keep toppling over.

[Easter Bunny]

I just found one of my tortoises on its back right near to the heat light, his little legs were flapping away. God knows how long he was there for but once I put him right he run off to bed.

They keep trying to climb the sides and topple backwards, i've seen them do it. They also climb the rocks and bits that are in their table, then they topple over. I read that putting pebbles around the enclosure might help them right themselves. Should I just scatter loads of pebbles everywhere?

Its so frightening, I keep checking on them now which is not ideal because its stressing me out, lol



Lynne x

[Barney's Mum]

tipping - just of the many worries of a tort lover!

having some pebbles near the hot spot is a good idea as this will be the most dangerous place for them to get stuck upside down. i also have pebbles in Barney's most frequented 'tipping spots' to act as leverage. The leg flapping is totally normal!

try not to worry to much (easy to say i know!) if he was happy in himself, no running eyes or nose, no loss of bowel control then i wouldn't think he had been there for a worrying amout of time. xx

[Alan1]

I have my stones set out a tort width from the sides. it's best if they have nothing that they can climb up as they just fall off. shiny surfaces that they can't grip is usually ok but they do stand upright and fall back as well. my stones are only at the hot end ..

[kkenny]

Oh good thread.
This happens to my George a lot too and it is a worry.

Stone it is then!

Oh an Alan or these the enclosures your son performed on? Look good.

if the legs are flapping away it hasnt happened long ago.....

best thing to do (i know it sounds horrid) but see if they can right them selves. If you fix them every time they wont learn how to do it them selves. If they are lifeless best thing to do is turn them over and get them straight in a warm bath. mine did it once and he was out for about 10 mins but the bath brought him round.

The pebble thing is really good idea and you just have to keep switching things about if they keeping toppling over.

there are videos on youtube of torts righting themselves, they are really interesting

c

[Easter Bunny]

I watched Reggie today, he climbs the seashell thats in their enclosure then slides down it, then he goes round and does it over and over again. Really funny to watch looks like hes on a slide and loving it, lol. He topples over sometimes though. Funny thing is Ronnie is usually asleep unerneath it.


lynne

[kat4788]

Anastasia is very good as correcting herself when she topples. Hernandez not quite so much. But I try to leave them, and make sure there's rocks around to help them naturally suss it out

[Alan1]

Originally Posted by kkenny

Oh good thread.
This happens to my George a lot too and it is a worry.

Stone it is then!

Oh an Alan or these the enclosures your son performed on? Look good.

aye, particularly the one on the left

[Steph37]

My hatchlings fall every time I have to change their table (eg change their cave cos they keep outgrowing the one before!) but try to do it before a weekend etc. I've had 2 weeks of them falling, but the last week they've been fine. I got home early today and they were sitting on top of their new cave-dont ask how they got up there-but they then got down without falling. I think they just work out strategies!! I try not to think about it-just bath them if I come home and find one on its back. I would have thought it were worse for little tortoises but understand it is worse for bigger animals (cos of weight on their lungs I assume) I just wiuld have thought the little ones would dehydrate quicker but suppose that's easily rectified in captivity.