Plastic Huts?

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sammi

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I'm wondering if anyone has these, or if they even exist? For cleanliness sakes, and because the wooden ones get moldy..

On a side note, I know I could find some tupperware containers, and turn them upsidedown and cut holes in the sides, but climbing up and over the round huts is one of Ernie's favorite pastimes! Wouldn't want to take that pleasure away from him =]
 

PeanutbuttER

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Either petco or petsmart sells plastic "wood" huts. Not sure what they're made of, but it looks water tight and like it's some sort of plastic.
 

jeffbens0n

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I made a plastic hut out of an old fresh step cat litter 40 pound bucket. I cut the top half off and then cut a hole in it for a door. It gives my leopard a little more room inside to move around it.
 

GBtortoises

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I use Rubbermaid type containers in their upright position, cut an arched doorway in the end and paint the outside black. This allows me to easily take the lid off and check on a tortoise or moisture level of the sphagnum moss within the container without disturbing anything.
 

sammi

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Yes the tupperware ideas are great, but can the torts get up on top of them to "survey"? =P
 

TylerStewart

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There's a few companies that make them. Plastic shoeboxes are functional, but not good looking. I have a small star tortoise in my work office with me, and I wasn't about to look at a plastic shoebox all day, so I started carrying the Exo Terra ones, and really like them. I kinda half bury them to keep them from moving around and to get them down a little lower for humidity. They heat up very nicely on the inside with a ceramic heat emitter overhead or a red bulb. Here's a link to 4 photos of them:

http://www.tortoisesupply.com/products/Reptile-Cave-Hidebox.html
 

franeich

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Tyler,
How big is the opening on these things.
I used to use a half coconut shell for my year old sulcata but found him walking around with it stuck on his shell.
 

TylerStewart

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They're snug doors, but they vary with the size of the box. I use the XL size at home for a cage with 6 young stars (2.5-3" size) and they can all fit in pretty easily. I use the medium size for a single small 2" star and she gets in and out no problem (the size of the medium could probably support 3 smallish stars). If the substrate is soft at the entry, they will dig down a bit if they have to in order to get through the door. Also, keeping the majority of the box buried will keep it from going anywhere. For a tortoise over about 4", they (the doors, mostly) are probably too small.
 

jeffbens0n

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ekm5015 said:

Those are very nice and affordable too, the only issue I see is the size of the door, even the extra large size i'm not sure would be large enough for the dome of my 6 inch SCL leopard to fit through. I guess you could always cut it, but if your gonna do that you might as well make something yourself in the first place.
 

Tracy Gould

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i made one out of a Ice cream tub its great as i can just take of the lid to dampen down, i then covered it in Substrate to form a hill and added a tunnel to the door opening made out of a Juice bottle which is also covered this gives Shelby some were to climb and sit and play king of the castle
 

russian

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sammi said:
I'm wondering if anyone has these, or if they even exist? For cleanliness sakes, and because the wooden ones get moldy..

On a side note, I know I could find some tupperware containers, and turn them upsidedown and cut holes in the sides, but climbing up and over the round huts is one of Ernie's favorite pastimes! Wouldn't want to take that pleasure away from him =]

I use these http://www.lowes.com/pd_101941-8267...8&Ntt=bins&pl=1&currentURL=/pl__0__s?Ntt=bins

They are cheap, durable, waterproof and you dont need to cut an opening. Just flip them over and as your tortoise grows just go back to Lowes and get the next size up.
For pic, see my previous post below.

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Pics-of-my-sulcata-hatchlings
 

Madkins007

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A suggestion as you consider hides...

Many wild tortoises seek 'snug' shelters- places they have to snuggle into a bit. It seems to offer a sense of security and may help with hydration/humidity issues as well. I know that with the various Red-foots I have had, when offered a choice, they usually selected snugger hides.

One way to offer a 'snug hide' is to just prop one end of a board up. Cheap, quick, simple, and the tort can climb on top easily (which I agree is a bonus!). It also allows different size torts to choose how 'deep' under the slanted roof they want to go. I generally dump some substrate on top of the board, and the 'fall off' covers much of the opening. They then make their own openings easily.

For younger torts especially, I loosely pack the hide with fluffy moss or something they can dig into and snuggle.

As far as hygienic issues go- I use real bark and store-bought cork bark and have not seen any issues that concern me, although I do plan on replacing them a couple times a year. The whole thing could easily be made in several other ways as well if you want better hygiene. Rigid plastic sheet, metal, fiberglass sheet, etc. would all work nicely.
 

Yvonne G

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Look outside the box, and check other departments in the pet store. Little rabbit houses, Guinea pig houses, etc. Those are usually plastic.
 
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