Turtles: try to put the opponent on his shoulder blades. Is the upside-down reptile doomed (5 photos)

A well-known myth says: “If a turtle falls on its back, then it will no longer be able to help itself. The heavy shell will not allow it to roll over, so the poor reptile can only wait for the inevitable in this position.” But everything is not so simple. A number of conditions may affect the possibility of rescue. So can a turtle turn over on its back on its own?





At the end of the article, you will learn about turtle fights with flips and mutual assistance of reptiles in unusual situations.

Some people believe that a turtle can shed its shell at any time. It is not true. A turtle's shell is part of its skeleton. A person cannot lose his spine - the situation is similar here. The shell is directly connected to the bones of the reptile, so throwing off the shell for the sake of salvation is impossible.

An experiment was conducted on Balkan turtles. The results were published in the journal Zoologischer Anzeiger. During the experiments, scientists were able to identify some aspects:



Okay, I better take a nap

Size and type of turtle. Small and light turtles have a much easier time than large and heavy ones (usually sea turtles). Freshwater reptiles swing their bodies freely with their legs and head, and then stand up on their limbs;

Floor. As it turns out, males are less active and agile than females. Therefore, a coup is somewhat easier for females than for males;

Shape and size of the shell. A rounded shell is easier to swing than a flat one;





Is there anyone there? Come here please

Reptile body temperature. And, as an experiment with Balkan turtles showed, the lower the turtle’s body temperature, the less actively it moves. Accordingly, low activity reduces the chances of rescue;

Features of the area. If a turtle turns over on the beach, it will be difficult for it to get up, because the flat surface of the sand does not allow it to push off. But if there are stones or ledges nearby, the reptile will try to push off with its legs or head and turn over;

Secondary factors. It often happens that predators accidentally help a turtle get to its feet. So, during an attack, there is a chance to turn the reptile over, and it will simply hide in its shell, and then, when the predator leaves, it will simply return to its business.



Out of the way, otherwise I'll turn it over!

State of the turtle before the coup. If the turtle was hungry or thirsty before an unpleasant situation, then its life time is very limited, and it will be much more difficult to escape;

The need is small. Scientists have proven that upside-down turtles often die from an overfilled bladder. The resulting disease is fatal to reptiles.

If at least some of these conditions indicate a positive outcome, then there is a chance for a coup. But it is worth noting that large sea turtles have much less ability to escape than small freshwater ones. Good protection in the form of a heavy shell becomes a big problem when it comes to a coup.



Come on boy, I believe in you

It is not uncommon for people on beaches to help reptiles return to their correct position. During the time spent upside down, the turtles become very tired and hungry, and they are also extremely thirsty. To meet their needs, reptiles go to the sea, where there is everything for their comfortable living.

Interestingly, the difficulty of turning over from the shell is often used by turtles during battle. Thus, during a fight, males try to turn their opponent onto his back, and then leave him in this form. If he turns over, then he is lucky, but if not, he will die. A cruel fate.

However, there are other interesting cases when other individuals help their relatives turn over. Thus, moments of one turtle helping another were repeatedly captured on video. The fellow pushed the upside-down reptile until it rose to its feet. This speaks of a certain solidarity among turtles: if someone is in trouble, then they need to help.

It turns out that turtles are not so defenseless when it comes to a coup. However, sometimes everything goes completely against even the slightest possibility of getting back on your feet on your own. And then the turtle falls into the hands of nature, which, by the way, is often very cruel.