Russian tortoise potentially hurt?

[James9811]

Hi guys

Im extremely ashamed to have to be writing this. I was transporting my tortoise from his little daily bath after drying him off into his enclosure and he has fallen from my hand onto carpet from around 4ft. When he dropped, he sat for a few seconds and then started walking, then when he was put into his enclosure he immediately went to sleep and I just burst into tears because I thought I’d killed him. Between then and now he’s up and walking, he doesn’t seem any different, there are no shell cracks or under body injuries that are visible, I’m just terrified that I’ve hurt him internally.

I usually keep him at extremely low height, it was literally just while I put him in the enclosure and it was a slip of the hand. I feel like the worst tortoise parent ever and I just hope I haven’t hurt the little guy. He really is a part of the family and I feel like the worst person in the world right now. He’s around a year and a half old too, so just tiny still.

Really I’m just writing to hear about your guys experience with stuff like this if you have any and what you’d recommend doing next?

Sorry to have to put this dampener on your day

 

[Tom]

Hi guys

Im extremely ashamed to have to be writing this. I was transporting my tortoise from his little daily bath after drying him off into his enclosure and he has fallen from my hand onto carpet from around 4ft. When he dropped, he sat for a few seconds and then started walking, then when he was put into his enclosure he immediately went to sleep and I just burst into tears because I thought I’d killed him. Between then and now he’s up and walking, he doesn’t seem any different, there are no shell cracks or under body injuries that are visible, I’m just terrified that I’ve hurt him internally.

I usually keep him at extremely low height, it was literally just while I put him in the enclosure and it was a slip of the hand. I feel like the worst tortoise parent ever and I just hope I haven’t hurt the little guy. He really is a part of the family and I feel like the worst person in the world right now. He’s around a year and a half old too, so just tiny still.

Really I’m just writing to hear about your guys experience with stuff like this if you have any and what you’d recommend doing next?

Sorry to have to put this dampener on your day

In all likelihood your tortoise is perfectly fine and unharmed. They are pretty tough. Over all the years and with so many tortoises, I will admit that I have seen quite a few hit the floor. Sometimes on tile or concrete outside. Not once have I ever seen and injury from this.

Don't beat yourself up. Everyone of us makes mistakes. Takes steps to make sure you don't do it again. Maybe transport the tortoise in a plastic tub instead?

 

[James9811]

In all likelihood your tortoise is perfectly fine and unharmed. They are pretty tough. Over all the years and with so many tortoises, I will admit that I have seen quite a few hit the floor. Sometimes on tile or concrete outside. Not once have I ever seen and injury from this.

Don't beat yourself up. Everyone of us makes mistakes. Takes steps to make sure you don't do it again. Maybe transport the tortoise in a plastic tub instead?

Thank you so much for you reply Tom, you’ve made me feel a hell of a lot better. I will absolutely take more care in future and using a tub to transport sounds perfect. I’ll monitor him over the next week and keep a close eye, he seems like his usual self right now, so hopefully nothing internally has happened! Thanks is much again!

 

[MenagerieGrl]

James,
As @Tom said, MANY of us (myself included) have had similar experiences, and typically the lil tort may be a lil shook up, but they typically are NOT Really "Hurt", maybe a scraped shell, but other than that they carry on....Just be more cautious in the future.

 

[Cathie G]

This happened to me also and I agree with Tom and MenagerieGrl. Something I do now is carry him differently. A bucket also works great but I want him to stay used to my hand. I always make sure I carry him a certain way using my thumb on one side of his abdomen and my middle finger and the next one on the other side. My palm is over his carapace with him being able to see where he is going. That way relaxes him and he doesn't struggle and scratch and push at my hands.with his claws. His legs are strong even though he's just a little Russian and is part of why I dropped him.🤗

 

[Maro2Bear]

Happens all the time.

I used a bucket to carry our hatchling anywhere - especially to and from soakings. Get a bucket, and use it. Very safe this way, no slip slidey.

 

[SasquatchTortoise]

Mine peed in my hand once... got startled and tripped. Both of us came crashing down. Oh well

As a side note, in the wild, birds have to carry and drop them HUNDREDS of feet into the air to kill them. A few feet shouldn't hurt them.

 

[TortoisesFLA]

Hi guys

Im extremely ashamed to have to be writing this. I was transporting my tortoise from his little daily bath after drying him off into his enclosure and he has fallen from my hand onto carpet from around 4ft. When he dropped, he sat for a few seconds and then started walking, then when he was put into his enclosure he immediately went to sleep and I just burst into tears because I thought I’d killed him. Between then and now he’s up and walking, he doesn’t seem any different, there are no shell cracks or under body injuries that are visible, I’m just terrified that I’ve hurt him internally.

I usually keep him at extremely low height, it was literally just while I put him in the enclosure and it was a slip of the hand. I feel like the worst tortoise parent ever and I just hope I haven’t hurt the little guy. He really is a part of the family and I feel like the worst person in the world right now. He’s around a year and a half old too, so just tiny still.

Really I’m just writing to hear about your guys experience with stuff like this if you have any and what you’d recommend doing next?

Sorry to have to put this dampener on your day

I'm tearing up just reading this - just here to send a big fat comforting hug to you. Ugh I know that sick, gutting feeling of remorse from mistakes I've made (uh... I feel bad accidentally wrecking a little spider's perfect web)
But you are NOT a horrid tortoise parent! They've survived worse in the wild, I'm sure!

 

[Pebbles Roberts]

This happened to me also and I agree with Tom and MenagerieGrl. Something I do now is carry him differently. A bucket also works great but I want him to stay used to my hand. I always make sure I carry him a certain way using my thumb on one side of his abdomen and my middle finger and the next one on the other side. My palm is over his carapace with him being able to see where he is going. That way relaxes him and he doesn't struggle and scratch and push at my hands.with his claws. His legs are strong even though he's just a little Russian and is part of why I dropped him.🤗

That’s exactly the way I carry mine. And I NEVER allow anyone to lift him up one- handed.

 

[Cathie G]

That’s exactly the way I carry mine. And I NEVER allow anyone to lift him up one- handed.

That's another way also that I carry him with two hands but always staying out of the way of his legs pushing. Also by keeping both hands at the same spot between his front and back legs and over his carapace. But he's just a little Russian so I can do that. Larger tortoises are their own story.🤗

 

[Cathie G]

Mine peed in my hand once... got startled and tripped. Both of us came crashing down. Oh well

As a side note, in the wild, birds have to carry and drop them HUNDREDS of feet into the air to kill them. A few feet shouldn't hurt them.

That's too true and why my Russian's outdoor enclosure always has a lid. I think a lot of birds just mistake them for a snake and will take off with them. Then just drop them and look for something worth eating. I've actually been present and watched a dove puzzled by my tortoise's patterns on his shell. They wouldn't want a snake around eating their eggs.