Humid Hide?

[Machin]

Hi everyone! As suggested I yesterday installed a Humid hide for my 14 month old Leopard using an opaque tub and sphagnum moss. He did indeed crawl inside but to my horror starting to climb the sides and toppled over on to his back twice! so I took it out as I didn't want to risk leaving it in overnight and him toppling over again. I am not sure whether this happened because of it being "see through" and couldn't find his way out and he got all tangled up in the moss I have left the damp moss in there but I'm not sure what to do. On a happier note after changing his UV light yesterday to a strip one and installing a night heat source he has been a lot more active today but still only eating lettuce! he is beginning to stress me out!

 

[wellington]

Can you make a hide out of wood. Maybe a darker hide then one he can see through. Also, maybe making it just tall enough for him to get in but not be able to get up on the side. As far as the lettuce, maybe try chopping it in tiny pieces and sticking it, with water, to larger leafs of other greens. Another trick, if you can hand feed him, as he is going to take a bit from a piece of lettuce, switch it at the last minute with another green. If nothing works, I don't think a tort will starve himself, you may just have to keep lettuce out completely and be able to out wait him, until he eats the better stuff.

 

[ascott]

You may want to try a solid dark color for the humid hide...and as wellington suggested, not too tall...you also don't have to stuff the stringy stuff in there but rater you can use leaf litter from safe tree/location as well as peat moss is good too....

Well, the only way you can guarantee no lettuce is don't offer it....if you have tried to cut it up real small with other desirable foods cut up small and then spray water on the pile and fluff it then offer it....if this has not worked after about a weeks time I would say tough love is the route to take...they will eventually fold but the trick is to not fold first in fear of starvation....lol...

I personally prefer the long tube uvb if the use of artificial uvb is required....does your fort get outside sun time?

 

[Machin]

That's great thanks, I will look around for something not as tall and I just automatically presumed it would have to be plastic to keep the humidity in. As far as the lettuce goes I have tried everything, chopping it up with other stuff and leaving piles of it all round his enclosure but never touched anything, he likes to eat it whole and munch through the leaves. I have only had him for just over 2 weeks now and he was fed on purely lettuce and is very small for his age being only 70g and 2.5 inches so I am trying to get him to eat healthier things. His favourite is the living lettuce and lambs lettuce so I have actually planted some of it in his enclosure which he has found and has been busy munching on and I have purchased a mixture of weed and grass seeds specifically for tortoises which I have planted in some trays, my idea is to let him eat the lettuce growing in there and then slowly add other things around the lettuce to get him used to grazing then cutting down on the lettuce so he will hopefully try the other things that are growing in there and this way I know that all of it is also fresh, I've been chopping up loads and leaving piles then having to replace it every few hours in the hope he would eat some but he will find it and seems to sniff it but then walks away!

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And forgot to say that with being in the UK its far to cold and raining to much yet for me to let him outside, I can't wait for the sun so I can put him outside!

 

[Neal]

You said the tub was opaque, but that it was also see through?

An opaque tub is what you want, something that the tortoise can't see out of.

 

[Machin]

Sorry, my mistake! I got the meanings wrong!

 

[Neal]

I don't know about shipping to the UK...but you might give this a gander.

http://www.reptilebasics.com/hide-boxes

 

[Tom]

I use black dishwashing tubs that I got from a big chain store over here called Walmart. Do you have something similar over there? They were around $2 and they work great. I just flip them upside down and cut a door out. Also, your tortoise will likely stop flipping if you give him a chance. They often do this sort of thing with new furniture, but figure it out within a few days. Also inside the hide with all the moss, he could probably right himself, if given the chance.

If I remember correctly your leopard is a couple of years old. That is a long time to be eating the wrong stuff. It will take some time to break those old and very well established habits. Just keep chopping it all up super fine and mixing it all together. Start with just small amounts of the new stuff and gradually increase the amount over time. Tortoises are sometimes creatures of habit. You must be persistent and try some of these suggestions for a few weeks straight.

 

[Zamric]

I just use a pile of artifical, Silk Ivy in my indoor enclosure. I've tried other things and when outside they use both hides in thiewr yard, but inside for sleeping, they ALWAYS sleep under the Ivy and avoid the hide I USED to have in there.

 

[Machin]

Thanks very much, I managed to get a black tub today which I'm going to put in later, although now he has in fact started to hind under plants to sleep. He is 14 months old and the breeder I brought him from had just fed him lettuce, I am currently growing brand new weeds and grasses to add to his enclosure then I will cut back on the lettuce. I have tried leaving piles of finely chopped food around but he's just not interested in any of it.