I have a Hatchling DT with light. flat shell

sharpf

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Mar 1, 2016
Messages
21
Location (City and/or State)
Arizona
I have 3 hatchling DTs and one has a lighter color shell and is more flat than mounded. He keeps flipping over upside down and can not right himself. I have jokingly named it Flipper. Is there a way to improve the shell or some other way to make sure he doesn't end up dead? Thanks
 

sharpf

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Mar 1, 2016
Messages
21
Location (City and/or State)
Arizona
I sure hope Flipper lives. He is a real personality and is so appreciative every time I turn him upright!
 

sharpf

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Mar 1, 2016
Messages
21
Location (City and/or State)
Arizona
I currently have a 13 year old DT named Yortoise the Tortoise or Yortie the Tortie for short. He follows me around the yard when I am out there like a puppy dog. Everyone that meets him is so surprised how much personality he has and how friendly he is. My friend for life!!!

These little torts are going to three different persons. I encouraged the lady I got them from to separate them so no more little DTs would enter this world. Too many people stupidly breeding them!
 

Yvonne G

Old Timer
TFO Admin
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
93,448
Location (City and/or State)
Clovis, CA
Really all you can do about the flipping is try to make it harder for him to climb and flip (take away the climbing obstacles, etc)
 

sharpf

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Mar 1, 2016
Messages
21
Location (City and/or State)
Arizona
Ya, I do that. I thought of tying a half small ball to him so if he did flip he could roll over again. Really sweet kid!
 

Grapes

Active Member
Joined
Aug 11, 2015
Messages
105
3D printed shell? Lol I see that a lot on the internet now a days.
 

ascott

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Apr 10, 2011
Messages
16,131
Location (City and/or State)
Apple Valley, California
Ya, I do that. I thought of tying a half small ball to him so if he did flip he could roll over again. Really sweet kid!

You can do that, also it is not uncommon for a small pink eraser to be cut in half, long ways, and then adhere it to the high point of dome/center so that it serves as a kinda of kick stand...this will give a valuable lean to the tort when a roll over occurs....
 

ascott

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Apr 10, 2011
Messages
16,131
Location (City and/or State)
Apple Valley, California

I also want to share, just in the event you may not be aware is all :D This species is highly, hugely, really territorial. While those cuties are too small for us simple humans to be able to sex, you can trust that they are fully aware of what one another is....I would wonder if you placed that tort in his own individual world, free of the other two, and set him up as warm and snug as the current enclosure, if he would benefit. It is hard to keep these guys together in harmony...really hard....I would also for see that each will eventually need to have their own kingdom or they will gladiator one another into illness....the nomad life is the perfect life for this species, well, for many actually....
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,483
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
Also, we have undergone a revolution of sorts in tortoise care in the last few years, but it seems the DT crowd is the last to catch on. Are you aware that babies should be soaked daily, or close to it, and they should be kept on a damp (not wet) substrate, given an appropriate water bowl and offered a humid hide? They don't need high humidity, like a tropical monsoon species, but they do benefit from moderate humidity, like what they would find in an underground retreat in the wild.

So many DT babies still end up dehydrated, and many of the ones that survive end up pyramided.
 

sharpf

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Mar 1, 2016
Messages
21
Location (City and/or State)
Arizona
I did find that when I put a bit of water in their box they were soaking in it. Even after 13 years of caring for a DT am still learning things!
 

sharpf

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Mar 1, 2016
Messages
21
Location (City and/or State)
Arizona
Each of these three torts are going to different homes. Little Flipper is so gregarious and sweet and will make a very good friend. I am going to attach something that allows it to roll over in order for it to have a healthy happy life!
 

sharpf

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Mar 1, 2016
Messages
21
Location (City and/or State)
Arizona
Well, I now have a possible solution for Flipper, a wiffle golf ball half! Posting pics and maybe a video. If video does not upload, please reply with your email and I will send to you. This seems to be a good solution to the flat shell. It is light-weight, allows air to most shell, and seems to help him keep upright. Let me know what you think!
20160308_151221.jpg 20160308_150924.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: Rue

sharpf

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Mar 1, 2016
Messages
21
Location (City and/or State)
Arizona
Yeah! It worked! Sorry for my bad filming. The sun was making so I could not see clearly what I was filming!
 

Rue

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 29, 2016
Messages
1,257
Location (City and/or State)
Canada
There really IS a turtle in a half shell! :)

How does it stay on?
 

sharpf

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Mar 1, 2016
Messages
21
Location (City and/or State)
Arizona
As much as I hate to use foreign substances, I put a couple of dots of super glue on non growth areas of a couple of scutes. May not stay on long, but would rather have it fall off than to put too much on.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Rue
Top