Posted: Thu Oct 13, 2005 12:07 pm
Could he be standing on the rocks and trying to climb up the side of the tank only to fall over into the water on his back? If his shell is 1.5 inches long, the width would normally be less, and with a water depth of 3 inches (although this is low), he should be able to right himself.
Is he in good health? My turts will immediately start trying to flip themselves over if they wind up on their backs. I have had a few turtles who were too weak to do this, though, and after a few feeble attempts to flip themselves would just lie there. If you were to take him out of the tank and put him on his back on land, does he try to flip over on his own?
I'm a little concerned about his just lying in the water if he can't right himself--it's very difficult for them to breathe in that position, and if a turtle were to remain in that position for a long time, it's possible the turtle could drown.
"You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed." -Antoine de Saint Exupery-