Tortoise hatchling does the flip

A 3-day-old tortoise baby fell on its back somehow, probably by climbing the nearby rocks. But luckily it can turn itself right-side-up. All tortoises can usually do that, but when the ground is too flat or soft they might not get a good grip and fail.
Since this hatchling is so young you can still clearly see its "belly button", the opening in the plastron that was connected to the yolk inside the egg.

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• tortoise
• turtle
• baby
• hatchling
• plastron
• testudo
• hermanni
• boettgeri

[MissBumblebee23]

my tortoise always falls on her back when tryingto climb up things, can they get them selfs back up i always rush to get them back up!

[THBfriend]

@MissBumblebee23 As you can see, tortoises can turn themselves. At least normally, when the ground is neither too smooth nor too soft (they need to get a grip somewhere). However, some tortoises are better at it than others, it seems.

When I encounter a tortoise that is on its back, I usually give it a few minutes to try and turn itself on its own. If it doesn't succeed, then I help, of course.

[xarr0wsx]

black greek tortoise? or a dark 1? i have 2 my self! i lvoe the,m

[THBfriend]

@xarr0wsx

My tortoises are Hermann's tortoises (testudo hermanni boettgeri) and not Marginated tortoises (testudo marginata), if that's what you meant. Thanks for subscribing, by the way!

[tofu4tortoise]

Uh-oh! Good thing it can right himself back. In my enclosure, I am sure to have no steep terrain so this doesn't happen.

[THBfriend]

Thanks for your comment!

Well, if you check on your tortoise(s) several times per day, there's no harm in having a hilly terrain, I think. Tortoises can even fall on their backs on perfectly flat terrain - when they try to climb across each other. ;-)

[MrWisetortoise]

usually smaller tortoises flip back better than big ones.

[matkakulfi]

@THBfriend So how many jackie chan movies has your tot seen in 3 days??

[aaronsayys]

AH OH!