Kinixys Lemmingiana

[getzburg]

Hi all. My Home's has been doing something really weird today. He keeps walking up the side of his humid hide (a half-basket partially buried in substrate and roofed in spaghnum) and then jumping off the front of it. Well, I say "jumping", it's really more like "shoving himself halfway off the edge, waggling his limbs furiously, and then faceplanting." He's got plenty of room up here to turn around. Is this something I need to be worried about?

As a side note: today is the second most active day he's ever had. The first was about a month ago. The only two factors I can find in common are that both days we had thunderstorms and both days the temperature in the apartment reached or exceeded 80 degrees, though it never got above 83 or so. Thoughts?

Update: I've just noticed that the humidity in his enclosure has broken 80%, which might explain his sudden burst of activity. Normally I have to mist constantly to keep it above 50%. (tank humidifier's on the way, I swear)

 

[Madkins007]

While most tortoises are powered by sunlight, Hinge-backs are powered by lightening.

I have not kept a hinge-back in decades, but everything and everyone points out that rain really sets them off. Not only the humidity, but the barometric pressure seems to affect them. My Red-foots often do the same thing when I can get the right temps, humidities, and other conditions- wander all over the place, explore, fall, and keep wandering.

My own personal vote would be 'enjoy it and don't worry'... unless he is ending up on his back and cannot readily turn back over- then I would look at a redesign.

 

[Jacqui]

I don't know about Mondays, but rainy days NEVER get hingebacks down, they love the rain. Activity and breeding increase dramatically when the rains set in.

Can he right himself when he does his high dive off the pot?,

 

[getzburg]

Jacqui: One time he landed on his back up against his dish and had trouble righting himself, so I rearranged a little. His last few plunges have been fine.

I think humidity must be a significant factor. My Repti Fogger came on Thursday, and since the humidity spiked he's been much more active.

 

[Jacqui]

I think humidity must be a significant factor. My Repti Fogger came on Thursday, and since the humidity spiked he's been much more active.

Yes, humidity is one of the most important things to keep in mind, when caring for either the Homes or the Erosa hingebacks. Unfortunately, most hingebacks are kept too dry. For some, too low of humidity causes them to stress and start wheezing. I have an Erosa who, if I let the humidity start going down, she wheezes. She is like an early warning system. Some folks believe it may cause them to actually have more difficulty breathing, which even in humans dry air can indeed cause such problems, so maybe they are right with the hingebacks, too.