Old Hide vs. New Hide

I recently moved Shen into a new, larger tank and decorated it up the wazoo and put three different hides in so he'd feel nice and comfy. And so far he seems to love his new setup, he comes out at night and cruises around and tries to pretend he's a tree-snake and climbs up the vines and foliage....

However, I got him two new hides, one for the hot end and one for the cool end. His old hide is in the middle, around 84-85'F. I put the new hide on the hot spot because it was a little bigger since he's grown quite a bit, and his butt hangs out of his old one. I thought he'd like a little more room while still staying snuggly. But he won't use either of the new hides, he stays in his old one. At first I thought this was maybe because he hadn't eaten in a bit (I didn't want to move him after eating to avoid stressing him) and didn't need to lie over the hotspot, but last night I fed him a large mouse and he wolfed it down and then stretched out in the hot area for few hours, then wandered back to his old hide.

???

Should I move his old hide to the hot spot or let him regulate his temperature as he sees fit? I worry if the middle zone is too cold for him to digest his food properly, and he won't move to the proper temp because he doesn't like the new hide.

Any advice? I had no idea they could be so picky about hides.

When boo got his new cool side hide, he refused to use it. Now, he's always inside it ;)

Take his old hide out. Tough love.

He prefers the tight hide because it helps him feel more secure. Right now he's choosing security over proper thermoregulation. He'd probably figure it out in due time, but I'd just take the old hide out unless the new ones are way too big.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MrLang

Take his old hide out. Tough love.

He prefers the tight hide because it helps him feel more secure. Right now he's choosing security over proper thermoregulation. He'd probably figure it out in due time, but I'd just take the old hide out unless the new ones are way too big.

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That makes me sad. :X It's like stealing his favorite blankee! Hahahaha.

I'll try swapping the old and the new hide (even though then it's less aesthetically appealing of a tank set up....do you see what you're making me do Shen? DO YOU?!?) and see if he moves....silly critter.

Bwahaha, silly snake. I moved his old hide over the hot spot and the new one in the middle...and boy was he cranky about that! He'd just eaten yesterday and was probably cold and pissy, he actually snapped at me, never done that before. My hand was miles away but the message was quite clear! "Grrrrrrrrrr". Heh, I found him this morning curled up in his old hide now over the hot spot. Hopefully he'll be happier there. ;)