Upside down in water dish

[Mrturtle527]

Ok last post for today, I will get all my questions out soon . Again just excited to of found this site and of course to have a tort friend.

My daughter (17) came home today and found Mr T upside down in his water dish. I don't fill it too full and he uses it for his toilet needs on a regular basis, but today she found him stuck. So my question is can they get flipped back over? I worry now about leaving the water in there as there are days the house is empty all day while we are at work. What if he drowns... .

Any tips or advise as I continue to improve his surroundings would be appreciated.

Jenn

 

[gregcalverley0327]

What's the water dish like? Mak sure it is level with the substrate so it's easily accessible. Most use plant saucers


0.3.0 sulcata tortoise
(Manavi, aspen, Bronx)
1.0.0 Russian tortoise
(Ivan)
1 Great Dane
(Koko)

 

[WillTort2]

Picture of the enclosure with water dish would help.

 

[Mrturtle527]

A picture would have been good to start with but here is one. I have seen some great ideas already today that I will put into place but this is what I have for now. Suggestions are very welcome.

 

[CtTortoiseMom]

They usually cannot flip themselves back over and tortoises have died from flipping in their water and drowning or flipping over and getting stuck under their heat lamp. So it is best to figure out what is causing the tortoise to flip and quickly remedy the situation.

 

[wellington]

Unfortunately the pet store has sold you a dish that should be taken off the market. I don't have first hand knowledge of this, but very experienced tort owner Tom does and he has seen or heard of many tortoises drowning because of the type of water dish you are using. Get a plastic or better clay saucer, the type that goes under flower pots. Sink it so the top is level with the substrate. You can even put a couple larger rocks in it for him to get a grip on should he flip again.

 

[CtTortoiseMom]

Oh, I just saw you posted a pic. Yep, that water dish is the problem and good call not having a ton of water in it. Also, they can flip climbing their half log hides so keep an eye on that too. Best of luck with your new baby

 

[Tom]

Another member here had their tortoise drown in that same type of water bowl just a couple of months ago. I call them "tortoise death traps". Those bowls are great for lizards and snakes, but totally unsuitable for tortoises.

I use $2 terra cotta plant saucers from Lowes. They have a variety of sizes depending on the size of your tortoise. I start hatchlings with tiny bowls and adults get the great big ones. These are wide and shallow and have low sides while offering good traction to tortoise feet. They work best if you sink them into the substrate so the rim is level with the surface.

 

[Mrturtle527]

Oh my I'm so glad I asked and Mr T will be getting a new water dish tomorrow.

Thanks everyone!!

---

Oh, I just saw you posted a pic. Yep, that water dish is the problem and good call not having a ton of water in it. Also, they can flip climbing their half log hides so keep an eye on that too. Best of luck with your new baby

The half log worries me already as he climbs on top. What are the other options for him to his under? I've seen someone use a flower pot anything else?

 

[WillTort2]

You can build a wooden box hide with taller sides and front and back. If you have 8" tall sides and back and mount your top at the 5" height this would give your tort a nice hide. You would also need a 3" tall upper piece for the front to keep your tort from climbing on top. The actual size will depend on the size of your tort.

Good luck.

 

[Tom]

Another issue is that your enclosure is much too small for a russian of that size. That might be a contributing factor as to why you found him upside down. Russians need a lot of room to roam. Does Mr. T have his own outdoor enclosure too?

 

[Mrturtle527]

Yes he gets outside everyday for a couple of hours. I'm working on making him a space in the yard where he will be safe for longer periods of time.

 

[Mrturtle527]

Thanks everyone I've done some remodeling today and he now has a nice flat stone to eat off of, a new water dish and lots of added dirt to help him walk on and off the top of his log. Hoping to work on adding a few plants and create his out door space this weekend.

 

[Tom]

Sweet! Keep us posted.