Found my little t.h.b. girl Olive flipped onto her back and unable to right herself when I went to feed her this morning. She seemed pretty exhausted and didn't even give me the usual attitude for keeping her waiting for her breakfast. I realize this may happen occasionally (such as during today's bout of playing SuperTort and trying to climb one of her obviously too tall potted plants for an unscheduled nibble), but I am curious if there is a time limit or situation where this can begin to be dangerous for them? Two considerations: 1) she is currently housed indoors since she is still so very small, so obviously no predators to come across her in this vulnerable position. 2) she fell directly under her MVB light...at 98 degrees. Makes me worry about burns or dehydration when she can't choose when to move out of its path. Anything I can do to help prevent flips or make it easier to get turned back over? She intentionally has nothing intended for climbing like this in her enclosure to help prevent this sort of flipping...seems like she chose to try to walk straight up the side of the plant pot! Thanks all.
Dangers of Flipping?
- Thread starter kaija2012
- Start date
- Status
Flipping over is deadly for torts and is a very serious problem. Staying on their back for a period of time will actually cause them to suffocate. If it happens again, you should consider removing items she is climbing up. Not all torts are able to right themselves after flipping. I found one of mine upside down in the backyard after he climbed up some boards I left piled up. Had I not found him when I did, I believe he would have died. I keep the yard much cleaner now. Very scary situation to find them upside down.
Flipping can be very dangerous, especially flipping under a heat source since their bodies have no ability to regulate body-temperature.
Sad word of caution -
I had a hatchling who flipped over trying to climb some vegetation in his enclosure. His flip landed him in an unshaded basking spot. He was unable to right himself and when I returned home from work I found him dead, upside-down.
Take flipping seriously.
Sad word of caution -
I had a hatchling who flipped over trying to climb some vegetation in his enclosure. His flip landed him in an unshaded basking spot. He was unable to right himself and when I returned home from work I found him dead, upside-down.
Take flipping seriously.
A flipped tortoise will be stressed and uncomfortable. Their internal organs are pressing on their lungs, but that in itself does not suffocate them. The bigger issues are that they will dehydrate, become overexposed to the sun or weather, attacked by predators, etc. Tortoises around the world are captured for food and stored live on their backs until it is time to cook them.
Some species struggle more than others. Red-footed tortoises, for example, have a harder than average time getting back on their feet.
If there is a known hazard, it should be removed or changed to reduce the risks. This is one area that red-footed tortoises are kind of interesting in- it has been observed over and over that one tortoise will help another that is flipped. It is not known if this is intentional or the result of simple curiosity.
Some species struggle more than others. Red-footed tortoises, for example, have a harder than average time getting back on their feet.
If there is a known hazard, it should be removed or changed to reduce the risks. This is one area that red-footed tortoises are kind of interesting in- it has been observed over and over that one tortoise will help another that is flipped. It is not known if this is intentional or the result of simple curiosity.
Generally speaking, Hermann's are notorious climbers which means they should be able to right themselves easier than the average tortoise, right? When Carl decided to start flipping over on everything, I would rearrange the enclosure, remove things he felt the need to climb on (like a vertical piece of drift wood that he adored to sleep under that he flipped himself on FIVE TIMES before I decided finding a new sleeping spot wasn't as bad as flipping over), etc. I also have conveniently placed pebbles through out the enclosure, so that no matter where he gets flipped, there will be some sort of foothold within reach that he can use to flip back. I placed the basking lamp dead center in the tank so trying to climb the glass and flipping over wouldn't leave him in a dangerous area, and there is also nothing within a reasonable distance that he can try to climb.
He probably flips a lot more than I know since he can right himself, usually. Whenever I DO find him flipped over, he's just kind of looking around, and if he's not too exhausted from trying to get back up, he will look at me with the "well, what are you waiting for, put me back on my belly, then feed me" look.
He probably flips a lot more than I know since he can right himself, usually. Whenever I DO find him flipped over, he's just kind of looking around, and if he's not too exhausted from trying to get back up, he will look at me with the "well, what are you waiting for, put me back on my belly, then feed me" look.
Opinions noted and plant has been removed. Not worth the consequences! I'll find a way to plant it so that it hangs down into her enclosure with no pot partially sunk into the substrate.... so hopefully no more climbing/flipping adventures. Really thought I had done a better job of anticipating areas that might be trouble and altering them. I was very worried seeing her stressed out like she was, but she recovered quickly enough to inhale her breakfast and has spent her day as she normally would. Hopefully she's none the worse for the experience this time. Glad I'm more aware of what this can do to them now. Thanks all.
I was very worried seeing her stressed out like she was, but she recovered quickly enough to inhale her breakfast and has spent her day as she normally would. Hopefully she's none the worse for the experience this time. Glad I'm more aware of what this can do to them now. Thanks all.- Status
