Hello my Tortoises have a Habba hut as a hide but i have found that they keep climbing up it and falling off which causes them to land on there backs and i am having to take it out when i go to work as they cant turn themselves back over and im worried they could be stuck that way for eight hours any suggestions on an alternative hide for them?
I would put things in and around the enclosure that allow them to right themselves. They will climb up the side of anything and if given a good substrate should be able to right themselves.
I have a compost substrate and rocks in there to i tried to put a big rock next to the habba hut to stop them climbing but they still got up there
They will climb obstacles, so whatever you put there they are going to climb, or attempt to. You need to place something in the vicinity so that they can 'hook' onto to right themselves.
(08-15-2010 07:19 PM)tortoise_dude Wrote: [ -> ]They will climb obstacles, so whatever you put there they are going to climb, or attempt to. You need to place something in the vicinity so that they can 'hook' onto to right themselves.
They are a pain in the back side lol!!
I was thinking a perhaps making a square hideaway out of wood so they couldnt climb it anymore we picked up some nice rocks for them to climb on holiday so they will still be able to climb but these arent as high as the habba so they dont tend to overturn
(08-15-2010 07:17 PM)clintpaul Wrote: [ -> ]I have a compost substrate and rocks in there to i tried to put a big rock next to the habba hut to stop them climbing but they still got up there
Unfortunately it's what a lot of torts do. They can usually manage to right themselves if there is enough variation of stuff to get a foot hold or to push themselves back with. One of my babies this year is unable to turn back over for some reason so I have devised a false, clear roof for the next few weeks to allow her to hopefully learn when she is stronger. It's just above her carapace but not so far above that she is able to get onto her back legs on the sides. So long as this is not happening near to the lamp then they should be OK. They can stay upside down for a considerable length of time and will eventually learn that it's easier to work at getting back up than waiting for someone to do it for them.
(08-15-2010 08:07 PM)wizzasmum Wrote: [ -> ] (08-15-2010 07:17 PM)clintpaul Wrote: [ -> ]I have a compost substrate and rocks in there to i tried to put a big rock next to the habba hut to stop them climbing but they still got up there
Unfortunately it's what a lot of torts do. They can usually manage to right themselves if there is enough variation of stuff to get a foot hold or to push themselves back with. One of my babies this year is unable to turn back over for some reason so I have devised a false, clear roof for the next few weeks to allow her to hopefully learn when she is stronger. It's just above her plastron but not so far above that she is able to get onto her back legs on the sides. So long as this is not happening near to the lamp then they should be OK. They can stay upside down for a considerable length of time and will eventually learn that it's easier to work at getting back up than waiting for someone to do it for them.
Luckily the habba is in the cool end i feel terrible when i see them struggling to get up but they never learn i turn them the right way and they do it again within minutes
Leave them to right themselves, they should be able to.
(08-15-2010 08:33 PM)tortoise_dude Wrote: [ -> ]Leave them to right themselves, they should be able to.
I have sat there a few times and watched them for like ten minutes then given in maybe i should have give them longer, im gonna look for a few more objects to assist them.
An update i no longer find them on there backs anymore so they either have learned to flip themselves over or they have stopped jumping of rocks