Sleeping in the open?

[Balboa]

I hate to "freak out" over a little behavior change, but this one seemed significant enough to warrant an opinion poll

Rocky has ALWAYS been an in the hide sleeper for the short time I've had her. The last two nights in a row, she has instead chosen to sleep outside of any of her hide options. Its not truly in the open, its on her hill, in a corner, behind a fern, but still far from hidden.

It makes me wonder if she's telling me something about the quality of her enclosure and that I might need to make some adjustments for her comfort, in such a limited space I want to make it as perfect as I can for her.

Those of you that checked out the enclosures thread know that I made the entire length of one wall hide (and that alone makes for a real waste of space if its unsuitable). There are two dividers along the length to break it up into 3 "temp" zones. I never got the true enclosure length gradient I was striving for (Day times go from 80-83, then the 90 hot spot lol). I checked surface temps in the three hides and found the cool hide was 73 (alot cooler than I expected) 77 In the Middle Hide, and 80 in the warm hide. Where she's sleeping was 78. Before now, she almost always slept in the middle hide, and the temps are fairly comparable.

I had expected her to sleep in the warm Hide, and it has some sphag moss in it for a humid hide effect. The other two are plain dirt substrate. I check the hides daily for dampness. I try to keep them all feeling just a touch moist, thinking I don't want them totally dry and dusty, and definately not wet.

there HAD been a patch of moss on the hill, but she removed that prior to bedding there, so its just dirt there too, but moister than in the hides.

hmmm what else... The Hill is actually on the cool side of the enclosure, but sits up high enough that its a degree or two warmer than true ground level at that point along the gradient.

Night temps usually drop about 5 degrees by morning, so the gradient at dawn is more like 75-78 and a 90 hot spot. (The Hot spot is on a thermostat and combined with the humidifier is the only heat source on at night)

Humidity levels have been highly fluctuational lately around here, and that translates into the enclosure. I've had to run the humidifier full bore to keep humidity in the 70-90 range, and will likely have to slow down the fans more to keep it up as our air continues to dry up, but I don't see a huge humidity variation throughout the enclosure, but where she's at would tend to have the highest humidity.

ANYWAYS.. if anybody has suggestions as to something that might not be right in all that please let me know. I've come to realize that most of the environmental levels I strive for are actually recomendations for juveniles, and with Rocky being a teenie bopper, or on the cusp of that maybe she's looking for cooler, warmer, drier, wetter whatever.

Thanks to anyone who had the patience to sift through that!

 

[Tom]

Prior to humidifying my entire reptile room and drenching the substrate in every enclosure, all of my torts would spend most of their time, day and night, in their humid hide boxes. Now, the room humidity is 50-60%, but inside their mostly covered enclosures it stays around 90%. Now they almost never even go in their humid hides and all of them just sleep out in the open. Most of them tend to congregate around the edges of the 100-110 "hot spot". Just for clarification, I'm talking about young sulcatas and South African leopards. Between the humidity, the soaks and the shell spraying, they seem to know they are well hydrated enough and seek out hotter, drier areas. They bask under their hot spots even when room temps climb into the 90's during the dog days of summer.

 

[Balboa]

WOW

I would have seriously expected the natural drive to seek out a hide for security. Maybe that's a sign of them feeling comfortable with their homes and us.

I may have to do some serious hide shrinkage, too much wasted space.

Thanks Tom!

 

[Tom]

One of my favorite things about most of our torts is that they are unafraid, bold and inquisitive. The reptile species that do well in captivity, all tend to be this way. Well most of them anyway.

I think you are right about the "natural drive" in most cases and that's one reason why our torts are so special.

 

[Madkins007]

I have two out of four that often choose a corner under a fern, even when hides are empty. I would not count that as a worrisome behavior although double checking things is always wise.

I also would not count any hides as 'wasted space'. I have 4 hide areas in a 48"x20" tortarium, and rarely see anyone in one of them- but every so often, someone is resting in there!