Shock in humans can be quite scary. Signs of shock in humans include rapid heartbeat, pale, cold, clammy skin, dark or low urine, anxiety, shallow rapid breathing, and heart palpitations.
You may be asking if you’ll see the same happening in tortoises, can a tortoise go into shock? This article looks into it.
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Can a tortoise go into shock?
Knowing more about your tortoise will help you understand the animal better. Here is what you need to know about tortoises going into shock:
Do tortoises go into shock?
Yes, tortoises can go into shock, they do this as a defense mechanism if they feel threatened. Some tortoises will attack if they feel threatened and some will retreat into their shells.
These animals are slow so they don’t have the option of flight, or fight so they will “flee” into their shells and freeze.
Your pet’s whole body may go into its shell or only its head may retreat into its shell.
If the head goes into the shell then the animal’s limbs may become limp when you try to pick it up.
What causes shock in tortoises?
The smallest of things can cause your pet to go into shock like an attack from your domestic cat or dog. Being picked up may also cause your pet to go into shock.
These animals, in the wild, are only picked up when something is trying to eat them so being picked up may be very scary for your tortoise.
What to do:
If you see that your pet is in shock, and has retreated into its shell, then the first thing you should do is identify and remove the thing that is scaring your pet.
It isn’t advised that you try to get your pet out of its shell, simply let the animal be. Your tortoise will come around, and out of its shell, in its own time once it feels comfortable.
You can move your pet to a quiet and shady spot so it can calm down. This will help it to come out of its shell.
Leaving your little, or big, reptile in a cat and dog-proof enclosure should keep the animal from being attacked and going into shock in the future.
Also, avoid picking your pet turtle up in the beginning stages of it getting to know you, and avoid letting other people pick the tortoise up.
If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other tortoise/turtle related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: Why Does My Tortoise Keep Hitting The Glass?, Why Is My Tortoise So Active At Night?, White Spots On Turtle Head, Turtle With White Spots On Head, White Spots On Turtle Feet, Why Does My Turtle Follow Me?, Turtle Biting Shell, Why Is My Turtle Biting Everything?, Tortoise Skin Rot