Need a little advice (rocks under the light)

[Aspirerite]

Hi guys n gals I'm in need of a little input from you guys. Well the thing is I am new to keeping tortoises and I've set up an indoor table and my cold side temp ranges from 20c-26c and my warm spot is 31c-36c and Ive given my 2yr old ibera a large plantpot to shelter in on the cold side and I put some rocks in around the enclosure to give her some exorcise and basking spots that hold a nice heat. Well under the basking bulb I have a few rocks and she dug under them and started to hide under there but I didn't like it as she could have got trapped so I made her a little cave under the light with enough room to get in and out. I did that so it was a lot saver. She has come out this morning and warmed up but now she has decided she wants to go in the cave. Should I remove the rocks from under the light or will she be OK. I don't want her to over heat or anything. but I dont want to deprive her of one of her favorite spots

 

[lismar79]

As long as you made it safe, it should be fine. Tortoise do like to dig and hide. I do not know about iberas temp requirments, but as long as your in the range there I would leave her be.

 

[Abdulla6169]

Welcome to TFO
I say it's good if she voluntarily does so, just make sure no flipping danger and whatever
Good luck!

 

[Aspirerite]

OK thanx Ill keep an eye on her she doesn't have room to flip inside and the rocks have topsoil around them and I've made things as flat as possible under the light but I check on all the time to make any alterations if I need to. since I got her she has become much more active so I must be doing things better than the pet shop did anyway lol

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

My tort really likes to climb, so I make sure everything is safe for him If everything is good, and she moved on her own, then I would leave the rocks, as they absorb heat, and can be a great basking spot. They won't burn her. In the wild, the Russian sun is 90-100', heating up the ground they walk on
Pet shops keep tortoises crammed together, feed them lettuce all day, and they don;t give them proper light...

 

[johnsonnboswell]

Why don't you put the cave away from the light?

 

[Aspirerite]

Why don't you put the cave away from the light?

I have a large plant pot and a large water bowl on the cool side so she has a spot to cool down in and she made the cave on the warm side to begin with so I just made it safer. I could remove the rocks but I have a mercury vapor flood light so literally half of my enclosure is nice and warm and I cant move them to the cool side as I don't want my water bowl on the warm side as she could roll over into it and bake under the light. The reason I put the rocks on the warm side is to provide a nice area that holds a nice heat and dissipates slowly when the light is turned off at night. I could move the cave and put it in the middle where there is a little less heat I suppose but I think she made the cave where it was because it was so nice and warm

 

[leigti]

My adult Russian tortoise will not send under the basking lamp if I put rock or slate under it. She only likes dirt under her lamp

 

[johnsonnboswell]

You don't need to be concerned about the speed of heat dissipation at night indoors.