Does anyone elses Sulcata NOT sleep in their hide?

DawnH

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Since he was 5 weeks old Tuleo rarely sleeps in his hide. (He is still inside at night but outside all day weather permitting.) He will be 2 next week and even now he will dig himself a little bed (not burrow) and crash in it, legs outstretched and his neck out and to the side like the dogs. He is the weirdest guy! I use to move his hide, change the lights/heat around, try and figure out where he wanted it and he ignores it each time. I even bumped up the substrate inside to 6" just to see if he preferred digging his own. Nope. He loves his little bed he made. It's the craziest thing. Once in a blue moon he will use his hide and it is usually when he has been outside longer than usual. In the morning he will raise his head, look around, stretch and settle back in his little crevice until I make the "I'm done with coffee are you ready to head outside?" move. I swear, he has no idea he is a tortoise.

Does anyone else's sulcata do this?
 

Greg T

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Not sulacatas, but two of my adult leopards prefer not to sleep in a hide either. One will simply plop up against the fence, even in rainy weather. One adult leopard has a specific hide and almost always sleeps in there. They all have their individual preferences I guess.
 

Tom

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This is common and can change back and forth as they age.
 

FlyinJohnnyL

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We have had Barnibus for 6 months and he's probably slept in his hide maybe 3 or 4 times total. He doesn't even have a designated "sleeping area" in that he'll just plop down and sleep wherever, whenever. This is, of course, after he's done playing Daytona 500. I never realized how active tortoises can be. I'm not sure who has more energy, the tortoise or my 3 year old daughter!
 

DawnH

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We have had Barnibus for 6 months and he's probably slept in his hide maybe 3 or 4 times total. He doesn't even have a designated "sleeping area" in that he'll just plop down and sleep wherever, whenever. This is, of course, after he's done playing Daytona 500. I never realized how active tortoises can be. I'm not sure who has more energy, the tortoise or my 3 year old daughter!

It's pretty darn cute when they get their wiggles out!! I love your torts name, btw! ;)
 

spud's_mum

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Since he was 5 weeks old Tuleo rarely sleeps in his hide. (He is still inside at night but outside all day weather permitting.) He will be 2 next week and even now he will dig himself a little bed (not burrow) and crash in it, legs outstretched and his neck out and to the side like the dogs. He is the weirdest guy! I use to move his hide, change the lights/heat around, try and figure out where he wanted it and he ignores it each time. I even bumped up the substrate inside to 6" just to see if he preferred digging his own. Nope. He loves his little bed he made. It's the craziest thing. Once in a blue moon he will use his hide and it is usually when he has been outside longer than usual. In the morning he will raise his head, look around, stretch and settle back in his little crevice until I make the "I'm done with coffee are you ready to head outside?" move. I swear, he has no idea he is a tortoise.

Does anyone else's sulcata do this?
That's what spud does! He doesn't burrow he just digs a shallow hole and lies in it.
 
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