Marginated Tortoise Question (Help I’m a new owner)

grogu

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I recently built a new enclosure for my tort and he has a dark place to hide with sphagnum moss in it to try and keep it humid but he sleeps under the basking lamp all night. The temps in the hide is 75°F (all day) while the basking temp ranges from 89°F-100°F (during the day) and 73°-78°F during the night when I turn the lamp off. He burrows into the coconut fiber under a small ladder made for him that is under the basking lamp. I was wondering if this is normal that his is not going into his hide and wants to stay in the warmer side. Thank you in advance.
 

Michael Bird

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My Hermann's does the same some times, and other times he tries to burrow into the wall in the corner of his hide. I just let him do whatever he's in the mood for each day. As long as the conditions in the enclosure are good, I don't think it really matters indoors.

I might be a little more concerned about an outdoor tortoise sleeping in the open instead of in a hide...
 

Tom

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I recently built a new enclosure for my tort and he has a dark place to hide with sphagnum moss in it to try and keep it humid but he sleeps under the basking lamp all night. The temps in the hide is 75°F (all day) while the basking temp ranges from 89°F-100°F (during the day) and 73°-78°F during the night when I turn the lamp off. He burrows into the coconut fiber under a small ladder made for him that is under the basking lamp. I was wondering if this is normal that his is not going into his hide and wants to stay in the warmer side. Thank you in advance.
First, remove the sphagnum moss. They will eat it and it can cause impaction.

I would not have a ladder in a tortoise enclosure. Can you post a picture? Sounds like a way that the tortoise could flip or get caught up. Ladders are for parrots or lizards. Not for tortoises.

The only thing that should be under the basking lamp s a flat rock of some sort.

It is normal for tortoises to bed down in an area where the "sun" will first come up the next day. I have seen this many times in tortoises housed outdoors too. They want to be where they will get warmer faster the next morning after a cool dark night.

Please read thought this thread. At the bottom is a care sheet for your species:
 

grogu

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Apr 23, 2023
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California
First, remove the sphagnum moss. They will eat it and it can cause impaction.

I would not have a ladder in a tortoise enclosure. Can you post a picture? Sounds like a way that the tortoise could flip or get caught up. Ladders are for parrots or lizards. Not for tortoises.

The only thing that should be under the basking lamp s a flat rock of some sort.

It is normal for tortoises to bed down in an area where the "sun" will first come up the next day. I have seen this many times in tortoises housed outdoors too. They want to be where they will get warmer faster the next morning after a cool dark night.

Please read thought this thread. At the bottom is a care sheet for your species:
Thank you for the helpful thread. I have removed the sphagnum moss. I phrased his "ladder" wrong it is more of a ramp that he likes to climb on. After reading a little more on ramps for tortoises I realized it should have sides or barriers so there is no chance that he will fall off of it. Let me know what you think about ramps in an enclosure please.
 
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Nrc470

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I am not a fan of ramps in any enclosure. To much of a risk for injury
 

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