Sulcata baby keeps flipping onto back

JoshSloane

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Hey Everyone,

One two occasions when I have come in to check on my baby sulcata, he was on his back. There were no obstructions, or anything to cause him to flip over on. He was in the cool side of the cage, so luckily he wasn't under the heat lamp. One other time, when I was doing some maintenance on his enclosure, I watched him literally walk into one of the side walls and flip over onto his back.

Is this normal for a sulcata baby? I worry that while I am at work he will flip over and become dehydrated. Do they grow out of this?

Thanks!
 

Gillian M

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Very sorry that your tort keeps flipping on his back.:( Would you please post pics of his enclosure? There might be something in the enclosure that you have not noticed, and is causing this-no offense, ok?:)
 

JoshSloane

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When I found him both times he was on the left side of cage at least 1 foot away from anything.
 

dmmj

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I'm not trying to argue with you but its impossible for him to be away from something he had to flip for a reason unless someone's coming in flipping over he had to try to climb a wall the substrate maybe ubeven so he's flipping there something causing him to flip
 

JoshSloane

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Right, that is what I said earlier...I actively watched him run into the wall and flip over.
 

Speedy-1

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I'm not trying to argue with you but its impossible for him to be away from something he had to flip for a reason unless someone's coming in flipping over he had to try to climb a wall the substrate maybe ubeven so he's flipping there something causing him to flip

I would agree , maybe he is trying to climb up the wall or something and flops over ? Your picture didn't show up for me , so I couldn't say from that . :)
 

Gillian M

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I would agree , maybe he is trying to climb up the wall or something and flops over ? Your picture didn't show up for me , so I couldn't say from that . :)
Could be so. By the way I posted a "report concern" as far as the image is concerned.
 
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Gillian M

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GetFileAttachment
Please try posting another pic of the enclosure: none of us received it.:(
Thank you.:)
 

Speedy-1

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It looks as if your strata slopes to the glass , I think if it were more flat and level he wouldn't be able to climb high enough to flip over ? I also personally don't think much of the logs Speedy only flipped over once and it was because he climbed up on the log and rolled down , ending up on his back . When he outgrew it you could tell because I had a log walking around in my tank ! :D I will let someone else explain why your tank should be covered . :)
 

JoshSloane

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There is no sloping of the substrate, it is just the angle that the picture was taken. And my tank is covered, it is a closed chamber
 

Speedy-1

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Sorry that's the way it looked in the picture , I was just trying to help because you asked . I wasn't really trying to engage in an argument , I am sure you will figure it out . ;)
 

Lyn W

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You could do with a few plants in there to make it more interesting for your tort and give him something to hide under and feel more secure. e.g spider plants.
See the Enclosures thread for ideas or www.thetortoisetable.org.uk for tort safe plants but if you buy from a store repot immediately and leave for a while so any chemicals from store soil will grow out. If you know any one with established chemical free safe plants maybe they can give you cuttings. Maybe better to leave in pots and sink in substrate so they can easily be replaced if nibbled or bulldozed.
 

kirsty Johnston

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I'm not too sure but it could be your tort is seeing through the glass and trying to get through it. Glass can be confusing for torts lol :)
If he fell on the side with the glass might be worth covering the bottom a little bit more so he can't see through the glass?
 

JoshSloane

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He actually cant see through the glass directly ahead of him. The barrier in the front of the cage is 6" high. It is confusing because when he flips over he is nowhere near the glass, or anything for that matter. I think he is running into the white walls and flipping.
 

kirsty Johnston

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He actually cant see through the glass directly ahead of him. The barrier in the front of the cage is 6" high. It is confusing because when he flips over he is nowhere near the glass, or anything for that matter. I think he is running into the white walls and flipping.
Ahh ok that rules out the glass causing the problem if it's over at the other side. How deep is the substrate? He may be wanting to burrow but unable
 

kkrista123

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Mine climbs on his hide log and then falls off onto his back


Hello! I know I am way late to this thread but my baby sulcata is climbing on top of his log hide and falling on his back. He isn't large enough to get on top of the hide so he just falls on his back every time he tries. Is there anything I can do?
 
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