just to add my thought on pelota not using her hot hide---nellie never seemed to use hers at first either. i brought the temps down and still nothing. so one day when i put her back into her tank after handling her i set her down facing the hot hide with her head partially in it. eureka! she slithered right inside and stayed there for the rest of the night. now she uses it all the time. it was like i just had to show her it was there or something. nutty little things aren't they?