Hide

[bumblebee51]

Hi, I currently have a normal piece of decorative wood which Phoenix-Vern uses as a hide but I'm not sure if it is good enough. I would like to get him a proper hide but I'm unsure which style. I'm keen on the wood arch type ones, but there are the caves which some people have said are better. Can anyone tell me which one would be best?

Thanks

 

[Yvonne G]

Far as I'm concerned, one that he uses is the best kind. In my experience its not so much the type of hide as it is where the hide is located. They usually have a favorite spot and if they're protected in that spot then they'll always go there to sleep.

 

[tortoisenerd]

You can use almost anything as a hide...you just have to ensure the hides are in the correct areas (I offer at least one in each temp zone...cool, medium, and hot). I like to avoid things they can climb on like slanted pieces of wood/stone, or half logs. Some things I like are plastic or cardboard containers, fake plants with wide leaves to make an umbrella out of, fake plants with leaves draped to the group but not in the way that they can be climbed, a pile of substrate (a pile of timothy hay for a drier species...this is my Russian's favorite thing in the world...I have it next to the basking spot and he hangs out there most of the day in the 80s), etc. Test different hides in different zones and see what gets used, and choose what to use from there. My tort won't use any sort of box/container, only the fake plants or pile of hay. I use green duct tape on the fake plants from Michael's craft store to attach to the enclosure wall, or to shape them the way I want to create a nice shelter. Some will burrow no matter what you give them. Some animals like the enclosed sleeping box types (keeping them very hidden). I think the biggest thing, especially for the younger torts, are hides in different temp zones (not just one), such as near basking spot, near food, cool, etc. Sometimes they seek shelter over the correct temperature and can stay too cold if you have one hide on the cool side. The plant type shelters can stay warmer than some of the box enclosures if you are making a warm hide. For a species with higher humidity needs, a lot of people like to make one of the hides a humid hide (small entrance and moister substrate). There is no reason to make anything fancy.

 

[Jacob]

You Can Use Anything, A PlantPot, Tubberware, Or Even Buy A Log

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

I make little "caves" out of rocks, like the one in this pic (just behind the plants)...they seem to feel secure in them and it looks natural enough to be aethetically pleasing. Sometimes they climb up on top to sun themselves.

Each enclosure has one cave plus various bushes and other hiding spots, so each can choose where he or she wants to be.

 

[bumblebee51]

Thank you all for the great advice