# Help - Can't Find My tortoise



## BusyGalInCal (Oct 14, 2012)

I'm just sick. ;-(

I've had "Charlie" for about 13 years. He is free-roaming in my yard and house and I hibernate him every winter in the house/garage. In early September I realized I hadn't seen him for a while. He has his favorite places to burrow and rest and I started checking. I've pretty much gone over my large yard in detail but I can't find him. I'm afraid he burrowed and then covered himself up. The odds that he escaped my yard are slim.

DOES ANYONE HAVE A TORTOISE SNIFFING DOG THAT COULD HELP FIND CHARLIE?? I'm just sick to my stomach that he might be out there stuck somewhere and will go through the coastal winter and not survive. There are lots of places to hide, under bushes etc...but I just can't find him.


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## Watsonpartyof4 (Oct 14, 2012)

I am so sorry! I am sending you positive thoughts! 

Have you gotten down on his level and looked around? I would go back to his favorite spots and dig.


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## Pokeymeg (Oct 14, 2012)

Hi there! Sorry to hear about your missign tortoise  Have you tried checking Craigslist, local shelters, and posting signs/Craigslist ads for any sign of your tortoise?

In my area (nowhere near California) there is in fact a small business that uses dogs to track down lost pets. It is expensive, but worth it for a found pet  - Maybe your area has something like this?


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## BusyGalInCal (Oct 14, 2012)

Yes, on my hands and knees. Looking around bushes, under bushes. Do they close off their burrow? I just feel that he is "stuck" somewhere.


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## ALDABRAMAN (Oct 14, 2012)

Sometimes when you continue to check yourself you repeat the same patterns, etc. and continue to miss him. Try and get another person to get on there hands and knees and complete a very good search, the new person will have a different pattern and ways of looking that you may not. We sometimes can not find all of our smaller one and usually when the other one of us look they find the ones the other person missed without complications or issues!


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## Laura (Oct 14, 2012)

if it warms up you still might see him peek out.. or you can try watering areas you think he may be and bring him up.. then keep him really warm..


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## Phantom9 (Oct 15, 2012)

I know how you feel, I had lost bowser for nearly a whole month in September. I thought the same thing and still do not think he got out of my yard by herself but nevertheless you should post some fliers with his picture on it. That's what I did and I got her back because they recognized it as the tortoise their friend had found in the street a few weeks back. I know it seems unlikely but post on Craigslist and put fliers on all the posts in a 2 block area. Hope you get him back.


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## Tortus (Oct 15, 2012)

BusyGalInCal said:


> In early September I realized I hadn't seen him for a while.



How long is "for a while"? 

Hopefully someone will lend you their tortoise sniffing dog and you'll get him back.


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## turtlelady80 (Oct 15, 2012)

What kind of tortoise is it? On the bright side of things, Charlie might have felt like he was going to hibernate himself early and find a nice spot to snuggle down for while. If that is the case, (as long as it a tortoise that does normally hibernate) he should be fine for the winter months. If he doesn't appear during winter, you might find him come out in Spring! Keep us updated.


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## wellington (Oct 15, 2012)

Sorry, you lost him. Can't imagine how that feels. Keep checking on really warm days, he just might peak out. Good luck and keep us posted. I bet if you don't find him before spring, he'll pop up then


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## shellysmom (Oct 15, 2012)

Hi there, don't lose hope! I lost track of my 30 lb. sulcata. Had no idea where he was, no signs that he dug out, looked EVERYWHERE many times. Dug up his entire burrow, thinking he was injured or sick and didn't want to come out. No sign of him anywhere. Then, 9 days later he just showed up at his normal place at his normal time like nothing happened. He was a little muddy and seemed slightly confused, but otherwise fine. It was a total mystery. I blame it on the aliens.

Put the word out on CL and signs in the neighborhood just in case he got out...


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## jtrux (Oct 15, 2012)

I had my box turtle get loose once and found him a yr later!!! I was soo relieved!


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## aznwinx (Oct 15, 2012)

jtrux said:


> I had my box turtle get loose once and found him a yr later!!! I was soo relieved!



A year?????? Thats amazing man!


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