Tort Keeps Flipping On His Back - Please Help!

[Gillian M]

Take the rock out and just try plants?

Get a bigger enclosure?

Thanks so much your quick reply as well as your help.

1) OLI has started flipping on his back before I put the rock into the enclosure.

2) As for a bigger enclosure, well, frankly speaking I cannot afford it: here I mean both financially as well as space-wise. I live in a relatively small flat.

 

[Gillian M]

Also try a complete reorganisation of the enclosure layout.

Maybe add lots more plants, so it is harder work to get to a corner and he might decide to stop and eat on the way.

I am planning to get more plants. I'll see how I can re-organize the enclosure.

Many thanks your help!

 

[JoesMum]

Thanks so much your quick reply as well as your help.

1) OLI has started flipping on his back before I put the rock into the enclosure.

2) As for a bigger enclosure, well, frankly speaking I cannot afford it: here I mean both financially as well as space-wise. I live in a relatively small flat.

Gillian, I cannot remember how big your enclosure is, but if Oli has outgrown it then no amount of reorganisation and planting will solve the problem. I understand that you have limited room in your apartment, but there are certain things that you have to provide Oli for him to be healthy and unstressed.

 

[Gillian M]

Gillian, I cannot remember how big your enclosure is, but if Oli has outgrown it then no amount of reorganisation and planting will solve the problem. I understand that you have limited room in your apartment, but there are certain things that you have to provide Oli for him to be healthy and unstressed.

Here's a pic of the enclosure before I had placed the rock and the plants. I do not think that OLI has outgrown it (no offence, ok?) He lived in a much smaller one and things were "fine" so as to speak.
Thanks so much your help, which I really do appreciate.

 

[Gillian M]

Gillian, I cannot remember how big your enclosure is, but if Oli has outgrown it then no amount of reorganisation and planting will solve the problem. I understand that you have limited room in your apartment, but there are certain things that you have to provide Oli for him to be healthy and unstressed.

View attachment 173905

Here's a pic of the enclosure before I had placed the rock and the plants. I do not think that OLI has outgrown it (no offence, ok?) He lived in a much smaller one and things were "fine" so as to speak.
Thanks so much your help, which I really do appreciate.

 

[Gillian M]

Apologies for having posted the same message twice.

 

[JoesMum]

View attachment 173905

Here's a pic of the enclosure before I had placed the rock and the plants. I do not think that OLI has outgrown it (no offence, ok?) He lived in a much smaller one and things were "fine" so as to speak.
Thanks so much your help, which I really do appreciate.

You may not think so, but Oli does and so do I. I am sorry that you cannot agree with me.

 

[Gillian M]

By the way, I just saw a video on YouTube whereas the owner of a tort places his tort on her back and says: "Watch this. The tort will eventually manage to go back to its normal position." And she did, though the poor thing struggled like mad!

Does anyone think that one can rely on this? With all my respect to the gentleman in the video, I could never take such a risk.

 

[JoesMum]

By the way, I just saw a video on YouTube whereas the owner of a tort places his tort on her back and says: "Watch this. The tort will eventually manage to go back to its normal position." And she did, though the poor thing struggled like mad!

Does anyone think that one can rely on this? With all my respect to the gentleman in the video, I could never take such a risk.

Tortoises in the wild have to learn to flip back. If they don't they die.

Some never seem to master it. It is better to avoid the tortoise flipping in the first place. That way you know it won't come to any harm. You cannot rely on them to flip back.

 

[Gillian M]

You may not think so, but Oli does and so do I. I am sorry that you cannot agree with me.

No need to apologize, dear. You have been of great help! And this is NOT mathematics where 1+1=2. There have to be different opinions, different points of view, and sorry to say this: some guess work. Don't mean you here, just talking in general, so please do not take it personal.

 

[Gillian M]

Tortoises in the wild have to learn to flip back. If they don't they die.

Some never seem to master it. It is better to avoid the tortoise flipping in the first place. That way you know it won't come to any harm. You cannot rely on them to flip back.

That is exactly what I meant: how on earth could you guarantee that your tort would go back to its normal position? And let's suppose he/she does not.

 

[TortoiseWarrior]

Can we see some pictures of oli?

 

[Gillian M]

Can we see some pictures of oli?

Sure. But please give me time to take them. Alright?

 

[Gillian M]

Gillian, I cannot remember how big your enclosure is, but if Oli has outgrown it then no amount of reorganisation and planting will solve the problem. I understand that you have limited room in your apartment, but there are certain things that you have to provide Oli for him to be healthy and unstressed.

Am now wondering: "Why did OLI not behave like this when his enclosure was MUCH MUCH smaller? Even if he's grown, I can tell you one thing: he has definitely not become huge.

 

[JoesMum]

Am now wondering: "Why did OLI not behave like this when his enclosure was MUCH MUCH smaller? Even if he's grown, I can tell you one thing: he has definitely not become huge.

Because you changed things. Tortoises don't handle change well.

It may be that he doesn't feel safe now and he is trying to get out to find cover.

It may be that having a little more space has made him realise there's a much bigger world to explore and he wants even more.

We can't know for certain what he is thinking. What we do know is that they need plenty of space to be healthy and they like lots of places to hide away. Adding lots of plants for him to browse on and hide under may fix the problem in the shorter term, but Oli will definitely need more space in the longer term.

 

[Yvonne G]

Tortoises don't handle change well. Let's just hope that he'll eventually settle down and behave himself.

 

[Rue]

You could flip Oli and watch how he rights himself...that might give you some peace of mind - knowing that he can.

 

[SarahChelonoidis]

You could flip Oli and watch how he rights himself...that might give you some peace of mind - knowing that he can.

I don't think this is going to be that helpful - their ability to right themselves is partly determined by where they flip and how tired they are already. One successful righting isn't going to mean much (beyond a stressed tortoise).

 

[Linhdan Nguyen]

I flipped both of my tortoises yesterday, ONLY TO SEE IF THEY COULD FLIP THEMSELVES OVER AGAIN! And they did it within the minute. From what I saw is they "scoot" themselves to something that they can use to push themselves up against. It was interesting. And my weaker tortoise actually did it much quicker than the stronger one. I was surprised.

 

[WithLisa]

Gillian, your flat doesn't look small to me, I can see lots of room for enlargement around the enclosure.

By the way, I just saw a video on YouTube whereas the owner of a tort places his tort on her back and says: "Watch this. The tort will eventually manage to go back to its normal position." And she did, though the poor thing struggled like mad!

Does anyone think that one can rely on this? With all my respect to the gentleman in the video, I could never take such a risk.

They definitely can right themselves if they are in a suitable environment with firm soil full of roots and plants.
My torts flip at least three times a day and I've never even thought about helping them - it only takes them a few seconds to get back on their legs. The only dangerous spots could be for example slippery water bowls.