Preference in Hides

[Snakeknot]

I've had an attack of creativity with my snakes lately and have tried my hand at making them new hides out of sculpey. The original idea was better than the result. My hides look like something from a Woodstock hallucination! Uh pretty but what is it? Warped teepees and tubes with holes in it and such. Something that would only make sense to a snake. Oh well!

Anyway I added these hides to my garters tanks. I also added some fake aquarium grass for them. In all three cases, all my garters preferred the aquarium grass to my slaved over, warped hides! They spend all their time hiding in the grass. And I can see the benefit of nature's design for them. They tend to VANISH COMPLETELY in the grass! Bogo has taken to pretending she's a branch. I walk in the room and she's reared up in the grass, looking out of the tank and if it wasn't for her eyes on either side of her head, I would believe the "branch" act. She's so funny to watch!

Has anyone else noticed their garters to prefer some hides to others??

Devon

[drache]

yes, mine have preferences
I only have one enclosure where they all seem to have different preferences

[guidofatherof5]

Mine would rather have a cardboard box over anything store bought.
I've tryed the fancy stuff. It didn't work at all.

[ConcinusMan]

Mine would rather have a cardboard box over anything store bought.
I've tryed the fancy stuff. It didn't work at all.

Same here. I bought a really nice looking artificial stone cave (expensive $10) and my snakes won't go anywhere near it. They like little cardboard boxes with holes cut it them.

Also, snakes prefer to be boxed in really tight. They prefer to have their hide touching them on all sides when they are curled up inside. makes them feel safe.

[infernalis]

I have one communal tank that has a bunch of yearlings in it, and multiple hides, the snakes all seem to prefer the one hide over the other.

If I leave their favorite hide out of the enclosure (such as feeding times) they will (sometimes) use the other hide, but mostly prefer to wait for the fave hide to return to the cage.

[Tyrel26]

I purchased a ball made from plastic plants at the dollar store, it is hollow and you can poke a finger right through the plants to the inside. I cut it in half and set it in the tank with some babies and they love it. I have offered a couple of other hides but they show no interest, instead all of the babies tangle themselves inside the plant ball.

[Spankenstyne]

A slab of bark seems to be the favorite here, with a flattened paper towel roll coming a close second

[gartermorphs]

the top of a fake silk hydrangea flower for mine they just love to twist themselves all up in it!

[Selkielass]

I cut a hole in half a coconut shell I had laying around, and plugged the hole with a button. Abby likes it better than any other (Wood, bark, box, tube) hide I've offered.

[wolfpacksved]

empty box of captain crunch *PLUG*