Do you use a humid hide/humidity box? If so, how often?

Hi everyone, I was hoping to gather some opinions and experiences with humid hides/humidity boxes.

Please feel free to correct me, if I am wrong: For the purpose and accuracy of the poll, here is a brief description of what I understand to be a humid hide or humidity box:
An additional hide (or a number of additional hides), that is separate from the snake's usual cool and warm hides. The humid hide or humidity box is filled with a damp or moist substance, such as moss, paper towels, sponge, etc., to easily maintain a partially inclosed area of high humidity. The purpose is to help with the shedding process, especially for those who have difficulty maintaining overall humidity in the enclosure.

If you feel my poll options are inadequate, unclear, or misleading, please select "Other" and clarify in a comment below, thanks!

- Tim

I don't use a humid hide - ever.
I just keep a water bowl that is large enough for the entire snake to completely submerge in.

Shedding issues? What are those????

Same. Large water container or swimming pool as I like to call it. No issues with humidity. I also live in an island where naturally 50% to 90% humidly is a thing. Even if this was not so I don't think I would have issues. My boas that require higher humidity I keep in plastic containers and the pythons and colubrid go into enclosures. This is my general practice. Boas tend to need higher humidity. Luna my BRB was sitting at 99% humidity in her tub. I keep a close eye out for molding issues and clean it out right away. Have only had her 1 week though but this is my ongoing practice. Her water takes up 1/3 of the container and is on the warmer side with a place to lay dryer on the warm side as well.

Typically I don’t have humidity issues until the winter months when I turn on the house heat, dropping cage humidity to low 50’s under the hot spots. Most of the snakes still do fine, but I will occasionally add a humid hide (plastic tub with a damp towel) for shedding purposes if I notice issues. I’ve done this for some of my balls in the past, and currently for my 7’ Bci who is the only one who doesn’t have a bowl big enough to soak in. Even if they don’t use the hide, it is available if they want it.

I use one, my bp seems to really enjoy moss in a hide so i provide it :) his overall humidity in the entre tank is 45-55 % and then he uses the humid hide when he wants to enjoy it

Nope, never have, never will ;)

I keep mine in an environment that makes it easy to keep the humidity where it needs to be. (Tubs)

Constantly wet / moist substrate and heat > bacteria. Usually not a problem, but if the immune system is stressed for whatever reason, or there is a small opening in the skin...not good.

Plus, I don't want my BP having to choose between warm / cool / humid, etc. I want them to choose between warm/safe > cooler/safe. Meaning a hide on the warm side, a hide on the cool side. If I add humid hides into the equation I would technically need 4 hides. That's just overkill, imho.

If someone has trouble with humidity, they may be a necessity. Doesn't mean the BP will use them when it needs higher humidity, though. Esp. if he/she prefers the other hides for whichever reason.

Its much better to figure out a way to get the humidity where it needs to be, all over the enclosure. Misting as needed to raise it during the shed cycle, while allowing it to dry out in between and not grow yuckies!!

The room I keep my snakes in is 60-65% humidity all the time; I have to use aspen and a relatively small water dish to keep the humidity at appropriate levels (as in, like, below full saturation) in their enclosures. IMO keeping the whole enclosure at a high enough humidity level is far better because the snake isn’t forced to choose between temperature and humidity when choosing a hide.

I have one available at all times - its a clay pot with moss in it. Mashadar only seems to care about it when in shed, but it really keeps the humidity up nicely all the time in the rest of the cage.

I have one at all times even though I don’t have any humidity issues. It’s a zoomed rock hide and it has sphangum moss in it (damp at the bottom dry top layer). It’s in the middle of the cage and right in the middle of temp gradient. My BP LOVES it. Comes to hang out in it at least once a day.

Have not used one, Will think about but I live in Florida so far I have not had a "perfect shed" but also not a bad one they always get everything off just slightly big chunks This typically because I miss a spray or two. In a rush to get to work or something of another.

I have thought of using one but then decided against for the same issues above about choosing between hot/cold/humid. Right now I just use damp paper towels in my rack with some reptile bark over top to keep humidity up seems to work fine.

In my research, Humid Hides seem to be best placed in an optional area during shed. But again that is research and not actual usage.

I've never used one with a ball python, but would definitely give it a try if I started having poor sheds. PVC + reptile prime + one thorough mist when I see them go blue has worked like a champ so far in north TX. My house is fairly humid for the area due to my husbands aquariums, so we have ambient humidity between 45 and 55% depending on season, so there isn't a huge gap to overcome for me.

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The only time I regularly provided humid hides was when I kept a Brazilian and a Colombian rainbow boa. It was back in 1994. It was probably unnecessary with the cages I was using, but I didn’t want to take any chances. They both made good use out of them. Some where around that time I decided that it was just in my best interest as a keeper to just start using a big humidifier. I consider a humidifier part of my husbandry game. I also like to add moss to the tank when I see my snakes go into blue. In Chicago where I live, the winters are brutally dry with the furnace running. I look at it as a benefit for my health also.

I use them for a few months in winter when my house humidity is a bit low for their needs. But I use open containers of damp sphagnum. It increases the enclosure ambient humidity enough, and isn't short lived like misting. Once in a while they will burrow in the moss if they're in shed.

I have a corn snake, a rosy boa and a hognose, so I don't need to keep their entire environment high humidity, or to worry about it most of the year.

I tried offering humid hides in the summer when they were in shed and they never used them and have perfect sheds when I don't offer them.

It's silly to me to provide so many different hides for the snake. That would take up too much room. I do put moist moss in the hide I created for my snakes and most use them daily. I'ts not a necessity but since my snakes do enjoy it I provde that option. My tank struggles with humidity as it is (At least my big tank does) So I keep the water bowl on one side and the hide with moss on the other to keep humidity up on both sides. My snake also has the option to bask on top of her hide to get extra warmth. So IMO one hide is necessary. And only use them if your snake is having trouble shedding and or your tanks humidity is not up to par. Or if your snakes just enjoy it. It doesn't hurt to set one up and observe how often they use it.

I offer one to mine when she is in shed. Even if she doesn't use it, it still helps maintain a more constant humidity level in the entire enclosure. I live in a very dry climate, so it keeps me from having to mist 2-3 times daily so I can give her a little more peace during shed.

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i have used them, but id recommend if you do, to make sure the sides are dark or they might not use it.

I just spray daily then when they’re in shed mode I up the spraying to two it three times daily

Perfect sheds 100%


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I wanted to have a extra humid spot for my python but he is quite large so just has a big bowl of water in his enclosure. I also live in a very humid state so the humidity is very high in my house and in the tanks. Which isnt so great for my bearded dragons who need low humidity. Its ususally in 50s or 60s in my pythons tank.

I live in the high desert. Ambient humidity is usually 20% or lower outside, but with my water bowls and coconut fiber substrate, I get the proper humidity levels in my enclosures. Still, I always offer humid hides for my ball pythons, Nelson’s milksnake, and western hognose. All of my snakes use them as needed and none of them overuse them. I don’t think they’re necessary by any means, but they’re little to no inconvenience to me with the size of my collection, my snakes seem to like them, and their skin looks great, so I’ll keep offering them.

I just put some sphagnum moss inside his favorite hide whenever I see the first signs of shed (pink belly) works perfectly for us and he loves it.:)

I made one, but I ended up not having to use it. When my bp is in shed, he pushes his substrate to the "door" of his hide and turns it into one himself. Apparently it works for him cuz we've never had a bad shed.

Used them really early on in my beepkeeping adventures, but once I realized they just didn't even bother using the hide and had no shed issues without them... there didn't seem to be a point. I still keep a bit of moist sphagnum in their decor, though, but that's mostly just for texture!