Reptile & Amphibian Forums

just something i noticed recently......somewhere along the line i started giving my adults clean, old sweat shirts under their hides to lay on. after awhile i noticed that the sweat shirt became their #1 choice, always curled up in it and ignoring their boxes which by now had been knocked away. i think the fact that it wraps around them snug makes them feel more secure than just being under/in a box. granted, it does look like your laundry is in your cages but they're even wearing their sweaters right now and it's hot! btw, they prefer long sleeves and hoods! lol....

I HAVE noticed that my little indigo DOES feel more secure hiding under the newspaper flooring of his enclosure rather than the nice hide box I made for him. He'll even go to the extent of tearing through the paper to get under it. I tried to anchor all the edges down with colorful rocks etc. He insists on going under the paper, I assume to get that "covered" sensation. I'd STILL rather he hide in the hide box. That way, it's much easier to feed prekilled frozen/thawed, without him associating MY disturbing him with feeding, dangit !! I DID put newspaper into his hide box to keep him feeling secure, but he is stubborn. I'll get something worked out or I'll likely get chomped on someday.

Thane
Thane-N-Mandys place

If you have more of a natural look and the same effect, try Pro Exotics idea, take 2 appropriate sized pieces of cork bark and tie them together making something like a snake sandwhich. It works quite well and has a more natural look.
Hope that helps...
Rayne

Very interesting idea....but knowing how much my indigos defecate, I think I will be kicked out of the house the first time I did a wash with the smell of couperi dung emminating from the laundry room....but, it certainly makes a lot of sense. My indigos typically hide between the layers of newspaper I give them or a plastic sweater box with a hole cut on top that is filled with loosely placed crumpled paper/etc. It's always neat to hear what other folks are doing with their indigos.

Rob Carmichael, Director/Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center
City of Lake Forest Parks & Recreation (IL)
www.cityoflakeforest.com

Rob. How close is your center to North Brook? I'd like to bring my wildlife lovin' daughter over when I visit her later this summer. She lives in North Brook.

Joe
Ames, IA