Other Turtle Discussion :: Pickle has discovered he can CLIMB >:(

[imderanged]

UGHH! Pickle apparently takes a while to figure things out...but once he's got it, he remembers! Just a little bit ago I heard some weird noises and turned around to my turtle standing upright on his platform with his feet on the edge of his tank! I have one of those Zoo Med Docks, the big one, on a 75 gal tank. I fill the tank, maybe about 6 inches from the top...And it's never been an issue, but it seems TODAY he noticed that he can stand on the plastic bars that hold the suction cups that anchor the dock and use those to push upright and grab onto the lip of the tank with his claws....Of course I put him back in the water & didn't let him escape, but 5 minute later he was back up there... I stood ready to stop him but watched to see what he would do, He gave me a really dirty look and flopped back in the water, but he KNOWS how to do it now

I'm keeping a close eye on him now, just waiting for hubby to get home, I can't quite handle the big siphon on my own. I'm going to have to lower his water level a bit, for the time being

I guess I have to start thinking about an ATBA now *sigh*

[rsour24]

haha, don't you just love their personalities

[steve]

I'm always surprised and how good they are at climbing and digging

[KatieSmeltzer]

filbert got into the escape mode for a while. i used that plastic "egg crate" stuff from the hardware store to cover the top of the tank. every once in a while, i'll see a little head poking up through a hole!

[imderanged]

Well, Ray helped me with the siphon & we lowered the water a few inches. I moved the suction cup as low as I could and still have it hold up the platform too. It seemed to help but he still tries! Just a few minutes ago I heard noised from his tank (tank is on the other side of the room from the computer, I look over and he is ON HIS BACK on the platform. He must have "stood up" against the back of the tank again and this time fallen over backwards. He couldn't flip himself over either. I mean he wasn't like that long, I saw him struggling and turned him right side up, I suppose I had not been right there he would have wiggled off the platform or righted himself eventually, But now I'm kind of worried he might really hurt himself. Before yesterday he never even tried to escape (that I know of)

[lucindadevries]

McFurtle has learned to climb out of her tank too. It's very scary sometimes. I'll hear a loud crash sound and find her on the floor! I've moved her tank to the floor now so the drop isn't as long! She likes to test me! I'll be sitting here and she'll start to climb out, and when I turn she gets back in. My sister doesn't believe me but she understands the word "no"!

[imderanged]

he can't get out now, but he turned himself over again today trying to climb out He was able to wiggle off the platform into the water before I got up to turn him right side up. I seriously think he thinks he's funny. He stops and slides off his platform if i look over when he is doing it, but he gets back up there 5 minutes later. He's like a bad kid