shine the light on it for me?

whether artificially incubating or maternal you still need to maintain a high humidity or the eggs will die.

Because the eggs will dry up with the high heat. Dent in and you will never see anything come of it. In the "wild" and also if the female is left to incubate herself she will urinate on the eggs to keep them moist. Gross yes but it works.

Id be interested in knowing where you read that

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Originally Posted by Rock star Reptile

In the "wild" and also if the female is left to incubate herself she will urinate on the eggs to keep them moist. Gross yes but it works.

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She urinates in the incubation chamber, not so much on the eggs, but it moistens the soil. Females also often choose termite mounds, which are kept perfectly at 87.5 F and near 100% humidity.

As for why we incubate the eggs at near 100% humidity--because they collapse and die if they dry out too much. Near 100% humidity gives perfect results, so why mess with what works?

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Originally Posted by kid_mustango02

I was just wondering why everybody incubates eggs at near 100% humidity when other people are maternally incubating with success. I'm not a herpetologist and seem to be missing the thoughts behind this process.

Can anyone shine the light on it for me?

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I'm maternally incubating. My females' tubs are reading between 70% and 80% humidity right now, but you have to consider that the eggs are kept snug within the mother's coils where the humidity will be even higher.

If you maternally incubate, you really don't want to increase the entire enclosure's humidity to the same levels you would in an incubator. It could cause problems for the female.

Thanks everybody!