Hating his hide

Lokkje

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OK I was talking about this in my thread on my awesome new leopard enclosure that I got from Mark. My tortoise decided to quit using his hide. He outgrew his hide from his lousy old enclosure and I got a plastic shoebox and wrapped it in foil for his new enclosure and he was avoiding it and was apparently terrified of it. I went out and got a fancy tortoise hide box that was black and he stared at it and went in and out multiple times and then decided he didn’t wanna be in it anymore. I’m used to seeing my desert tortoises brrrowing and then looking out of the burrows and I have no doubt leopards burrow and it’s perfectly healthy and I feel like a complete idiot showing these pictures and asking but I’ve never seen my tortoises burrow where their heads are craning up out of the substrate with the shell stuffed in the substrate and I just wanna make sure that, since it’s a new home for him, he’s not having any problems. He’s in the very back behind the spider plant so I couldn’t get a good angle on it but his neck is fully stretched and his shell is half buried in the orchard bark. When I came in he was asleep with his head sticking straight up and then he woke up and started staring at me with his head propped on the orchard bark a little bit and at first I thought it was cute and then I started wondering if he was sick. He isn’t eating quite as much but I’m not surprised about that because every time he’s had a change in his environment he has been hesitant to eat and he’s defecating and drinking normally. I think he’s just deciding to sleep in the substrate and likes it but I just need some reassurance I guess. I don’t know if it’s true of all leopards but he has a habit of just staring when I’m trying to watch him and won’t move until I leave rawhide well enough that he’s unaware that I’m there. I understand that they’re shy but he just stares no matter where I move...his head follows but his body doesn’t. This tortoise is going to be the death of me.
 

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Lokkje

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OMG rawhide is “or hide”
 

Krista S

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Although it doesn’t look very comfortable I don’t think it’s anything to worry about. I have a 1 year old Hermann’s tortoise who quite often will be burrowed or half burrowed with just his little head poking out of the ground. I usually see this more in the morning when he’s coming out of his burrow. He will sometimes have his head poking out of the ground for awhile before crawling out completely. That’s how he got the nickname “gopher”. I personally think your little guy is just adjusting to his new house and trying to figure everything out. I’ve noticed when I do a full substrate change my guy will act like a weirdo at “bed time” for at least a few days after...almost like he’s mad that I gave him fresh substrate. He will sleep in unusual places and sometimes not want to burrow. When he’s comfortable and realizes the new substrate is ok he starts burrowing again and acting like his usual self. If this is how my tortoise reacts to a simple substrate change, I can only imagine how difficult it would be on them to go through their whole environment changing. I think he just needs more time to adjust. I’m in no way an expert, but that’s my 2 cents on the matter.
 

Srmcclure

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My leopard does the same thing. I have had numerous humid hides and he's hated every one of them. I even stick him in there after lights out and by morning he'll be right back under his favorite plant. I have pretty much given up. His humidity and all that are good so I just say, 'fine! Be that way!' He has one in there now that pretty much just a lawn ornament for him lol. 20200601_131935.jpg20200601_124955.jpg
 

Redfoottortoise

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My leopard does the same thing. I have had numerous humid hides and he's hated every one of them. I even stick him in there after lights out and by morning he'll be right back under his favorite plant. I have pretty much given up. His humidity and all that are good so I just say, 'fine! Be that way!' He has one in there now that pretty much just a lawn ornament for him lol. View attachment 298044View attachment 298045
You have one of the best enclosures I have ever seen ?
 

Lokkje

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Whew! Thank you all. I worry incessantly about that little guy.
 

Srmcclure

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You have one of the best enclosures I have ever seen ?
Thank you!!!!! ??
Whew! Thank you all. I worry incessantly about that little guy.
Yea, the way Tom told me once was that so many animals live in burrows in Africa and you never know whose in which one. Best to avoid it to not get eaten lol. Paraphrasing of course lol. He said it much more eloquently ?
 

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