Reptiles that cannot get out of sight stay switched on, and the stress shows up as poor feeding, incomplete sheds and an animal that sits in one corner instead of using its enclosure. Two hides is the standard answer — one at the cool end, one over the warm end — so that choosing a temperature never means giving up cover. The Reptile Cave is Exo Terra's Reptile Pebble Cave mould: a low, wide, pebble-textured dome with a large hiding volume for its height, which suits animals that like their backs against the roof.
Six sizes, from 13.4 x 9.5 x 6.1cm up to a 41 x 29 x 20.5cm Tortoise version. It is deliberately low-profile, which is right for floor-dwelling geckos, skinks, blue-tongues and tortoises and less useful in a tall arboreal setup — there a glass-mounted Canopy Cave or the vertical Rock Outcrops makes better use of the space. Not to be confused with our Exo Terra Hiding Cave, which is the older, taller, single-mouth Reptile Cave mould (PT2851–PT2854) in four sizes. Full range in the Exo Terra collection.
Features
- Enlarged hiding volume — more usable space under the shell than the older cave shape gives at a similar footprint.
- Broad, stable base — Exo Terra rates it as not easily tipped by larger reptiles, which matters with an adult blue-tongue or a monitor.
- Cooler, more humid microclimate — the sealed dome holds moisture, giving the animal a humid retreat to shed in.
- Pebble texture — reads as natural rock in both desert and rainforest layouts.
- Tortoise XXXL — a 41cm version for tortoises and larger terrestrial lizards that sleep fully under cover. Exo Terra sells this size under a name of its own, the Tortoise Cave, which is what to search for on the manufacturer's site.
Specifications
Sizes (width x depth x height): Small 13.4 x 9.5 x 6.1cm (PT2930) · Medium 15.5 x 16 x 7cm (PT2931) · Large 19 x 21 x 8cm (PT2932) · Extra Large 20.5 x 25 x 11cm (PT2933) · XX Large 26.5 x 28 x 11cm (PT2934) · Tortoise XXXL 41 x 29 x 20.5cm (PT2922, listed by Exo Terra as the Tortoise Cave). Moulded resin, so it holds no water — keep a water dish in the enclosure as well.
Care
Scrub under hot running water with a terrarium-only brush and let it air-dry. Avoid detergents and disinfectants unless every trace can be rinsed off.