Do dead baby tortoises float upside down like fish? I can't tell if my new tortoise is asleep or passed away! He's very still, just curled up in the corner of his tank. I don't want to bother him because he has had a stressful day being shifted into a new environment I hope it didn't finish him off.
2007-02-25 21:44:49 · 13 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Reptiles
Geez there's a buch of idiots in here answering questions that don't know jack about reptiles!
Hey, big clue here: A TORTOISE SHOULD NOT BE FLOATING IN THE WATER BECAUSE A TORTOISE IS A LAND TURTLE AND DOES NOT LIVE IN THE WATER DUMMIES! ITS PROBABLY DROWNED. A TORTOISE SHOULD NEVER BE IN WATER DEEP ENOUGH FOR IT TO FLOAT! THAT'S A SURE WAY TO KILL IT.
If you have a tortoise take it out of the water and see if it is breathing. If not try to recuscitate it by holding it nose down and pumping it's hind legs in and out several times to try to get any water out of it's lungs. Give rescue breaths and hope that it comes around. Turtles and tortoises can go a while without air and can be saved from drowning, but do it now!
If it recovers, get it under some basking heat for the night and take it to a reptile vet immediately for a check up and then give it up to a reptile rescue/rehabilitator who knows what they are doing with tortoises.
2007-02-25 23:10:16 · answer #1 · answered by Fireside3/Phrynosoma-Texas 4 · 5⤊ 0⤋
Do dead baby tortoises float upside down like fish? This is not a good start ... is the tortoise on its back and floating.. ???? Pick it up and check for signs of life... any life... this test can not be any more stressful than being dead in the corner of the cage.. if it is dead and you just got it.. you might want to check warranty information.
2007-02-28 20:57:08 · answer #2 · answered by hotsnakes2 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you say float. You mean he's in a TANK with WATER??? Of course he's DEAD! Tortoises live on land, and can not swim.
If you dont mean water, which I HOPE you dont, then he's stressed. My torts wouldn't move for about a day. They stayed in the corner, in their shells, staring out into their pen.
Give it time. If he's not in a fish tank with water, he should be ok.
Tortoises are LAND animals, not water animals. They should only be allowed access to water as deep as their chin. TURTLES live in water.
Please please please understand WHAT you are buying before you kill it. There are very few tortoises left in the wild because of the pet trade and if you are killing them because you dont know what you're doing, you're making the problem worse.
2007-02-26 02:07:46 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Live, shy tortoises...
- if you gently pull a leg out of the shell, it will resist and pull it back
- it will feel heavy for its size
- are breathing. If you watch the front, you can see the tortoise gently 'expand' and contract slowly
The problem may be that it is not happy in its tank- try warmer temps, etc. Check out the basic cares for your species at http://www.austinsturtlepage.com
2007-02-26 14:01:23 · answer #4 · answered by Madkins007 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You didn't have him in deep water did you? Tortoises are land turtles and just need a shallow dish of water (up to about half of he's shell).
2007-02-26 12:30:03 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
hi, oooh dear! no they don,t tend to like being wrong way round! i suspect death , sorry.
any time you move or change any aquatic pet you must save their water, as much as you can manage, and for a baby tortoise a damp hay or cloth padded cardboard box is a good safe transport medium for a few hours. they do not need 100% water all the time! they do need an out of water ledge or rock always!
they eat in water as they have no saliva glands and need the water to aid swallowing.
though one was seen here in australia eating very bloody roadkill by a scientist, it is otherwise not what they do.
and i really hope poor tortoise was,nt actually sloshing round in the tank of water as you moved?? the vibrations from a vehicle ,knocking round and sloshing round really could have done him in.
2007-02-25 23:38:09 · answer #6 · answered by amicus curiae 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Umm you mean to say that you put a tortoise in water?!
They cannot swim if you have bought a tortoise and put it in water then yes it will be dead as they cannot swim PLEASE look at wt your buying before you buy it!
2014-01-28 06:16:04 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If his head is out, you are able to watch his neck to work out if he's respiratory. Even feeling on the ingredient of his neck to work out if there's a pulse would help. i'd take him returned to the petstore too, clarify the area (do not point out sticking him interior the water!) and maximum in all probability they are going to provide you a refund.
2016-10-16 12:36:20 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
dont worry its not dead ... cause mine has died and was upside down loong time ago since that time i never brought any tutrle and never will !
it's better be in it's own habitat !
Good luck with your tutrle and please take good care of it !
2007-02-25 21:50:41 · answer #9 · answered by Stan 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
check again tomorrow. if he's still alive, then everything's good. and if he passed away already, well there's nothing much you can do about it, right?
2007-02-25 21:49:37 · answer #10 · answered by fateful_gravitation 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋