Reptile & Amphibian Forums

my sulcatta which is about 4 inches front to back was on its back for what i assume was about an hour or less. I soaked it today before checking my email and showering for the day and when i came back i found it laying on its back. I dont know exactly how long it was turned over but im just wondering if i should be worried. I never experienced this before. He/she seems to be alert and appears to have no problem walking around the cage but I'm just not sure what to think.
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we're here because a hobby became an obsession... if only every one had this much fun

some days your the dog, some days your the hydrant...don't know who started this saying but it's the truth

I am not an expert but I would say that your tortoise is fine. i believe the problem with a tort on its back is the weight on the lungs is too great for them to breathe and they suffocate. How long have you had it in the set up? You may want to look at the cage accessories and figure out what the tort would have tried to climb on to cause a roll over and remove those items.

Our sulcata was a rescue who was already way passed hatchling stage so I've not dealt with keeping one so tiny.
I don't know exactly how they do it but I've heard many times from people with hatchlings that taping popcycle sticks to their backs prevents them from toppling over in their enclosures.
They say it works, maybe someone who's done that can post instructions on how to do it?
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PHRatz