Baby animals, all baby animals, are more vulnerable and more fragile than their adult counterparts so they will suffer more if negative things happen to them
If you’re raising a baby turtle, and you accidentally drop it, you’d understandably be worried, this article looks into what happens if you drop a baby turtle
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What happens if you drop a baby turtle?
The shells of turtles provide some protection but this protection doesn’t protect from everything, but how about the shells of baby turtles
Here is what will happen if you drop a baby turtle:
Mentally:
Not only will your turtle experience injuries if you drop it, but the animal will also suffer mentally if you drop the turtle.
Dropping a baby turtle is very disorientating and scary for these little animals.
In the wild, turtles are only dropped when a predator grabs them, and then drops them, so the animals have an instinct of feeling fear when dropped.
Even baby turtles who live in domestic settings have this instinct
The animal, once dropped will become stressed but will immediately, or soon after, will right itself up and go about its day
However, the animal may still experience trauma or stress after it is dropped and gets itself up again
The shell:
The animal’s shell may break after you drop it, these animals may be quite sturdy creatures but depending on how fragile the shell is the animal’s shell may still break.
If the shell does break then it can injure the animal’s body and expose the animal to germs.
The shell is connected to the turtle’s body so if the shell is broken you’ll be able to see the animal’s internal body, a broken shell will also bleed at the wound site.
The wound site can become an opening for germs to come in and this can cause the turtle to develop an infection.
Because baby turtles are young their shells are more flexible and less brittle so hopefully, your pet’s shell won’t crack and break
The internal organs:
Even if the shell does not break, the force of the drop can harm the turtle’s internal organs.
If the turtle slips upside down as it falls then the animal’s intestinal tract, stomach, and liver may press on the liver and airways causing breathing difficulties in the animal.
Thankfully, because your pet is young and small, it likely will not suffer as much internal damage as an adult as the heavier reptiles will suffer more.
What to do:
If you’re worried about your pet then taking it to the vet will likely be the best thing to do for the animal.
The vet will be able to examine the animal and take an X-ray of the animal to see what is going on inside even if the shell did not break
It is recommended to do this even if the animal is walking, eating, and is not injured. Taking your pet to the vet, if you don’t see injuries, is not a must, but it is recommended.
However, a turtle who is injured will definitely need to be seen by a vet
If you aren’t taking your pet to the vet it is recommended that you leave it in a dark, warm, and cozy area for a little bit to get it to calm down from the stress of falling
If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other turtle/tortoise related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: My Turtle Keeps Splashing, Turtle Hasn’t Eaten In A Week, My Turtle Escaped His Tank, My Turtle Hasn’t Eaten In Months, Why Is My Turtle Floating Upside Down, How To Find Lost Turtle In Yard, Turtle Hiccups, Can I Put My Turtle In The Sun?, Why Is My Turtle Bleeding From Tail?
