Hide Boxes

[grogansilver]

I would like to know do you have to have a hide box in your torts cage,Encloser,or tank? my cherry heads which are 2" long are always hiding and i never see them i always have to take them out from their hide box to either look at them or feed them.

 

[terryo]

Yes you do. In the wild they would be hiding all the time, trying to be safe from preditors. Hatchlings stay hidden all day and usually only come out to eat. As they get older, you will see more of them. Not having a place to hide would stress them out terribly. They need low light, and a warm humid hide to grow properly and feel safe and secure.

 

[Tom]

Yes. I think each enclosure should have at least two hiding areas. One on the cool side and one on the warm side.

Babies are supposed to hide a lot. That's pretty normal. If you don't give them a place to hide and feel secure, they will surely stress out and succumb to some illness.



Oh, sorry Terryo. We were typing at the same time.

 

[grogansilver]

Yes you do. In the wild they would be hiding all the time, trying to be safe from preditors. Hatchlings stay hidden all day and usually only come out to eat. As they get older, you will see more of them. Not having a place to hide would stress them out terribly. They need low light, and a warm humid hide to grow properly and feel safe and secure.

okay thanks, well mine have a beautiful hide cover. But reason why i ask is because i went to a pet shop today who specializes in turtles and torts and every tank that i saw a bunch of baby tortis in had rabbit pellets as the ground cover and the babies had no were to hide they were moving all around and did not look sick to me.

 

[Yvonne G]

It would be almost impossible for pet shops to set up their tortoise for sale habitats like they should be set up for a permanent habitat. The pet shop is in the business to sell supplies and animals, and in order to sell them they have to be visible. A well-planted habitat with hiding places would not show off the tortoises to prospective buyers. It is hoped that they don't have to stay there too long, but rather go home with someone who is going to set them up properly.

 

[Tom]

Yes you do. In the wild they would be hiding all the time, trying to be safe from preditors. Hatchlings stay hidden all day and usually only come out to eat. As they get older, you will see more of them. Not having a place to hide would stress them out terribly. They need low light, and a warm humid hide to grow properly and feel safe and secure.

okay thanks, well mine have a beautiful hide cover. But reason why i ask is because i went to a pet shop today who specializes in turtles and torts and every tank that i saw a bunch of baby tortis in had rabbit pellets as the ground cover and the babies had no were to hide they were moving all around and did not look sick to me.

That's terrible, but common. You ought to try to talk to them and explain that rabbit pellets are a horrible substrate and those babies are running around like that because they are frantically trying to find somewhere to hide and get out of the bright lights. You might print up some care sheets for each species and hand them over. Good luck. Often they are not receptive, but sometimes they are. Trying is the right thing to do either way.

 

[grogansilver]

It would be almost impossible for pet shops to set up their tortoise for sale habitats like they should be set up for a permanent habitat. The pet shop is in the business to sell supplies and animals, and in order to sell them they have to be visible. A well-planted habitat with hiding places would not show off the tortoises to prospective buyers. It is hoped that they don't have to stay there too long, but rather go home with someone who is going to set them up properly.

emysemys Hi again, i loved your welcome picture you sent me that was nice at first it was kinda creepy because she had no pulpes but i kinda liked it after a while.emysemys let me ask you a question do you go on faunar classifieds? well if you do under tortis i have my classified for trying to trade my cherry heads well if you look in there you will see a picture of a red footed tortis thats somebody is offering me can you possably tell me, if you can, is that tortis a cherry head or not.

 

[Yvonne G]

LOL!! That's how they draw those Anime cartoons (with no pupils in the eyes). Glad you got over being creeped out!!!

I'll take a look, but Redfoot tortoises aren't my forte. Be back in a moment.....

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Are you talking about DebraBroadus' reply? If so, no, its NOT a cherry head red foot. Here's the link if anyone else would like to offer up what kind of redfoot tortoise it is.

http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=170881

 

[grogansilver]

LOL!! That's how they draw those Anime cartoons (with no pupils in the eyes). Glad you got over being creeped out!!!

I'll take a look, but Redfoot tortoises aren't my forte. Be back in a moment.....

---

Are you talking about DebraBroadus' reply? If so, no, its NOT a cherry head red foot. Here's the link if anyone else would like to offer up what kind of redfoot tortoise it is.

http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=170881

---

thanks your the best. Anthony

 

[moswen]

i provide my 3 sulcata hatchlings with two hides, one huge one with a wet sponge and one old cottage cheese container turned on it's side and half buried in the substrate. they don't use either of them.... they just scrape the top of their substrate in a corner and sleep there. lol not sure why i'm posting this, since your redfoots are way different than sulcatas! but there's my two cents!