Matilda flipping over = worried owner!

[Lea272]

Matilda has given me quite the scare today! On two occasions today I've checked on her and found her on her back, and now I'm paranoid to leave her! The first time, this morning, she was on her back near some basking rocks under her light where I'd placed some weeds.. I instinctively panicked and turned her the right way up. I wondered if maybe she had fallen off an edge or something? (Looking back now, I should have seen the risk) So I've pushed substrate right up to the edges of the rocks to make little hills instead of there being any clear edges to fall from.

So that unsettled me for the day, but I figured it was a freak occurrence as it's not happened before and she seems pretty sturdy when tramping around... then this evening I got back from the supermarket - I'd been out for a couple of hours or so - and she was on her back again somewhere else on the table, with nothing nearby that I can figure she could have fallen off/rolled down from etc. I fear she'd been there a while because I found her after 8pm, her light goes off at around 6 and she is usually dug down for the night when the light goes off, or shortly after. In which case, it seems she can't right herself??

I'm really quite frightened that she might do something like this again and do herself some serious harm if I don't see her and she can't get up. Is there anything I can do to try to prevent it?
Would it be a good idea to remove the chunky granite rocks under her heat/uv lamp, so she's less likely to flip in that area? Although I'd been encouraging her to use these to keep claws/beak down. And this still leaves me confused though as to what I can do to prevent it elsewhere in the table, seeing as I can't figure out how she managed to flip over on the second occasion Has anybody ever known their tortoises just flip over somehow without the help of any ornaments to fall/push off, but somehow managed it in an open area?

Sorry for all of the questions and the panic - I'm a very anxious new owner! I'd be heartbroken if anything happened to her!

[yuna1971]

Go for more stones/pebbles round the basking spot. Torts are inquisitive so will always try and do things they shouldn't. It's scary when the flipping over happens. I'm still like it now.
Maybe observe her behaviour and see if you can see where she's getting up to mischief. Maybe that area needs higher sides, obstacles removing, a trench around that side of the enclosure. Or maybe the enclosure needs to be more interesting, - mounds, hills, dips, different substrates.
Or it could be the temps are too hot - today was a scorcher, so maybe post up what readings your getting at the basking spot, cool end (sleeping area) and the ambient room temp.
Try to get her outdoors as much as poss - so she can run about a bit.
A few things to have a look at there. xx

[yuna1971]

If you have to and it's called for, you can always leave the lights off when your out. Then let her have a warm when your there or someone can monitor. Might set your mind at ease. It won't hurt on scorching days and a temp measure until she stops being a nutter lol
xx

[yuna1971]

Then let her out when you are there, or once an outdoor enclosure is ready. xx

[Lea272]

Thank you for the response! Admittedly I've not been able to have her outside for very long today due to a last minute call out to look after my nephew. The tables basking area temperature was 31, her cooler end was at 25 the same as ambient - maybe she's been a little restless due to the heat (besides a fan and having windows open, is there anything else that can be done to cool the "cool end" down?)

Would you recommend removing the large rocks from under the lamp and replacing them with smaller stones/pebbles, or just adding pebbles alongside the chunky rocks?

[Pussygalore]

I would never recomend having any rocks etc under the heat lamp simply because they can get hot enough to burn, the only thing you need there is soil, never anything else that can catch fire or get to hot. As for the tipping over you may find that the tort is almost jumping from the top, young torts especially seem to find it 'fun' to climb on things then leap of the top and they will go and repeat the same thing. They do grow out of it but in the meantime it might be worth removing anything high when you're not there or at least anything that might cause the tort to fall/roll near the heat. Some even use the sides of the table to climb and then topple onto their backs, put something in the corners so the tort can't get to the side and if its really bad then I made a sort of curved surface out of some strong card and stuck it around the sides, the torts couldn't climb as they just slide back down. It needs a bit of imagination but if they can't get upright or onto anything high enough to fall off then they can't turn over. I once put a peice of cork bark in with the 17 hatchlings I had, went away and came back after 5 mins and all 17 were sitting on top they then proceeded to leap of and those that didn't end upside down promptly went round and did it again, the bark came out.

[yuna1971]

The cool end does sound a little warm but if you have all the windows open and plenty of air circulating then apart from shutting down the lights for a few hours daily (in this heat) then I'm not sure how you could manually get it cooler.
Are you using a digital thermometer to read your temps, or a round dial faced one? I ask only as the round ones aren't that good. They are hard to read and IMO aren't accurate. If you haven't already invest in an infrared thermometer where it's simply pointing it to the basking spot and clicking - giving instant fairly accurate readings.
Good answer by Ann above too. xx

[Pussygalore]

Our living room hasn't been below 75f its that at the moment as its dull/raining and was always 80-86f during the hot weather which is unbearable, we live in a upstairs flat which doesn't help, my mums downstairs front room was a lot cooler, they keep the curtains closed and with a fan the temps were around 70f and they are in east anglia which has been the hottest. We couldn't get any of our rooms cooler but obviously there are ways with ground floor rooms, maybe consider moving the table to a room which doesn't get so much sun or only sun early in the am, close the curtains, use a fan and leave of the heat bulb, but better still get the tort outside where it can help itself keep cool, it will dig down or find shade through the day.

[Lea272]

Thank you both! Ann, I had no idea they could be so naughty! That would be enough to send .me grey lol. I will do some furniture rearranging today whilst she's out and clear her basking area

I have digital thermometers Rach with out probes positioned down at tortoise height, but will look into getting an infrared if they're better for the job.

[burnt toast]

I used aquarium plastic plants in my hatchlings table last year. You can buy 2 for £1 in homebargains or your pound shop. I anchor them in the wet soil in the warm end ( which I water regularly) & drape the long tendrils around the whole area. While they are tiny they feel safe wandering around under them & when they get a bit more adventurous they clamber over them. I like them as it gives the hatchlings somthing to catch hold of & right themselves if they tip.

Please make sure your soil in the warm end doesnt dry out as it becomes like dusty grains & your tort wont be able to get a grip to right himself. At least when damp they can dig their claws/arms into it to gain purchase. You can also slope the soil so there is a gentle slope away from the lamp