Hide or no hide for a hermann

[Nade55]

Hi everyone, i currently have a hide for mavis, today i will be picking up another bag of topsoil to make a better depth for her to dig, should i stick to providing a man made hide or let mavis did herself a more natural hide?

[Daryn]

I have a hide for mine inside the coldframe but I have a tube heater in their for the autumn winter time to keep them warm. Its a hard one really. Mine works so dont think I will change it, they both go in the hide every evening so its something they like, I guess its great place to cool down as well, shaded dark and got the soil in their to dig into.

Just to add I hibernate mine in the hide

[Pussygalore]

mine always had a house that they could be shut in for nights, outside that is, with substrate, the houses were heated so if the night was cold the heating would come on and they were always ready to be let out in the am. The trouble with just allowing them to dig is that if its cold/wet as it often is over here then the tort just won't appear and if the soil is loose etc it can become water logged. Again I'm assuming we're talking outside not in the house torts.

[Nade55]

Shes inside and after some advice i'm going to keep her hid but i'm going to put a bit more substrate in there as i hear her digging in there at night

[Ozric Jonathan]

I think it's good to offer a hide. The tortoise will decide if they want to go in it and I find that my tortoises don't always dig when they are indoors. I think the substrate gets compacted.

[emma_mcraf]

I have hides in my indoor tables as well as outside. I provide a nice depth of soil so they have the choice. So a combination of the two should work well for Mavis.

[GemJam]

hey, my tort is in a table and while she has a little house that is nice and dark to go in. she regularly chooses to go in the plant pot which is in a corner. So I would definitely give your tort the option and they'll choose where to go! My Hermann doesn't tend to dig tbh, she is definitely a climber though!

[burnt toast]

I think if a tort is small enough to be indoors on a table they should have a hide. My hatchlings have the resin exo terra cave tyoe hides, I place them near the basking area, deep soil and water well, this creates humidity caused by the heat and keeps their shells lovely and smooth.

[Stellanne]

I agree, hatchlings should have a hide indoors. Mine are made from coconut shells, which are an ideal size for hatchlings. I have a number but often they choose to cram themselves into just one.......very deep soil is required. X x x. Hugs x x x x

[JerryMaffz]

Originally Posted by burnt toast

I think if a tort is small enough to be indoors on a table they should have a hide. My hatchlings have the resin exo terra cave tyoe hides, I place them near the basking area, deep soil and water well, this creates humidity caused by the heat and keeps their shells lovely and smooth.

Exactly what I have and do for mine when indoors. Has the choice of other areas, but uses this 90% of the time.