The best way to keep your box turtle healthy and happy is to keep his home at the right temperature and humidity. And keeping a thermometer and humidity guage in the habitat is the easiest way to keep an eye on those levels.
This precision thermometer/humidity gauge from Zoo Med displays both, making it quick and easy for you to get readings at a glance.
It’s a dial-type unit, not digital, so the readings may be less accurate than a digital one. But box turtles are less sensitive to minor variations than some other reptiles. So if you’re looking for a decent unit at a decent price, this may be all you need.
Please Note: This is not the Zoo Med Economy Thermometer/Humidity Gauge. Although that one seems very similar to this one, they are not the same item.
Keep reading for more about the Zoo Med Precision Dual Thermometer/Humidity Gauge:
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What You Get Ease of Use Pros & Cons
. Where to Buy
What You Get
This black plastic unit has two dials, one for temperature and one for humidity. It measures temperatures from 20° to 120° F (-6° to 49° C) and humidity from 0 to 100%.
The dials have white lines and numbers on a black background with red needles.
They have German precision movements for accuracy. Side-venting helps prevent fogging, so you can actually see the dials.
It has a Velcro® backing for mounting and easy removal.
It comes with a 6-month warranty.
Although some reviewers complained it is cheap plastic, it seems to be a fairly sturdy unit for the price [generally about $6 to $12]. And the readings are more important than the construction. As long as your pet isn’t likely to abuse it (and you don’t either), it should be strong enough. At least most reviewers thought so.
How Easy is It To Use This Thermometer/Humidity Gauge?
It’s simple to mount: just peel the backing off the Velcro and attach where you want it.
It’s also simple to read: The red needles and white gradation on black are simple to read. And the needles extend into the lined area, making it easy to see which line they’re hovering over (as opposed to which line they’re hovering under, which can be harder to judge).
Most people found it to be very accurate, agreeing within a couple percent with other thermometers and humidity gauges.
But several complained that theirs were very inaccurate compared to others. One reviewer did point out that they need to be calibrated before use.
Calibration is especially important for humidity gauges from any manufacturer. Thermometers are often pre-calibrated by the manufacturer, but may need to be re-calibrated periodically. This is completely normal and is not necessarily a defect in this item.
You can read a little more about calibrating humidity gauges and why it’s necessary here.
Once calibrated, it should be quite precise (give the same reading each time for any given temperature or humidity level). But it may not be completely accurate (analog units are often off by a couple of degrees). Again, this is normal for this kind of gauge.
We do not own this unit, so we can’t verify the calibration or accuracy.
Pros & Cons Summary
Most reviewers were satisfied with this dual thermometer and humidity gauge. It’s simple to use, can be calibrated for better accuracy and does the job at a good price.
Pros:
- Monitor temperature and humidity easily with just one unit
- High-contrast white gradations on black background are easy to read
- No-fog face
- Velcro backing for easy removal
Cons:
- Accuracy not as good as digital
- May need calibration before use (but this is normal, especially for humitidy gauges)
Where to Buy a Zoo Med Precision Thermometer/Humidity Gauge
For some reason, the dual thermometer and humidity gauge seems harder to find than the single humidity gauge. Even so, several online retailers do carry it.
These stores had it in stock when we visited:
- Pet Mountain, where the gauge was on sale the day we stopped by
- Amazon