Unlike most other reptiles, the strongest part of a turtle is its shell, and turtles are recognized for it. Their shell should be their main protection but if it stood the other way around it provides nothing but fatalities.
Although it looks laughable, turtles on their backs are vulnerable and require your immediate attention. Flipping themselves isn’t any sort of amusement and can be fatal if left unattended.
On the fatal side, turtles could be having respiratory problems, for instance, vitamin A deficiency. One which puts their balance in jeopardy and causes them to flip over. On the other less fatal side, it could be from an inhospitable surroundings. This can happen during the breeding season too, as well as a result of boredom and frustration causing them to headbutt objects and other turtles.
Having an inflexible back gives turtles a more difficult time flipping back over, but this varies by species. Some of them have a way to do it easier, while others need help with it.
Sit and observe their behavior and appetite, and consult a vet immediately if they show any symptoms of illnesses that come along with flipping over. If no symptoms were shown, observe their lifestyle conditions to see if there are further changes to make.
Vitamin A Deficiency
Vitamin A deficiency causes them to lose their balance making it easier for them to flip over underwater. This happens because the infection already reaches their lungs and causes a disruption in their skin and organs functioning.
Other signs can be swelling in their eyelids, nasal discharge, and bubbles coming out of their mouth. This troubles them to stay afloat thus eases them to flip over.
Water Level Issues
Shallow water levels can put your turtle at risk of flipping over too. Here’s a simple rule of thumb, keep the water level deeper than your turtle’s width. If the water level is lower than their width, chances for them to flip over due to being closer to the ground.
Plus it’s troublesome for them to flip back up having not enough space underwater. Say that they were flipped over when you’re not around, it could be fatal if left unsupervised for a long time.
Breeding Season
Come the breeding season, male turtles will be extra aggressive. If male and female turtles are placed in a tank altogether, the male turtles will ram each other in response to a mating competition.
Whilst for a female turtle, she’ll be rammed by male turtles by her scent as an attempt at harassment. Resulting in either one flipping over and getting stuck in that position.
Bad at Climbing
Turtles can also easily flip over an uneven surface if they ever feel clumsy. For instance, they’ll tip over by accident when they try to climb over logs or big rocks around their tank.
With their unsteadiness in climbing, the bumpy surfaces fail their attempt to climb over the irregular objects. Turtles love exploring and testing their abilities but sometimes they just don’t realize how fatal it can be with one wrong move.
How Do Turtles Flip Themselves Back Up?
Turtles may seem inflexible with their rigid shell, but they have a way to get through the trouble of being upside down. To flip back up, turtles will stick out its neck at first trying to push against any objects around them.
Then slowly use its legs, reaching down to the ground and turning its body at a slight. Whilst underwater, they can swim right back up by themselves as long as the water is deeper than their width.
What Happens If They Stay On Their Backs?
If a turtle is left upside down for a long time, this can easily cause death. As they are trapped in that position, they have no way of getting food or water, turtles can get killed by dehydration easily.
Plus, a turtle’s lungs are not supposed to function in an upside-down position. So the longer it stays upside down, the harder it is for them to breathe properly. In other words, if left unmonitored or stationary longer than an hour or two, this can put their lives at risk.
How To Prevent Your Turtles From Flipping Over?
- Feed your pet more dietary vitamin A to lower the risk of any respiratory infection. For example, mustard greens and papaya. But remember to limit what they can eat within ten minutes.
- Decorate your pet’s tank with objects that don’t put them at risk of flipping over by attempting to climb it. For instance, a wooden ladder or tunnel made out of rocks, both with significantly even surfaces.
- Practice the rule of thumb of not letting the depth of their tank water be lower than the width of your turtle. The more shallow it is, the more chance for it to tip over.
- While the mating session is ongoing, you may want to leave them some privacy. However, if one of them accidentally flips over and is unattended for several hours, it’ll be too late by the time you get to them. So keep an eye every now when they’re breeding, but from afar so they won’t notice you.
Conclusion
The good news is most of the turtles can flip themselves back up at times but the ways and struggles to do so vary for each species. Now that you know the fatalities of having them stuck on their back, practice ways to avoid them from being in that uncomfortable and unsafe position.
You won’t want to lose your pet in that way. They aren’t as athletic as you think so don’t rely on their natural skills as much because turtles that get stuck on their backs always need your immediate intervention in the end.
