I just happen to see my tort flip over. I decided to tough it out and see how long it took to right himself. To my suprise, it took less than 10 sec. on flat ground. Lucky?
John
John
Timed A Flipped Tort
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dmmj said:
Thanks for your observation. Like a new parent, I'm still learning
The post below occurred last summer when I was still stumbling into tortoise keeping.
I was SO relieved that Taco righted herself, but it only makes me worry a little less.
Longtime keepers on this forum have said that:
a) it helps to have slopes in your enclosure and objects in the pen about one shell length away from the wall so they have something to wedge themselves against if they get overturned;
b) some tortoises seem to have better innate ability to right themselves than others, who just pull in their legs and head and wait for the inevitable;
c) set up your enclosure so the tortoise has few or no danger spots to overturn--for example, block off corners so they don't try to climb out and fall over backward.
All good advice, as I am sure you would agree!
******************************************************
Today while I was out trimming flowers, I watched as Taco tried to jimmy her way through a narrow opening between a sprinkler box and the timbered walls of her enclosure. She managed to pull herself up and angled herself onto the edge of her shell, when suddenly she lost her (already precarious) balance, tumbled backward and landed on her back. With enormous effort, I forced myself not to run to her aid immediately and instead wait and see if she could right herself without my help. After what seemed like an eternity, as she writhed and panted and used her head ( grotesquely hyperextended) as a lever, she managed to push herself against a nearby brick and flip back onto her plastron. The whole event probably lasted all of 60 seconds.
I think she was mildly annoyed afterward at being hugged and cried upon. I have worried so much that she might overturn when I am gone somewhere and be unable to right herself, and I am wondering if any of you tortoise owners on this forum have lost a pet due to this natural hazard. Does anyone know if overturning is perhaps very common and easily reversed by the tortoises themselves, without needing human aid? I am so traumatized by having to watch that, and have spent the past two hours going over every possible danger spot and item to try to make her enclosure hazard-proof, even though I know that is not 100% possible.
I was SO relieved that Taco righted herself, but it only makes me worry a little less.
Longtime keepers on this forum have said that:
a) it helps to have slopes in your enclosure and objects in the pen about one shell length away from the wall so they have something to wedge themselves against if they get overturned;
b) some tortoises seem to have better innate ability to right themselves than others, who just pull in their legs and head and wait for the inevitable;
c) set up your enclosure so the tortoise has few or no danger spots to overturn--for example, block off corners so they don't try to climb out and fall over backward.
All good advice, as I am sure you would agree!
******************************************************
Today while I was out trimming flowers, I watched as Taco tried to jimmy her way through a narrow opening between a sprinkler box and the timbered walls of her enclosure. She managed to pull herself up and angled herself onto the edge of her shell, when suddenly she lost her (already precarious) balance, tumbled backward and landed on her back. With enormous effort, I forced myself not to run to her aid immediately and instead wait and see if she could right herself without my help. After what seemed like an eternity, as she writhed and panted and used her head ( grotesquely hyperextended) as a lever, she managed to push herself against a nearby brick and flip back onto her plastron. The whole event probably lasted all of 60 seconds.
I think she was mildly annoyed afterward at being hugged and cried upon. I have worried so much that she might overturn when I am gone somewhere and be unable to right herself, and I am wondering if any of you tortoise owners on this forum have lost a pet due to this natural hazard. Does anyone know if overturning is perhaps very common and easily reversed by the tortoises themselves, without needing human aid? I am so traumatized by having to watch that, and have spent the past two hours going over every possible danger spot and item to try to make her enclosure hazard-proof, even though I know that is not 100% possible.
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My russians routinely drop themselves off a 5 inch ledge to the hard surface below and generally land on their backs. It takes all of 3 seconds or so for them to flip back over - just a hard flat\level surface and not using anything else but their legs and neck.
chadk said:
Serious question here, not trying to be funny or rude. Why would you allow your Russians to routinely drop off a 5 in ledge to a hard surface? Does it not hurt them in any way?
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If they didn't like it, they wouldn't do it
5 inches is nothing really. Many years ago I had a box turtle and no idea really how to care for it. It was in a cage that had 2 levels. The top level is where I fed the boxie. The lower level was a big water dish. The routine for this tort that amused us all was to eat, then walk over and just flop head first into the water dish. Not at all graceful... But other times she would walk up and down the ramp just fine - just not during feeding time... Silly girl.
5 inches is nothing really. Many years ago I had a box turtle and no idea really how to care for it. It was in a cage that had 2 levels. The top level is where I fed the boxie. The lower level was a big water dish. The routine for this tort that amused us all was to eat, then walk over and just flop head first into the water dish. Not at all graceful... But other times she would walk up and down the ramp just fine - just not during feeding time... Silly girl.
Thanks for the reply chad.
kit-e-kat said:
I don't know, I have a 6 month that lies there like a goofball. I wonder if he even knows what to do. I give him half a flip to get his cg towards his plastron.
There are a couple danger spots in the setup, each log hide provides an opportunity to tumble. I have been searching for G scale railings to place on top of the logs since I got them (the kids) this week.
I realize that we cannot pad our pet's cages with Char~min, however how many times can you bounce a walnut against the wall before it cracks?
What are G-scale railings?
Stephanie Logan said:
Garden scale model trains and the accessories.
Doll house stuff is too small for this project.
That sounds rather cute, and a very creative solution! Good on you.
Where do you purchase your model train railings? Do you have any photos you can post?
Where do you purchase your model train railings? Do you have any photos you can post?
Still looking Steph. I will definitely post something.
There are just some torts as well that can't/won't flip themselves over. They do learn over time though (my husband helped my little guy's skills). I would not say that all torts are good at flipping themselves back. It depends on their still, the type and slope of the surface, etc.
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