Tort is flipped over nearly everyday =/

MzNENA

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Hello again everyone.
Well it seems despite changes to his enclosure, I still find our Greek tortoise hatchling flipped over nearly every day.
Once last week & 3 times this week :mad:

Nearly every morning when I wake up, he's flipped.

Moved his half log out, added 2 pot hides, blocked corners with plants, added more substrate, but eh.
I thought the issue was the lack of fresh greens in the morning & maybe he was in search of food, but even with new greens, found him flipped this morning.
Below is the photo of his enclosure & circled where I repeatedly find him flipped over. I have a rubbermaid storage bin as his home, any ideas on how I can add lips to the corners on a rubbermaid container?

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His urates are still frequent as well. Also circled in the photo below.

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I find Urates every single day. Despite daily soaks, daily water changes, I also spray water onto his greens & enclosure religiously. I've seen him in his water dish at least twice now & he drinks water from his soaking water, daily. His diet consists of spring mix along with mazuri which I add to his diet 2 to 3 times a week.
We've had him almost 2 months now.
And this little one is surely testing my anxiety :blush: :s

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Advice is greatly appreciated :D
 
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Volksvegan

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Where he has flipped, it looks like he came down off the top of his hide (flower pot). Is there any way he can climb up there? As to a lip on the container (so he can't climb out?), you can use the lid it came with (if it did!) and cut out a large rectangle in the middle, leaving the width of lip you want. Place the "lid" on the container and you have a lip.
 

crice

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I have seems torts accidentally flip from exploring, over a hide or a hut maybe potted plants. That could be an issue.

Other issue (NOT 100% PROVEN TO BE FACT) is that tortoises when over stressed they actually commit suicide, and when they flip, their organs get damaged and they eventually get destroyed which I why they die.
(Like I said not proven, if someone else has input let me know!)

But, unlike aquatic turtles, they can't really Push off the ground with their heads to flip back over, so when you see him flip, flip it back over, or if you can avoid it, do so.
 

MzNENA

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Thank you very much for the lid idea.
I currently use the lid of the container to mostly cover the enclosure to try & keep some humidity in as I also struggle to keep it high for our hatchling.

The pot is pretty tall for him, but I have seen him try to climb over or try to squeeze past the plants next to the pot, wanting to get to the corners for some reason. Thinking now that him.climbing the plastic plants may be the cause as I have them blocking corners =/
 

Tinkerbell

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Mine did that all the time (flipping over) I have pots and plants in the corner but just away from the corners so he can go round them. Seems to have worked for me and I move his bits around now and then so he explores more all over again.
 

Joanne

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I'd get some more coir and try and bury the pot more. Maybe put the pot more in the middle so the tort has a little hill to climb. It does look like he is trying to climb the pot.

When I put my 3 year old hermann into his new enclosure he flipped over a few times (he has never done this before) so I made a few adjustments and he is fine now.
 

MzNENA

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Now that even though not proven, is definitely a scary thought.
That our little critters would actually want to cause harm to themselves :(

Are there other ways to tell if your tortoise is stressed? What causes them to become stressed out?


I may move his pots a bit from the corner.
I originally placed them there because I thought him trying to reach corners was the reason he'd constantly flip there, but it seems he's still trying to access them even with those blocks and plants in place. This little bugger. What is it with him & corners lol
 

MzNENA

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Joanne said:
They like to get into every crevice!!

LOL like "Why is this blocked? Why am I not allowed here? I must know and find out, or die trying" haha
 

WillTort2

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Set up a video camera and review it to see exactly what is happening. Then you will eliminate the guessing and can correct the problem.

It's good that he's so active and inquisitive.
 

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