Tort Keeps Flipping On His Back - Please Help!

[Speedy-1]

Hi Gillian , I have been reading , and looking at your enclosure . It looks as if Ollie can get his claws into the sides of your enclosure and climb it until he flips over ! If he is doing it in one corner , I might suggest putting a tall glass or a plate , or a bowl . (something he cant get his claws into to climb!) If it needed to be heavier , so he cant move it you could even fill it with water. It might be worth a try ? Good luck with it !

 

[Gillian M]

Hi Gillian , I have been reading , and looking at your enclosure . It looks as if Ollie can get his claws into the sides of your enclosure and climb it until he flips over ! If he is doing it in one corner , I might suggest putting a tall glass or a plate , or a bowl . (something he cant get his claws into to climb!) If it needed to be heavier , so he cant move it you could even fill it with water. It might be worth a try ? Good luck with it !

Thanks so much your help.

I'll give it a try. I don't think I have anything to lose at this point. I have been doing so much research/reading on this subject; as it has kept me worried night and day long. Imagine that it is now 12.15 am and sleep is nowhere near, with OLI's issue on my mind.

And once again...............

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

 

[cmacusa3]

I had that issue with my box turtle hatchlings and put tile in the corners, it fixed the issue. Like the above poster wrote, anything that would cause the claws to slide off would probably work.

 

[Gillian M]

I had that issue with my box turtle hatchlings and put tile in the corners, it fixed the issue. Like the above poster wrote, anything that would cause the claws to slide off would probably work.

Do you have any idea why a tort would behave in such a manner?

Do you mean something of the sort?

 

[cmacusa3]

Yes but smooth tile is what I used.

I believe like everyone else posted, it's just a new place, Torts and Turtles love to explore and he just wants to keep looking around this giant world.

 

[cmacusa3]

I butted it up in the corners and buried a few inches in the substrate, they could no longer pull up and flip.

 

[Gillian M]

Yes but smooth tile is what I used.

I believe like everyone else posted, it's just a new place, Torts and Turtles love to explore and he just wants to keep looking around this giant world.

Thanks your advise - appreciate it.

 

[Jacqui]

Only one corner or all of them? If only one corner, which one is it in the picture?

 

[Gillian M]

Only one corner or all of them? If only one corner, which one is it in the picture?

OLI is concentrating on the corner that is in the bigger section of the enclosure; the corner nearer to the screen, that is right-hand side of that section. One cannot see it in the pic. What difference does it make?

 

[SarahChelonoidis]

Can Oli see the screen? He may be trying to get to it.

 

[Gillian M]

Can Oli see the screen? He may be trying to get to it.

When I said "screen" I'd meant the screen of the laptop-a misunderstanding. What did you mean?

He's driven me nuts, to say the least. Today I was obliged to go and buy a couple of things. Sorry to say that I returned home to find him on his back! GOD only knows for how long he'd been in such an irritating, dangerous position. Believe me, I'm thinking of putting him back in the small enclosure.

 

[Gillian M]

I butted it up in the corners and buried a few inches in the substrate, they could no longer pull up and flip.

I placed a tile in the said corner. But since then OLI has been asleep, so I don't know what his reaction would be.

 

[Rue]

Have you tried moving the enclosure? I mean reorienting it, see if he goes back to that one same corner. Maybe it's not that corner, maybe it's the location of the enclosure?

Can you take out the divider? I can't see that it's necessary, and by taking it out there would be more room (and less corners).

I can't tell how big it is. How big is it? How big is Oli?

 

[Gillian M]

Have you tried moving the enclosure? I mean reorienting it, see if he goes back to that one same corner. Maybe it's not that corner, maybe it's the location of the enclosure?

Can you take out the divider? I can't see that it's necessary, and by taking it out there would be more room (and less corners).

I can't tell how big it is. How big is it? How big is Oli?

Oh yes I have moved the enclosure. It's one of the first things I did. I'm almost certain it's the corner.

I won't be able to remove the divider. I'll get the carpenter to remove it. Mind you, removing it won't have any effect on that "horrible" corner.

I'll take measurements of OLI s well as his enclosure and inform you.

Thanks so much your help.

 

[Gillian M]

Have you tried moving the enclosure? I mean reorienting it, see if he goes back to that one same corner. Maybe it's not that corner, maybe it's the location of the enclosure?

Can you take out the divider? I can't see that it's necessary, and by taking it out there would be more room (and less corners).

I can't tell how big it is. How big is it? How big is Oli?

Measured OLI and his enclosure immediately.

OLI is 12x10cm

The enclosure is 55cm high, 115cm long, 75cm wide

Do you think that the enclosure is too small for OLI? I don't. There's some "myth", some secret to this strange behaviour of his, I believe.

 

[Gillian M]

Only one corner or all of them? If only one corner, which one is it in the picture?

Hi Jacqui. What difference does it make? It's just one corner.

 

[Rue]

I am just playing Tortoise Detective. I think removing the divider will help. One space will be roomier (less claustrophobic maybe?). It is smaller than the recommendations, but I don't think it's so small as to cause a problem.

See if it improves with the divider gone. Maybe that will do the trick.

 

[Gillian M]

I am just playing Tortoise Detective. I think removing the divider will help. One space will be roomier (less claustrophobic maybe?). It is smaller than the recommendations, but I don't think it's so small as to cause a problem.

See if it improves with the divider gone. Maybe that will do the trick.

Thanks VERY MUCH your help.

No, it is not that small an enclosure. You might be right: it should be larger, but as I said; I cannot afford a bigger one be it financially or space-wise. Let alone that, why didn't OLI behave like this when the enclosure was smaller, MUCH smaller? I wonder. I'll get the carpenter to remove the divider, though it is going to have to wait, as Fridays and Saturdays everyone is off.

 

[Jacqui]

Hi Jacqui. What difference does it make? It's just one corner.

Then it might be something like as simple as how the light ir shadow hits it. Is it warmer/cooler than the rest. painted any different? Closer to a real light/year sourse outside of the box. Closer to your bedroom.

 

[Jacqui]

Oh yes I have moved the enclosure. It's one of the first things I did. I'm almost certain it's the corner.

I won't be able to remove the divider. I'll get the carpenter to remove it. Mind you, removing it won't have any effect on that "horrible" corner.

I'll take measurements of OLI s well as his enclosure and inform you.

Thanks so much your help.

When you moved it, did the same corner face the same direction? Where are you normally located with in this room?