Is it dangerous for a tort to fall on its back

[BirdieF18]

Hi I am just wandering, I saw my horsfield fall on her back after climbing on top of her rock. I quickly righted her but i was just wandering could she get back on her front herself. I then moved her rock to the other side of her enclosure incase she does it again under the spot lamp and i'm not there.
Thanks.

[Xero]

Well, you've done the right thing in moving the rock! most torts can right them selves or some find it to much of a stuggle, funny you should mention it as my sisters boyfriend say Peaches dive of his hut and land on his back, he went to pick him up and put him upright but I said no, because i know he can do it himself and i dont want him to be expecting someone to right him if it happens while im out.

[Alan1]

there has been folks on here had torts die under the lamps

[emma_mcraf]

My small tortoises struggle to right themselves unless they have something to push themselves off to get back over. My adult tort soon gets himself back over. Some people have a few stones around the basking area to aid their torts to turn back should they go on their backs, whilst others prefer to have nothing in the area to reduce the chance of them climbing and overturning as yours did today. It's a personal preference but there have been a few threads on here discussing it, should you wish to search.

[Xero]

Here is a vid i took the other day of my tort righting himself, as you can see i dont think he enjoys it, but he can it by him self with only the substrate to help.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvFTO...NYyqLFAak4IGlF

[BirdieF18]

Thanks everyone so much. I got a response in seconds.

[Alan1]

if the substratec is dry and powdery it's hard for them to manage it, stones are handy

like these

[BirdieF18]

Originally Posted by Xero

Here is a vid i took the other day of my tort righting himself, as you can see i dont think he enjoys it, but he can it by him self with only the substrate to help.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvFTO...NYyqLFAak4IGlF

This video has given me a piece of mind knowing that she my be able to right herself when i am not around.

[JoesMum]

We visited a tortoise sanctuary in southern France a few years ago where they had a policy of not turning their capsizers the right way up quickly. They explained that it was essential that they learned to right themselves for when they were released back into the wild.

Joe cannot get himself the right way up, but TBH he's such a practised mountaineer he rarely messes up these days. It happened last summer and that was the first year for a long time.

[Alan1]

it's usually young torts that can't get up. there's a high mortality rate in the wild of young torts because of one thing or another, that being one of them