Help! (on his back)

[lindaisturtling]

I came home today after 12 hours gone to find my turtle flipped upside down directly under the UV light! I have no idea how long he was there. He still a hatchling and is only about seven months old. Is he OK?? How can I tell? I immediately righted him and he went into his little pool for a bit. I’m worried because the UV light is very close, probably only about 4-5 inches away from him. Pictures of his home attached.

 

[daniellenc]

You need to rectify flipping hazards. Sink in bowls to substrate height, remove the bridge, and anything else he could climb up and lose balance. Flipping can cause suffocation and overheating so you got very lucky.

 

[lindaisturtling]

Okay, I will do as you suggested with the bridge and bowls. I’m not sure what he flipped on though. The best I can guess is that he tried to climb up on the half log. Should I remove that as well?

 

[lindaisturtling]

Also, should I buy another stand to raise the UV light higher up? I had actually not planned to use it for the next few months and instead will take my turtle outside to get natural light.