Baby Sulcata -- How long can he stay on his back?

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My baby sulcata -- about 4 months old now -- occasionally manages to flip himself onto his back. He doesn't do it often (once every couple of weeks), but just when I think he won't do it again, he manages it. I have made sure that all feed bowls, rocks, etc., in his enclosure are flush with the ground. Best I can tell, he tries to climb the wall and then somehow flips.

I'm nervous about his doing this while I am at work. I've got a desk job, so I set up a tortoise cam on an extra computer monitor and just have him up there all day.

http://kalahurkakiddos.com/tyrion-cam/

Yesterday, I looked over and Mr. Tyrion was on his back again.

Panic!

I work about 45 minutes away from home, and I've read that baby sulcatas can die on their backs, so I started calling my husband at work and other relatives, trying to find someone who could go rescue him. It was about 20 minutes before a benevolent rescuer finally arrived.

Bottom line -- it's a little crazy for me to be watching him all day and then calling my husband to leave work and go flip the pet tortoise. For now, however, I can't think of a better system and I would feel awful if I came home to find him dead on his back.

In light of the above, my questions are --

Would Tyrion be okay on his back for 45 minutes if I had to go rescue him myself?
Will the self-flipping stop when he gets older?

Thanks,
Steph
 

wellington

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Yes, it usually does stop as they get older. Can he survive for 45 minutes hard to say. My best guess would be no. Specially if he happens to flip under the basking light or in his water dish and drowns.
Post a pic of the enclosure, maybe we can help flip proof it a little more.
 
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Here is a photo taken from my tortoise cam when it happened yesterday. When it happened he was closer to the glass. He wiggled on his back towards the log hide after that.
image.jpg
 

wellington

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Okay, block the glass, get rid of the hay/straw, very drying and put in a thick moistened coconut coir substrate. Also, please read Toms threads below for proper housing, temps and humidity, etc for a sulcatas. Changes to your enclosure will help with him being able to maybe right himself and also grow smooth and healthy.
 

dmmj

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the main danger is if he flips under the heat lamp he will overheat quickly in and die. a bigger enclosure may be on order they like the room when they can't this will happen. for now block all the walls we can't see out it may help
 
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Got it. Thanks. His substrate is cypress bark mixed with coco coir. It looks like straw in the photo, but I think that is just the lighting. There is some damp mods in the far corner near his water dish. I will try blocking the walls.

Appreciate the suggestions!
 

wellington

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Got it. Thanks. His substrate is cypress bark mixed with coco coir. It looks like straw in the photo, but I think that is just the lighting. There is some damp mods in the far corner near his water dish. I will try blocking the walls.

Appreciate the suggestions!
Wait a minute. You have some of our mods in the corner and they are damp? I don't think that's allowed, abuse to mods:p:D
Sorry, I just couldn't pass that up:)

Glad your substrate isn't what it looks like:)
 

Tom

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In light of the above, my questions are --

Would Tyrion be okay on his back for 45 minutes if I had to go rescue him myself?
Will the self-flipping stop when he gets older?

I've never tested how long they can live on their back, but babies can go at least a few hours.

They usually stop the flipping within a few weeks or months. Only very rarely will I find a juvenile of any species on its back.
 

DawnH

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I would remove that water dish he is in front of and use a terra cotta saucer that is sunk level with your substrate. He isn't near the wall in this photo and it looks like your current water dish might be the issue. Our sulcata never flipped (thank goodness) - hopefully this will help! I can't even imagine your panic when you see him laying like that, when you are so far!! Keep us updated on the little bugger. :)
 
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