Question on Hides... fun vs. small?

[sekaiNdobes]

Currently, my BP has two hides, like he should. His previous owner (college student who got caught with the snake in his dorm) only had one hide on the UTH side, so the first thing I did was to make him a smaller hide out of an old (and ugly olive green) tupperware container - it's smaller, darker, and has a much smaller entry hole.

He almost exclusively uses the smaller "Tupperware" hide, on the cool side of his terrarium.

I thought about ditching the larger hide on the warm side, but he loves climbing around on it at night - if I check on him past 11pm or so, 90% of the time he's bouncing around on the big "UTH side" hide:



Here are the options, as I see them:

1. Leave things alone - he's used the bigger hide his entire life.
2. Take out the bigger hide, but leave him without a jungle-gym.
3. Switch the hides - so the tupperware one is on the warm side, the junglegym on the cool side.

Incidentally, the cool side is also the darker side. Not sure if that has anything to do with anything, but what the heck - as much information as possible, eh?

[starmom]

Is there room to add another hide on the warm side (and still leave his climbing structure in there too)?

[Mike Cavanaugh]

You must have 2 identical hides in a tank.

An insecure snake will choose the security of a favorite hide over thermo-regulation. If the two hides are identical... then they will choose what hide depending on their current temperature needs.

Keep in mind. him climbing all over it is probably not a good thing. I would guess that the reason he is climbing all over it is that he is looking for a similar hide to the smaller one.... with a different temperature.

SO.....

Put the big hide aside for now..... and get two identical hides.... once you have the identical hides, maybe you can fit the big one in too??? if not, just keep it out for now.

[Argentra]

I agree. Get two of the smaller hides in and see if you can't work it so he has his climber as well. I like those 'tree' things but they just don't make good hides, they're better as climbing structures.

If you can't fit that tree in there with the two smaller hides, try finding him a low wide decoration to slither over instead.

[sekaiNdobes]

Okay, thanks! I also bought an Exo-Terra rock hide, I'll switch it out and see how he fares. Thanks!

[cH@0s]

I'd say 'condition' him. I put my guy's favourite one on the warm side.
It's their instinct 2 move away when they too hot.
Therefore, when he needs to cool down, he will use the other one.