# I just found my tortoise dead outside



## DesertTortoiseLove (Sep 6, 2016)

I'm hysterically crying and waiting on my boyfriend to come and figure it out. I just don't understand. He doesn't have any eyes . just hallowed out sockets... I'm very sad and can post pictures later. He was just laying there in his enclosure. He looked alive :'( .... I left Saturday and didn't come back until last night(monday) and on Saturday he was moving and eating just fine. I don't understand what happened.....


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## GingerLove (Sep 6, 2016)

Oh no, I'm so, so, so sorry. I have no idea what happened. Please take it easy. I'm so sorry. I'm praying for you right now. Does it look like an animal killed him?


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## Yvonne G (Sep 6, 2016)

Oh gosh, that's pretty sad news. I'm so sorry that happened.

(The eyes were probably taken care of by bugs/critters)

I know your special tortoise can never be replaced, but if you want to take a road trip up to Clovis, I'll give you one of my baby desert tortoises. They're a year old this month.


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## wellington (Sep 6, 2016)

I'm so very sorry. That's an awful way to find your little guy. Do you have some kind of bug, fire ant infestation around your area? Sounds to me like a bug attack of some kind. Again, so very sorry.


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## JoesMum (Sep 6, 2016)

DesertTortoiseLove said:


> I'm hysterically crying and waiting on my boyfriend to come and figure it out. I just don't understand. He doesn't have any eyes . just hallowed out sockets... I'm very sad and can post pictures later. He was just laying there in his enclosure. He looked alive :'( .... I left Saturday and didn't come back until last night(monday) and on Saturday he was moving and eating just fine. I don't understand what happened.....


Oh no! That's desperate news. 

Please accept big electronic hugs from me.


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## DesertTortoiseLove (Sep 6, 2016)

Thank you so much. And I appreciate the kind thoughts. I have 3 others which are still young and they are together with this one since they are all young. I plan to create separate homes for each soon. But never seen aggresion yet since they are about 1 to 2 years. 
I have pictures of him if you would like to see .... I'll post below.. 


My boyfriend says he seems like he flipped over since his still young and must of been in the non shade area. I think there is blood on him coming from genital area.


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## DesertTortoiseLove (Sep 6, 2016)

Any thoughts? :'(


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## itiswhatitis (Sep 6, 2016)

You posted a few weeks back about any problems in enclosure. Are there ants still everywhere ?


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## DesertTortoiseLove (Sep 6, 2016)

No I havnt seen any ants not a one since I fixed the problem . no bugs besides under the water dish when I lift it there's an occasional puncher bug. Also there's a spider web I see but I destroy it every time but no spider.


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## Yelloweyed (Sep 6, 2016)

Oh how horrible. I hope you are able to figure out the cause. Did you find him upside down?


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## BeeBee*BeeLeaves (Sep 6, 2016)

I think, like your boyfriend, that he flipped over in the hot sun and baked. His eyes are dehydrated, sunken in, from the heat also. The body fluids after he fied also look like they ran down, to the top of his shell, because he was upside down.

I am so sorry. So heartbreaking to come home to an accidental death.

Experts will know more, but my guess is babies don't fight like older, hormonal male tortoises. Did a bird maybe try to nab him? Or a cat came to use him like a toy and left him upside down? A raccoon would have eaten him.

In any case, it's bummer sad. I feel for you. Sigh.


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## DesertTortoiseLove (Sep 6, 2016)

BeeBee*BeeLeaves said:


> I think, like your boyfriend, that he flipped over in the hot sun and baked. His eyes are dehydrated, sunken in, from the heat also. The body fluids after he fied also look like they ran down, to the top of his shell, because he was upside down.
> 
> I am so sorry. So heartbreaking to come home to an accidental death.
> 
> ...





Yelloweyed said:


> Oh how horrible. I hope you are able to figure out the cause. Did you find him upside down?



Yeah I think he was upside and their house mates probably flipped him back over because I found him like normal. I thought he was just sleeping out in the open of his enclosure. And no I didn't see any signs of attack plus I have the entire enclosure covered in green 1/2inch mesh all sides and top covering the gate I have them in.... Its just heart breaking... 

I gave my others a bath and I raked the enclosure and I sat there watching them and one of them just kept walking and pacing back and forth passed the one that died little house and it seems like he is looking for him. Its so sad :/


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## dmmj (Sep 6, 2016)

if he was found upside down then he died most likely from being dehydrated, the sun and overheating. Young tortoises can fight amongst each other it's rare but it does happen it could have been another tortoise it could have been an animal it could have been birds, do you have crows or Ravens in the area? To be honest you probably will never know what happened unless it gets repeated again & you happen to be there to see it. my condolences.


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## DesertTortoiseLove (Sep 6, 2016)

dmmj said:


> if he was found upside down then he died most likely from being dehydrated, the sun and overheating. Young tortoises can fight amongst each other it's rare but it does happen it could have been another tortoise it could have been an animal it could have been birds, do you have crows or Ravens in the area? To be honest you probably will never know what happened unless it gets repeated again & you happen to be there to see it. my condolences.



Yah I wish I had a tort cam on the them... And no none of those just a crap ton a pigeons. And I don't think the birds and get through the mesh I have around the enclosure. And he was found normal but it looks like he must of been flipped over because of the stain on his shell. But I found him normal on his belly. I thought he was alive until I went to get him... :/ and I think one of his buddies helped him back to normal but Idk....


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## wellington (Sep 6, 2016)

Just want you to be clear on the flipping back over, if one of the other tortoises did flip him back over. They weren't doing it, if they did, out of concern or love for him. It would have been out of aggression. Same as if one of them flipped him to begin with. That is aggression, not love, like, or friendship.
Again though, what ever happened, so very sorry.


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## Pearly (Sep 6, 2016)

So very sorry! Sending you hugs


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## Tidgy's Dad (Sep 6, 2016)

So terribly sorry for your loss.
It sounds simply ghastly. 
Bullying is a possibility, in my opinion and then insects after death. 
Be careful with the others! 
They are growing up, so time to separate. 
So sorry.


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## Average-Joe_15 (Sep 6, 2016)

You have my deep condolences and blessings.

Please don't feel too upset about the situation.
Try to understand that the instinctive purpose of experiencing grief is a preventative reaction by your brain.
Your emotions will try their darndest to shake you up to the extent that you will never want to repeat this situation, but even the human brain can be wrong, pushing some people too far into sadness.

Please keep your chin up, remember this experience, but don't dwell on it:
you're a better prepared, more experienced caregiver now~

*Best wishes to the future.*


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## Carol S (Sep 6, 2016)

I am so sorry for your loss.


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## Tom (Sep 6, 2016)

What size are the other ones in relation to this one? All four were living together?


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## KaitlinKeefe_ (Sep 6, 2016)

I am so sorry! I think that is my biggest fear is that regardless of how well I care for them one day I'll go to check on them and they'll have passed  my thoughts are with you


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## DesertTortoiseLove (Sep 7, 2016)

wellington said:


> Just want you to be clear on the flipping back over, if one of the other tortoises did flip him back over. They weren't doing it, if they did, out of concern or love for him. It would have been out of aggression. Same as if one of them flipped him to begin with. That is aggression, not love, like, or friendship.
> Again though, what ever happened, so very sorry.


Thank you and I understand


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## DesertTortoiseLove (Sep 7, 2016)

Average-Joe_15 said:


> You have my deep condolences and blessings.
> 
> Please don't feel too upset about the situation.
> Try to understand that the instinctive purpose of experiencing grief is a preventative reaction by your brain.
> ...


Thank you. These are very very kind helpful words. My boyfriend and I see our tortoises as our children and we took this hard. We didn't get any sleep last night but we are keeping our head up. Thank you again


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## DesertTortoiseLove (Sep 7, 2016)

Thank you everyone for the thoughtful words


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## Pearly (Sep 7, 2016)

DesertTortoiseLove said:


> Thank you. These are very very kind helpful words. My boyfriend and I see our tortoises as our children and we took this hard. We didn't get any sleep last night but we are keeping our head up. Thank you again


Sweetie, most of us love our pets very much and we suffer when we lose one. This is the worst kind of pain, when your soul hurts. You must grieve it, in your own way, and hopefully in time, heal. My advise is to focus your attention on your remaining pets and make sure that they don't suffer sunstandard care due to their mom being so overcome with grief. It helps to get outside of self when being inside is too painful. Hand in there. Hugs


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