How Many of You on TFO have found Your Tortoises on Their Backs?

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Candy

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Today I came home to find Little Eddie outside in his enclosure on his back and I freaked out. :( Poor thing. I don't know how this happened since there was nothing for him to be climbing on to make him fall over. Ruby was in the enclosure too just watching him from under the half clay pot. :( Too bad tortoises don't help each other turn right side up. ;) I'm not sure how long they can be on their backs before something terrible would happen, do you?
 

Az tortoise compound

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Funny you ask...I was just watching a greek tortoise try to right himself. He ended up getting it after a minute or two:)
As to how long they can stay on their backs, I would say it depends on the weight of the animal and whether it's in full sun or shade.
 

mctlong

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My RT falls on his back occasionally during his failed escape attempts; however, I've never seen him get stuck on his back. He'll flip himself back over almost immediately.
 

Missy

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It depends on if they are in the direct sun and how hot it is. Their lungs are toward the top so when they are up side down they can suffocate. Mine have gotten flipped several times and it is scary.
 

SnakeyeZ

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My russian... maybe once when I first got her? My greek SEVERAL times already. I sometimes come home from work and he's upside down and not sure how long he was like that.. I'm not sure what the little guy is trying to climb.
 

nharr2

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I find my sulcata hatchling upside down a lot! I hope it cant hurt them :(
 

nicolek

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It makes me want to install a nanny camera and check up on him while I am at work.
 

Jacob

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Its Scary, its Happen to My Little Sullie.
It Depends How Big They Are The Larger or Heavier The Tort, the more Weight Compacts the Lungs,
So Babys or little torts can Withstand Longer!

and If They Are Directly Under the sun or A Heat Lamp, Will Hurth Them
 

SILVERSTAR

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i came home to find my hatchling flipped once and when i got my stars in the mail one was flipped in the box not sure how long he was like that but i wasnt happy.
 

Edna

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I kept box turtles in the back yard long ago and it was interesting to watch them right themselves after tipping over. They would extend both legs on one side, hook their claws in the turf and be right side up in a heartbeat. If I'm there when a tort gets wrong-way-up, I let them try to right themselves. If they don't make it over pretty quick, I put a finger where one of their legs can hook it and use it to get righted. If I could manage turf in my indoor enclosures, I would worry less.
 

dmmj

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I have a sad story several years back, about 4 now I lost a box turtle to over heating I had just checked on them and went out about 45 min later to recheck, and there she was on her back dead, she could not get purchase on the ground, to this day I don't know how she flipped over but I imagine it might have been a bird or other animal. Regarding how long they can last I seem to recall pirates in the 1800's keeping galapa tortoises on their backs for weeks at a time while waiting to make dinner out of them. I have never found my sully CDT russian or RF on their backs yet.
 

ChiKat

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When Nelson was a hatchling I watched him flip over a few times (usually diving off his half log :rolleyes: ) and he was unable to right himself. It scared me so much that I completely "hatchling-proofed" his enclosure.
Or so I thought! Then he would try to climb up the corners, and end up flipping over.
I found him stuck on his SIDE once...he basically dug himself into the substrate trying to right himself, and was stuck. I picked him up and he was very lethargic. The second scariest Nelson moment of my life!!
I was using coir at the time, and that's when I started mixing it with soil (and now I just use plain soil) because I felt the coir was too soft. If he flipped, he was stuck!

How old is Eddie now? And WHERE in the world are recent pictures?! ;) :)
 

onarock

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Man, I got close to 50 hatchlings right now. About 25 in each hatchling enclosure. I find them upside down all the time. Ive come home to 5 upside down. I provide more shade areas than sun areas so I dont worry about it. Just today I found one upside down sleeping. Ive noticed they can usually flip themself over, but not all the time.
 

ascott

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I have 4 CDTs and out of the 4, Herman-lots of times as he is my acrobat-he can actually stand on his back legs and shimmy against a flat surface shell to surface for a great distance, Ghamara is a close second and I believe it is because he sees the destination and not the journey, Haus was only on his back after being flipped when I made the mistake of setting him down in the yard with Herman for a brief moment to grab something, our old man Humphry has only been on his back after being flipped by his one time mate Herman...

Kinda cool story: when I first met my guy Haus it was after he was dumped at the park I use to work at, well I still had a little bit of my shift to go and I tucked him into a corner of the enclosure that Herman and Humphry use to share (just for a moment :( dumb) and at that time it was just Herman in the enclosure...when I came back I found Haus on his back--feet flaring all of the place trying to flip back over and circling him was Herman with this crazy intense glare in his eye and while I was messing with trying to unlock the enclosure gate to get in I watched Herman lean into Haus with his Gular and flip him back over!!! Apparently Herman flipped him to show Haus who was boss then flipped him back over right side up...well Haus was a darn fool and tucked his head in and in gladiator style rammed Herman in the side as Herman was walking away...so Herman flipped him again..stood and bobbed his head over Haus head then circled him and flipped him right side up again...this happened so fast...by this time I was in the enclosure snatching up Haus little butt (he was/is smaller than Herman and Haus has had a broken Gular since he came into my life)

I am grateful all have come out of their flips without any damage, well, Haus may have had a damaged ego but he was schooled by the bigger guy and made it out ok.... :rolleyes:
 

Zouave

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Randy the Savage always lands on his feet ....... so far. lol

Great description ascott!
 

Candy

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I'm loving all of these stories, well all but Dmmj's. I'm sorry that your Box Turtle died David. :( Now I don't feel like Eddie's the only one. Eddie is close to 2 years old (I have to look that up) now. He was in the shade. The good thing about Cherryheads is that they do well in filtered light. :) I just wish I felt more comfortable about him staying right side up. :cool:
 

Watermelon

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I've never found Phoebe on her back, shes only been on her back when I've been there. (As far as I know)

Maybe she just likes to show off her gymnastics infront of me then it goes wrong! She always manages to roll over though. :)

onarock said:
Just today I found one upside down sleeping. Ive noticed they can usually flip themself over, but not all the time.

Aww that is cute. :D Silly baby!
 
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