Hide boxes

[RonHays]

I picked this plastic bin up at Walmart yesterday and thought it would be pretty good to use as a hide box. I have 6 Redfoots and was thinking about replacing their wooden hide boxes with 2 or 3 more of these. What do y'all think? Think they make good hide boxes?

 

[froghaven5]

I picked this plastic bin up at Walmart yesterday and thought it would be pretty good to use as a hide box. I have 6 Redfoots and was thinking about replacing their wooden hide boxes with 2 or 3 more of these. What do y'all think? Think they make good hide boxes?


View attachment 23367

I'm gonna say it depends on how hot it is outside. Plastic and especially dark colored plastic gets hot in the sun.

 

[RonHays]

Well the one you're looking at is mostly in the sun. I'm thinking about buying 2 more that will be under a shade tree. My main concern is if they feel secure and secluded enough for them.

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

I picked this plastic bin up at Walmart yesterday and thought it would be pretty good to use as a hide box. I have 6 Redfoots and was thinking about replacing their wooden hide boxes with 2 or 3 more of these. What do y'all think? Think they make good hide boxes?


View attachment 23367

I'm gonna say it depends on how hot it is outside. Plastic and especially dark colored plastic gets hot in the sun.

That was my 1st thought, the dark color...if these come in white or cream, they'd be safer, or buy spray paint specifically for painting plastic (WalMart carries it) and paint them a light color.

And place them facing north, to gain maximum shade potential.

 

[RonHays]

The one you're looking at the opening is facing south. The 2 I'm thinking about getting are under a shade tree and one will be facing west, and the other east. Half of the enclosure is in the sun all day, and the other half is in the shade all day. Good point on the lighter color that's in the sun. I'll look and see what other colors they may have.

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The enclosure is 20 ft by 8 ft. Here in thirty minutes I'm heading over to home depot to extend it out wide by another 8 ft.

 

[Neal]

If it were me, I would try to find something else. The opening seems a bit too big, and I don't think my tortoises would ever use it...do yours like it?

Something we did is cut a square on the top of one of the long sides of a plastic 55 gallon tub. We put it upside down in the dirt, and it doubles as a humid hide for the and a shield from the sun for our adults. The square is just big enough for them to get in and out of. They love it! We put a heavy shade screen over it to get some protection from the sun. So far it's lasted about 6 months and hasn't become brittle or cracked.

 

[RonHays]

Surprising enough Neal, my 3 adult torts love it. I made 2 other hides out of large stones in the shade but they prefer the plastic one. Go figure right? Lol

In my other enclosure, my 2 young redfoots love the stone hides much better. Weird I thought.

 

[Neal]

Well, if they love it and it keeps them cool...stick with it!

 

[RonHays]

Yeah if they get too hot, they know to do. Half of the enclosure is sun all day and the other half is in the shade all day with water dishes for soaks on each side.