# Humid Hide Boxes



## Tom

We've been talking about humid hide boxes a lot lately, so I thought I'd post a couple of pics. The big one with the red lid was Daisy's until she outgrew the door, now she's got one with a bigger door. The small one is what I used for my hatchling Blackthroated Monitors, until they outgrew it, but it would work well for hatchling turtles or tortoises too. For substrate I usually use fine coco fiber, but any of the normal ones will do. Notice on Daisy's box the door is elevated a bit. I usually uncover the floor of the enclosure and put the hide box flat on the floor. Then when I push the substrate back up against it, the substrate outside is more or less level with the substrate inside the box. If the box is big enough, I make a little hill just inside the door, so they feel a little more hidden and secure once they are in.

In the other pic you can see how I sometimes partially bury them to hide the ugly plastic a little. This one is full of monitor lizards. You can see their tails a little.


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## terryo

Great idea....here 's another one that I found, that I'm going to try this Spring.

http://www.graeca-home.de/Krueger 2008 e.pdf


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## Yvonne G

terryo said:


> Great idea....here 's another one that I found, that I'm going to try this Spring.
> 
> http://www.graeca-home.de/Krueger 2008 e.pdf



This article is from the magazine I was telling you all about...Radiata.


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## terryo

Radiata....is that the name of the magazine?


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## Yvonne G

Yes


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## Tom

I can't get the link to come up. Help.


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## terryo

Click here: http://www.graeca-home.de/Krueger 2008 e.pdf 

try this


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## chadk

That's pretty cool. both ideas. The root version would be cool for my smaller outdoor torts and boxies. Not so much for a bigger sullies


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## DonaTello's-Mom

Great idea to post the pictures! I now know what a hide is but I was clueless in the beginning....


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## TortoiseMD

I like the idea of covering the hide boxes with plants, I am going to do that this summer, but probably will get some ready ground cover flats from home depot instead of waiting weeks to grow them  , thanks for sharing the information.
I never heard of Radiata magazine, I will check it out, what other magazines have good information about tortoises?



emysemys said:


> Yes



Yvonne, Do you have a link to the web site for the radiata magazine? I googled it, but it seems it's a German magazine? and couldn't find a web site to subscribe or get more information.
Have you heard also of Testudo magazine? it's British..
it seems that Europeans are more serious about their hobby than we are.


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## Yvonne G

Yes, Radiata is German, but you can subscribe to the English language version. I printed info about it here:

http://tortoiseforum.org/thread-12120.html?highlight=tortoise+magazine

however forum members say its not good info. That's what it says in my magazine. Sorry.


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## chandlerledray

How do you keep the humidity levels up? Currently I have a shoebox cut out a hole for them to get in and out, that I have moist substrate in it and I spray it twice a day. SHould I put it under substrate like you have it? How do you keep it moist? Thanks!


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## TortoiseMD

emysemys said:


> Yes, Radiata is German, but you can subscribe to the English language version. I printed info about it here:
> 
> http://tortoiseforum.org/thread-12120.html?highlight=tortoise+magazine
> 
> however forum members say its not good info. That's what it says in my magazine. Sorry.



Thanks Yvonne
what other magazines or books do you recommend about tortoises?


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## Tom

terryo said:


> Click here: http://www.graeca-home.de/Krueger 2008 e.pdf
> 
> try this


That one worked. Neat idea. Do you think this offers more humidity than a lidded shoe box filled with soil, cypress or coco fiber? I make the substrate pretty deep in mine. They tend to dig in pretty well. 

This has given me a few ideas. Thanks for sharing.


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## RascalDesertTort

Does my CA Desert Tort need one of these? I live in Phx. AZ. Thanks!


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## Tom

Certainly wouldn't hurt. There is debate about whether older torts need it. Iv'e been told if you can get a sulcata to 4-6" smooth, they shell will continue that way regardless of what you do after that. For a CDT I'd guess it would be a little smaller than that. I don't know how true this is, as I haven't tested the theory for myself yet.

I can tell you, once they start to pyramid, I have been unable to stop it.


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## RascalDesertTort

What should I put inside and how should I keep it moist?? Thanks a bunch!


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## DonaTello's-Mom

I use Spag moss and spray it till it's moist. My baby sleeps in his hide every night now.


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## RascalDesertTort

Ok so I replaced a wooden hut with this humid hide....I hope I did it right! Any advice would be great. Also, how long until it warms up in there?


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## chadk

RascalDesertTort said:


> What should I put inside



Start with a tort 



RascalDesertTort said:


> Ok so I replaced a wooden hut with this humid hide....I hope I did it right! Any advice would be great. Also, how long until it warms up in there?



Looks nice. I like the keep the substrate deeper in there though. Otherwise it will dry out too fast. Ideally you'll have 4-6 inches of diggable substrate. It will hold the moisture for a long time and they can dig down and find it, even if you happen to forget to check on it for a few days...

I also like to say you should have a warm\humid hide and a cool non-humid hide. 

So with yours, i'd put a che above or very close to it. This will make your tort more likely to use it as well. Humdity is a combo of temps and moisture.


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## RascalDesertTort

Awesome thanks! It's actually about 2 inches deep but that the most it can do right now. And I have a light shining directly on top of it to try and warm it up. He has a dry hide in a cool area as well. Thanks so much for the input!


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## fel1958

emysemys said:


> terryo said:
> 
> 
> 
> Great idea....here 's another one that I found, that I'm going to try this Spring.
> 
> http://www.graeca-home.de/Krueger 2008 e.pdf
> 
> 
> 
> 
> This article is from the magazine I was telling you all about...Radiata.
Click to expand...


thanx for posting these photos.this is a very cool idea.i like the fact that they can eat it as well.


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## ChiKat

chadk said:


> Looks nice. I like the keep the substrate deeper in there though. Otherwise it will dry out too fast. Ideally you'll have 4-6 inches of diggable substrate. It will hold the moisture for a long time and they can dig down and find it, even if you happen to forget to check on it for a few days...



I mix water into Nelson's substrate about every week so that it stays damp even when the surface dries. The problem is he isn't really big on burrowing...so is it pointless if he's not even digging in the damp substrate?
I'm such a freak about pyramiding.


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