Favoring one hide

[Snagrio]

So when I set up my boy's PVC enclosure, I put in his usual two Reptile Basics hides, but decided to reuse his old log ones for an extra "optional" hide if you will. The RP ones are on the warm and cool ends as is standard as shown here with one of them.


The logs I took and smushed together to make one long hide and backed one end against the back wall to make one entrance. And it's placed squarely in the middle of the enclosure.


During the first several weeks, he was using the RP hides and moving between them as he saw fit while completely ignoring the long log hide. Well one day he must have discovered it because now that's that's all he uses and has done so for over a week at this point. I know why, it's smaller than the other hides and they like to be crammed into hiding places tightly, and it's right in the middle of the enclosure so theoretically is the best place for him to be in most of the time, but is there something I should do? Remove the logs? Stuff the other hides with moss or the like? Are things fine as is? Not sure what to do.

[Bogertophis]

Leave him alone- he's doing what he wants- & if the log-hide is in the middle, it's likely the "average" temperature he's wanting right now. On the whole, my snakes spend more time in "cool" hides than they ever do in "warm" hides, if that eases your mind any? And I also use a few "log" tunnels just as extra furniture too, for some of my snakes- I place them snugly in front of their warm hides, so the doorway of the warm hide opens into their log tunnel- sort of like a "covered patio" that ends up being a mid-range temperature.

[Snagrio]

Oh, okay. I was just concerned since I read many times about how snakes will prefer security over, well, everything else. So him staying in one place all the time made me think about that. But since it's right in the middle I guess I shouldn't worry about it since that's about the best place he could be anyway. He's still eating, acting normal (i.e. doing nothing 99% of the time ) and appears to be happy so I'll leave things as they are.

[Bogertophis]

It's good to pay attention to what your snakes are doing, but try not to "over-think" it either. Your double-log-hide is "deep" enough so it feels secure to him, that's all that matters. You did good.

[Mr. Misha]

It's good to pay attention to what your snakes are doing, but try not to "over-think" it either. Your double-log-hide is "deep" enough so it feels secure to him, that's all that matters. You did good.

This right here is usually the best answer to most BP keeper anxiety.

[Snagrio]

As much as I try not to, he is my first (and for now only) snake since I was a kid, so the urge to helicopter is hard to curb.

[Hugsplox]

As much as I try not to, he is my first (and for now only) snake since I was a kid, so the urge to helicopter is hard to curb.

I know what you mean, but having seen you on the forum over the past year get better about being positive, patient, and taking things in stride, I'm sure you'll be fine. Like Boger said, nothing to worry about here. My guy is in a T10 and typically spends the bulk of his time in the middle hide (out of the three he has.) The only time I ever see him in his warm hide is probably for a few hours to a day after a meal, but other than that he's right back in the middle. Must just like the temperature right there and who am I to argue