Scared of the Dark

[mikeylazer]

So ever since I got Simon who is about 2 months old, I noticed he likes to sleep on the side of one of the plants in the upper corner of his enclosure. I have a setup identical to what I pictured @Neal s setup to be from his "Leopard Tortoise Care Sheet". I have the hide box made from a bin with 80% humidity and the MVB on the front corner of the hide box with dirt ramps leading up to the basking spot which lies on top of the hide box.

I am wondering if it is normal for Leopard Tortoises to sleep out in the open pretty much every night like Simon does. I always tuck him in the hide bin at night and when I check later, he walks up to the corner of the plant like always. Is is natural instinct to not be burrowed and to use plants as shelter? Or is Simon just afraid of the dark?

 

[ascott]

So ever since I got Simon who is about 2 months old, I noticed he likes to sleep on the side of one of the plants in the upper corner of his enclosure. I have a setup identical to what I pictured @Neal s setup to be from his "Leopard Tortoise Care Sheet". I have the hide box made from a bin with 80% humidity and the MVB on the front corner of the hide box with dirt ramps leading up to the basking spot which lies on top of the hide box.

I am wondering if it is normal for Leopard Tortoises to sleep out in the open pretty much every night like Simon does. I always tuck him in the hide bin at night and when I check later, he walks up to the corner of the plant like always. Is is natural instinct to not be burrowed and to use plants as shelter? Or is Simon just afraid of the dark?

Just by reading what you have here...he seems to know where he wants to be...especially if it is consistent....is the area he sleeps in a good set up, I mean it is warm enough and such right? Are you saying that he does this at night? If so are you leaving the MVB during the night?

 

[Neal]

My first question would be what are your temperatures throughout the enclosure?

There's no way to know if a tortoise is afraid of the dark, but some do sleep out in the open, some don't. What is the humidity like throughout the rest of the enclosure?

 

[Yvonne G]

It is quite normal for leopard tortoises to sleep under bushes. This is where they feel the safest. The pattern on their shell, rather than 'leopard-like', is similar to the sun shining through the branches of a bush. This is their camouflage.

Simon doesn't feel he's 'out in the open', he's hiding under a bush, effective camouflaged from predators.

 

[Levi the Leopard]

My leopards have always preferred tucking away under plants over using provided "hides". Both indoors and out.
Eventually, I removed all man made hides and provided lots of foliage instead.

 

[Prairie Mom]

It is quite normal for leopard tortoises to sleep under bushes. This is where they feel the safest. The pattern on their shell, rather than 'leopard-like', is similar to the sun shining through the branches of a bush. This is their camouflage.

Simon doesn't feel he's 'out in the open', he's hiding under a bush, effective camouflaged from predators.

THANK YOU, YVONNE! I was just at THIS MOMENT wondering how the coloring on leopard and star tortoises protect them in nature!!! -This is a great tidbit of info! Thanks!

 

[mikeylazer]

No i have a CHE I leave on at night and the temperature never drops below 85. At nights it is usually around 85-90 degrees with a pretty much constant ambient humidity of 50% with the occasional drop to 30%. The humid hide is as it implies, a humid spot for him, but he seems uninterested by it.

 

[mikeylazer]

It looks like I may be buying a few more plants to put in seeing as he is attached to the large one in the corner

 

[mikeylazer]

My first question would be what are your temperatures throughout the enclosure?

There's no way to know if a tortoise is afraid of the dark, but some do sleep out in the open, some don't. What is the humidity like throughout the rest of the enclosure?

The basking temp is 100-105, the middle of the tank temp is around 95 and the far end away from the MVB is around 88-90 during the day. His humid hide is around 80 degrees maybe 85 during the day

 

[Levi the Leopard]

They are still in a humid hide when nestled under plants