my RT just flipped over on his back

[crussellii]

Luckily I was here watching him when this happened. What if I weren't? Could he get himself up?

 

[wellington]

Some can and some can't. Best thing to do is to make sure his enclosure is in such a way that he can't flip. Put pieces of wood across corners so he can't use both sides of corner to try and climb. Don't have things,he can climb and fall off of, etc.

 

[crussellii]

Some can and some can't. Best thing to do is to make sure his enclosure is in such a way that he can't flip. Put pieces of wood across corners so he can't use both sides of corner to try and climb. Don't have things,he can climb and fall off of, etc.

This is encloser, he tried climbing on top of the half log.

 

[wellington]

If he tried climbing on the side that is right next to the glass, move it so he can't try to use the glass and the log to try and climb. If not, then build the substrate up along the sides of the long, so it's more like a small hill to get on top of the log and tappers slowly to the regular substrate. Hope you can understand what I am trying to say.

 

[Masin]

I've wrestled with our girls half log for about 4 months now before finally removing it for a tall (unclimbable) square hide. I rearranged it so much and created such neat spaces, but seeing her roll 4 times was enough.

 

[crussellii]

I've wrestled with our girls half log for about 4 months now before finally removing it for a tall (unclimbable) square hide. I rearranged it so much and created such neat spaces, but seeing her roll 4 times was enough.

Yeah I moved it and he hasn't tried climbing it yet. Next step is out of the encloser.

 

[Masin]

Keep us posted! I did as suggested and built up the coco coir making a ramp, then had to make a railing because she would walk off it :[

 

[Laurie]

Keep us posted! I did as suggested and built up the coco coir making a ramp, then had to make a railing because she would walk off it :[

Lol! I've watched my Brains flip over many times... He thinks he's evil knievel ! Each time I would go inside to get the keys to his enclosure so I could help him and each time before I made it back with the keys, he had righted himself! No matter what I moved around, he couldn't help himself from "jumping" off things..

 

[srkarpen]

Luckily I was here watching him when this happened. What if I weren't? Could he get himself up?

It seems like from everything I've read on here that as long as they dont' flip over underneath their heat source they will be ok for a bit on their back if they can't right themselves. I'm sure its a super stressful situation for them and exhaustion/dehydration is of course an issue but as far as i've seen its not as urgent if they are not under their heat. Maybe someone with a bit more experience can verify this?

I just make sure there isn't anything that gives my RT the remotest chance of flipping near his heat. I've seen him tip over once trying to climb up a half log but I also built up some substrate over the sides so he can easily walk up. I haven't seem him flipped over since.

 

[crussellii]

Well I came home today and he was fine. I blocked the sides with prickly pear cactus pads. As always thanks for the advice.

 

[wellington]

Luckily I was here watching him when this happened. What if I weren't? Could he get himself up?

It seems like from everything I've read on here that as long as they dont' flip over underneath their heat source they will be ok for a bit on their back if they can't right themselves. I'm sure its a super stressful situation for them and exhaustion/dehydration is of course an issue but as far as i've seen its not as urgent if they are not under their heat. Maybe someone with a bit more experience can verify this?

I just make sure there isn't anything that gives my RT the remotest chance of flipping near his heat. I've seen him tip over once trying to climb up a half log but I also built up some substrate over the sides so he can easily walk up. I haven't seem him flipped over since.

actually they can die from just being on their backs. How long it would take I don't know, some time probably, like a couple hours or so, not sure of the time, but they can still die even if not under sun, heat lamp or in the water. Best to work out the kinks and if that doesn't work, remove them.

 

[srkarpen]

actually they can die from just being on their backs. How long it would take I don't know, some time probably, like a couple hours or so, not sure of the time, but they can still die even if not under sun, heat lamp or in the water. Best to work out the kinks and if that doesn't work, remove them.

Maybe I should clarify Wellington. I wasn't trying to suggest that a tortoise on its back isn't potentially dangerous, but rather the direness of the situation is different. Again, correct me if I am wrong I am still new at this game, but I was under the impression that flipping under heat can be deadly in a short time, whereas flipping in the shade or in a cool area gives them much more time before the situation becomes deadly.


I'm getting this from a bunch of different threads on TF:

"I don't know how long they can stay on their backs but not only do they risk suffocation, they could also flip under the heat source and overheat."
Read more: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Tortoise-Flipping-itself-over#ixzz26mccAxGt

"Flipping can be very dangerous, especially flipping under a heat source since their bodies have no ability to regulate body-temperature."
Read more: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Dangers-of-Flipping#ixzz26mcsmp00

"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."
Read more: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Dangers-of-Flipping#ixzz26mcHziUK


I'm certainly in no position to argue or claim greater knowledge or anything like that but from what I've read it seems like a tortoise being on its back in the shade is much more likely to be just fine until, say, one comes home from work after being gone all day than if a tortoise flips under its heat over the same time frame.

Does that sound more right to you? By all means you have way more experience raising tortoises than I do...

 

[Laurie]

Maybe I should clarify Wellington. I wasn't trying to suggest that a tortoise on its back isn't potentially dangerous, but rather the direness of the situation is different. Again, correct me if I am wrong I am still new at this game, but I was under the impression that flipping under heat can be deadly in a short time, whereas flipping in the shade or in a cool area gives them much more time before the situation becomes deadly.

I'm getting this from a bunch of different threads on TF:

"I don't know how long they can stay on their backs but not only do they risk suffocation, they could also flip under the heat source and overheat."
Read more: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Tortoise-Flipping-itself-over#ixzz26mccAxGt

"Flipping can be very dangerous, especially flipping under a heat source since their bodies have no ability to regulate body-temperature."
Read more: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Dangers-of-Flipping#ixzz26mcsmp00

"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."
Read more: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Dangers-of-Flipping#ixzz26mcHziUK

I'm certainly in no position to argue or claim greater knowledge or anything like that but from what I've read it seems like a tortoise being on its back in the shade is much more likely to be just fine until, say, one comes home from work after being gone all day than if a tortoise flips under its heat over the same time frame.

Does that sound more right to you? By all means you have way more experience raising tortoises than I do...

I think you're right, my understanding would be that, should a tortoise flip and cannot right himself in the sun or water, that would be an emergent situation.

If he is in the shade or other area it is still an urgent situation, but not as urgent as the above mentioned situations.

I could be wrong, but I think what ultimately gets them in a safer area, is respiratory distress.

 

[JoeImhof]

In answer to the part of the original question "CAN they right themselves" they sure can, and almost always do. I've seen mine right themselves dozens of times over the years, and never once seen a situation where I had to help.
Even my hatchling righted himself at 1 month old when I took him outside and he tried to climb a tree.

 

[yagyujubei]

actually they can die from just being on their backs. How long it would take I don't know, some time probably, like a couple hours or so, not sure of the time, but they can still die even if not under sun, heat lamp or in the water. Best to work out the kinks and if that doesn't work, remove them.

Maybe I should clarify Wellington. I wasn't trying to suggest that a tortoise on its back isn't potentially dangerous, but rather the direness of the situation is different. Again, correct me if I am wrong I am still new at this game, but I was under the impression that flipping under heat can be deadly in a short time, whereas flipping in the shade or in a cool area gives them much more time before the situation becomes deadly.


I'm getting this from a bunch of different threads on TF:

"I don't know how long they can stay on their backs but not only do they risk suffocation, they could also flip under the heat source and overheat."
Read more: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Tortoise-Flipping-itself-over#ixzz26mccAxGt

"Flipping can be very dangerous, especially flipping under a heat source since their bodies have no ability to regulate body-temperature."
Read more: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Dangers-of-Flipping#ixzz26mcsmp00

"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."
Read more: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Dangers-of-Flipping#ixzz26mcHziUK


I'm certainly in no position to argue or claim greater knowledge or anything like that but from what I've read it seems like a tortoise being on its back in the shade is much more likely to be just fine until, say, one comes home from work after being gone all day than if a tortoise flips under its heat over the same time frame.

Does that sound more right to you? By all means you have way more experience raising tortoises than I do...

You have to realize something about this forum. 95% of everything youe read is heresay. A beginner comes on here, asks a question, and two weeks later is answering that same question for someone newer than they are. Of all the answers on here, I would bet that no one has lost a tortoise from being upside down. Those that say don't worry, they can flip back over might be right 90% of the time, but how does that help? If we're talking about only russians, I can't comment, because I don't have russians.A tortoises lungs are at the top, when they are inverted, all of their internal organs begin pressing on their lungs, making it more difficult to breathe. I lost a star a couple years ago. I checked it at about 1am, at 6am, I found it dead upside down, and it wasn't recently dead. No light, no heat, just inverted. I'm sure that some tortoises can right themselves easier than others because of the shape of their shell. But their legs aren't flexible enough to do much more than flail around.

 

[Lucymay]

We have Russians that love to climb. They have flipped over and have been able to flip themselves back over.

That being said, if I see it happen, I turn them, I don't wait for them to struggle to turn themselves.

 

[crussellii]

In my case I'm about 30 days into ownnig my Russian Tortoise. Flipping on their backs never even crossed my mind during any part of the process. I learned a lot from this forum in 30 days. Anytime you get advice from someone you can never guarantee you are getting a first hand account of something or heresay. I've passed on information I've gained to newer members, but I'm quick to add I also explain I'm a newbie also. Again since I'm new, I think most of the users on this site are going to give out legit information. If not, a more experienced user is quick to correct any discrepancies. So I agree you should use caution when getting advice on a toroise from a forum, but for me it's been a great place to learn.

 

[JoeImhof]

But their legs aren't flexible enough to do much more than flail around.

Dennis,

I dont know about other Tort species, but my Russians use not just their legs flailing, but they use their HEAD to push themselves and help right themselves. And the head can reach the ground while the tort is upside down.

 

[stinax182]

I dont know about other Tort species, but my Russians use not just their legs flailing, but they use their HEAD to push themselves and help right themselves. And the head can reach the ground while the tort is upside down.

this is very true. i have adults and they don't flip often...hardly, actually, but whenever thru do, they right themselves right away! only twice have i actually seen them flip, go to help and they're already on their bellies i notice that their head is their biggest tool...they stretch it out and push themselves over!
i try to put rocks that they can use to right themselves when they've flipped rather than no rocks at all. just make sure they're not too big lolll.