I have fallen over!

[Cali tortoise]

Hello! I am the parent of a Leopard tortoise Leo. I have had him since Dec. 24th 2015. Today I came home after 8 Hours of work to find my baby tort Leo on his back in the food plate. I inspected him all over and saw no damage.I then put him in some luke warm water to hydrate, then I took him outside to eat and walk. He seemed to be fine but I was really scared that he was upside down for 8 HOURS! Should I be worried about anything? I think he tried to climb his log hide and feel back into the food plate. I am removing the hide, but what should I replace it with? Also lately he has been sleeping outside of his hide at night is that normal? Thank you all for the great input!!

 

[Yvonne G]

Just fix anything that he tries to climb up on so he can't climb. That's why I like square rather than rounded hiding places. Hopefully he'll stop being such a dare devil.

 

[Cali tortoise]

Just fix anything that he tries to climb up on so he can't climb. That's why I like square rather than rounded hiding places. Hopefully he'll stop being such a dare devil.

Thank you! Yes he seems to be an adventurer already!!

 

[dmmj]

he does need a high that he cannot climb onto. Logs are a bad idea in that regard.

 

[Tom]

I use black dishwashing tubs from Walmart for hides. They cost $1.82. I flip them upside down and cut out a door hole.

I like to put my tortoises in their hides after dark to get them used to them. After a few weeks, they usually just go in on their own.

 

[Cali tortoise]

I use black dishwashing tubs from Walmart for hides. They cost $1.82. I flip them upside down and cut out a door hole.

I like to put my tortoises in their hides after dark to get them used to them. After a few weeks, they usually just go in on their own.

Thanks Ill look for one this weekend do they come in small sizes? I tort is only about 3 inches right now.

 

[Tom]

There are two sizes. They can grow into them.

 

[Cali tortoise]

he does need a high that he cannot climb onto. Logs are a bad idea in that regard.

Thank you I am getting rid of the log!

 

[leigti]

You can turn the hide into more of a hill by piling up substrate on both sides to make a ramp. That way it won't be so steep and he'll have a lot less chance of flipping over.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Make sure that there will be no heat lamp directly above any area that you observe him flipping. Now and in the future. Flipping, plus a heat lamp will harm him much quicker than just flipping over.

 

[Gillian M]

Hello! I am the parent of a Leopard tortoise Leo. I have had him since Dec. 24th 2015. Today I came home after 8 Hours of work to find my baby tort Leo on his back in the food plate. I inspected him all over and saw no damage.I then put him in some luke warm water to hydrate, then I took him outside to eat and walk. He seemed to be fine but I was really scared that he was upside down for 8 HOURS! Should I be worried about anything? I think he tried to climb his log hide and feel back into the food plate. I am removing the hide, but what should I replace it with? Also lately he has been sleeping outside of his hide at night is that normal? Thank you all for the great input!!

Sorry to have read that you cute tort flipped on his back. Please make sure his enclosure is deep enough, so as not to allow him to try and climb.

 

[Pearly]

My Shellie is a climber too. In 40 gal tank I'm space restricted and decided to increase floor space by giving her few hills to climb rather than limiting by occupying it with a box hide. This also happened to me at the beginning. My water dish was to close to the hide, and the "hill" had a drop off on the side of hide entry. I have made my "hills" climbing-friendly" and almost fall proof, they are not steep and the babies go there all the time. I'm still working on coming up with some type of a barrier to prevent those falls. For now there are just plants growing at the "cliff edge" bushy enough to prevent the fall. But I'm looking into probably building or fabricating a bannister type of structure to secure those hilltops. This will be one of to do's for the outside enclosure as the current set up I have is working well. I'd move your tort's water dish away from the fall danger area as I've heard of baby torts drowning that way.

 

[Cali tortoise]

My Shellie is a climber too. In 40 gal tank I'm space restricted and decided to increase floor space by giving her few hills to climb rather than limiting by occupying it with a box hide. This also happened to me at the beginning. My water dish was to close to the hide, and the "hill" had a drop off on the side of hide entry. I have made my "hills" climbing-friendly" and almost fall proof, they are not steep and the babies go there all the time. I'm still working on coming up with some type of a barrier to prevent those falls. For now there are just plants growing at the "cliff edge" bushy enough to prevent the fall. But I'm looking into probably building or fabricating a bannister type of structure to secure those hilltops. This will be one of to do's for the outside enclosure as the current set up I have is working well. I'd move your tort's water dish away from the fall danger area as I've heard of baby torts drowning that way.

Thank you for all of the information it really does help me. I don't have the water dish near the hide. But Leo's food dish was near the hide so that is why I think he tried to climb up it and fell back into the food dish. I have removed the hide and replaced it with moss for now. Going shopping this weekend see what I can find.

 

[Cali tortoise]

You can turn the hide into more of a hill by piling up substrate on both sides to make a ramp. That way it won't be so steep and he'll have a lot less chance of flipping over.

Thank you!

 

[Cali tortoise]

Make sure that there will be no heat lamp directly above any area that you observe him flipping. Now and in the future. Flipping, plus a heat lamp will harm him much quicker than just flipping over.

Thank you for that no my heat lamps were on the other side thank goodness. His hide log was on the cool side not under the lamps thank goodness!