this might be a stupid

[dinkanber]

I read somewhere that if a turtle stayes on its back for too long its lungs will fill up and it will die.So if this is true how long is that?.My baby sulcata is always falling over /and i can come in from work and hes upside down and i have no idea how long hes been that way.I have takin every thing out of his container so he cant try to climb.I have even up graded his container to a childs pool so i think its big enough.But he still tryes to climb the walls and falls over right by his water .Her is a pic of his home.

[dinkanber]

Ive seen him trying to climb the walls so i know thats how hes doing it.I just dont know what to do to make him stop.

[boafiend]

i would imagine blood would rush to their head or something first, i have no idea about him falling over, good luck

[John_White]

It looks like a nice set-up.
I don't know of any studies that pertain to how long a turtle can survive on its back.
I would suggest that you make sure the temps in the enclosure are not too high and also provide a hide for the turtle, something that it can dig into or wedge itself into.

[unluckyseventeen]

You could try building little banks on the edges of the tank, so when it tries to climb it just banks up the substrate until it runs into the screen. That way it would have to try to fall over to actually fall.

[dinkanber]

Im not sure what you mean about building banks.here is how hes doing it

[JuliusSqueezer]

They can right themselves if you give them something to cling on to. Replacing the gravel with timothy hay will solve all sorts of problems. For one, sulcatas will eat anything. I read a story about an adult that had to have surgery because it ate a brick. If you use timothy hay for bedding, they will burrow under it and won't feel a need to try and climb out so much, they can grab onto it and flip back over, and they can eat it if they want. It's good for them. Rocks are not

[dinkanber]

the rocks are just around the water.I read and my vet told me that alfalfa and timothy hay couses kidney problems in sulcatas and leapord tortoises.If they have too much.I know they will eat anything i cought him tring to eat a garden hose today.I guess i need to take to rocks out but the rest of his container is deasert blend.Is that ok?

[VenomMike]

I've got a pair of redfoot who flip themselves and each other all the time and they are still ticking. The theory is the visera is at the bottom of the shell while the lungs are closer to the top of the shell. When you invert the tortoise the visera will compress the lungs and it will slowly suffocate. This is actually true and tortoises will die if they are unable to right themselves. I don't know how common it is or how long it takes.

My suggestions would be:

Fill up the pool with rocks stumps and fake plants. Mine try and climb out when they can see too far ahead of themselves. When you put more obstructions in their way they will putter around and not try and climb the sides as much.

Buy a UVB bulb, either a strip light or a MV bulb. UVB cannot pass through glass so having it next to a window will not give it proper exposure. Sulcatas will bask under UV lights and you will notice shell problems if you don't.

	Ultra Violet Radiation B Ultra Violet Radiation B

[dinkanber]

I have a uvb light on him you just cant see it in the piture..Ill try the fake plants that makes since its just every time i try to spice up his living area he either thinks it taste good or hes spiderman and can climb the highest building.And ends up on his back.But im glad to know that yours tumple over as well couse i was begging to belive mine should be ridding the short bus.

	Ultra Violet Radiation B Ultra Violet Radiation B

[VenomMike]

Its a tortoise they all ride the short bus. We would all have monitors if we wanted smart reptiles

Your vet is 50% right, excess of one will cause digestive (not kidney) problems. Im not sure which it is you could probably find out from the "Sulcata Station"