Sulcata keep pacing and climbing wall

Gregor

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My baby Sulcata keeps pacing and climbing the same part of the wall. I even put a board across a corner so that it is not sqare, but she still trys to climb it. And what happens is she flips on her back. This morning I have found her on her back. She was like that probably the whole night.
How can I stop her from doing this?

I keep her in a tortoise table with a lid so that humidity stays around 85% and temperature on a cool side is 80F, under the heat lamp(ceramic) 95F. Table is 3 feet by 2 feet with a humid hide wich she doesn't use at all, a big flower pot plate with water in wich she bades her self.

Please how can I stop her from doing this?
 

wellington

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If it were me, I would try to add on some room, 2x3 is quite small and then also put a board across the corner but at her level, if that's not what you did. Hopefully that will help. Also, if you don't have any plants in there, maybe try that too. Boston fern and pothos plants are both house plants and tort safe.
 

Gregor

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My baby Sulcata keeps pacing and climbing the same part of the wall. I even put a board across a corner so that it is not sqare, but she still trys to climb it. And what happens is she flips on her back. This morning I have found her on her back. She was like that probably the whole night.
How can I stop her from doing this?

I keep her in a tortoise table with a lid so that humidity stays around 85% and temperature on a cool side is 80F, under the heat lamp(ceramic) 95F. Table is 3 feet by 2 feet with a humid hide wich she doesn't use at all, a big flower pot plate with water in wich she bades her self.

Please how can I stop her from doing this?

P.s.
I have by mistake posted this under Tortoises in news. Sorry.
 

Lyn W

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My baby Sulcata keeps pacing and climbing the same part of the wall. I even put a board across a corner so that it is not sqare, but she still trys to climb it. And what happens is she flips on her back. This morning I have found her on her back. She was like that probably the whole night.
How can I stop her from doing this?

I keep her in a tortoise table with a lid so that humidity stays around 85% and temperature on a cool side is 80F, under the heat lamp(ceramic) 95F. Table is 3 feet by 2 feet with a humid hide wich she doesn't use at all, a big flower pot plate with water in wich she bades her self.

Please how can I stop her from doing this?
Put a bushy plant in the corner to see if that will stop her?
Is your enclosure dark at night?
Torts need darkness to sleep.

I think I read somewhere that if they have been flipped for any length of time they should be given a warm soak. Maybe a more experienced keep than me will be able to say if that is correct or not.
 

Gregor

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Yes it is totaly dark at night.

Can someone please move this thread. I made a mistake by posting it under wrong section. Sorry
 

Lyn W

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Yes it is totaly dark at night.

Can someone please move this thread. I made a mistake by posting it under wrong section. Sorry
Maybe if you can post a pic of your set up, someone will be able to advise you better.
 

Prairie Mom

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My first thought was also that your baby probably wants more room and exercise. I haven't raised a hatchling that young, so it is just a guess.

Also, don't worry about the misplaced thread. The moderators are really on top of that kind of stuff and will probably get to it soon. :)
 

Gregor

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Just now I have found her on her back.
First I tought that she can see trough the plastic lining that I have placed on the walls because of the moisture, so I taped the walls with tape, but seh still climbs.
I gues I will have to make a bigger enclosure.
 

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Prairie Mom

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Awww...what a little cutie. You obviously love her very much.

I think the plant idea is a good one. Yes, tortoises do always want more room. The bigger the better. Can she see out of the top lid? Maybe if that part of the ceiling were dark, she'd stop trying to climb up and out??? Maybe some exercise outside in a safe shady covered enclosure would help?
 

Yvonne G

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Can you put something there, like maybe a little flower pot with a plant in it?
 

Gillian M

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A very warm welcome to the forum!:tort:

That's a gorgeous little tortoise. GOD bless.

I totally agree with those who said that your tortoise need more space, and I read that: the bigger the enclosure, the better; as these cute little animals are used to living in the wild, where they roam without borders and boundaries.:)
 

Gregor

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I don't think that the problem is the size of enclosure. I had her in my living room all afternoon and she picked a corner and tried to climb it.
 

Prairie Mom

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It sounds like you have a monkey tortoise.:) Have you tried the pot idea people suggested? or covering the ceiling so she can't see out?

Also, just a couple warnings...I've read from a few forum members that have worked with these animals a long time that it's really important that when your tortoise is on their back and can't right themselves, that you turn them back over very slowly. If I were you, I would tell this to anyone who lives in your house. Apparently their stomach can flip and cause a twist in the intestines.

Also, we've seen quite a few tortoises on the forum that have been killed when walking around the house. Here is a recent one about a tortoise roughly the same age as yours...http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/urgent-is-my-baby-sulcata-okay.105241/

I think you're doing a really good job. I hope she grows out of this habit.
 

Gregor

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This was thefirst time that I let her loos in the house. Just to see if she will start to climb. And she did.
I've put in every corner a lot of dry branches so that it looks like shrubbery but she started to climb that as well in the same spot as every other day.
It seems that she just wants to climb. Then she flips to her back, manages to right her self(sometimes) and just continues to climb.
 

Prairie Mom

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This was thefirst time that I let her loos in the house. Just to see if she will start to climb. And she did.
I've put in every corner a lot of dry branches so that it looks like shrubbery but she started to climb that as well in the same spot as every other day.
It seems that she just wants to climb. Then she flips to her back, manages to right her self(sometimes) and just continues to climb.
Do you think she would still try to climb the round walls of a plant pot? Can she see out of the top of her enclosure? Is it see-through? -Covering it if it is clear is the last thing I can think of.:( Maybe, later on someone will post with new ideas.

If you solve this problem, or she just stops on her own, will you please post what made her finally stop? I would be curious to know and I think your advice would be helpful to someone else who is coming to the forum in your situation.
 

Gregor

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I've put a round pot in one corner and she just tried to climb it where the round part meets the wall. I have glass lid over 2\3 of the table, I also tapeted over the part of the glass where she usualy climbs. But its night time here so will report tomorrow.

Sureb I will post a solution, if I find one.

It just makes me nervous, beacuse I am away from home about half a day everyday and if she flips, she may die.
It is just luck that she survived the other night when she fliped in the evening and stayed flipedball night.
 

Prairie Mom

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It just makes me nervous, beacuse I am away from home about half a day everyday and if she flips, she may die.
It is just luck that she survived the other night when she fliped in the evening and stayed flipedball night.
Yes. I would have the same exact worries, which is why I've been following your thread so closely and hoping for the best. We'll look forward to your next post:)
 

Lyn W

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When you said he had been on his back all night did you mean that he had been climbing in the dark?
I'm just curious as I thought they all settled down for the night before dark.
 

AZSid

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Remington used to do the same thing! After trying to round out her favorite corner and putting plants in, both to no avail, I finally just built up the substrate in her preferred corner. It's a gentle slope and well compacted so she doesn't tumble. This has worked for us and she has quite flipping herself trying to climb that corner.
 

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