# Help - I've lost Phyllis!!



## colinsmum (May 16, 2010)

Hi - I put my 2 year old tortoise out into the garden yesterday, and now cannot find her! I don't think she has escaped but burrowed deep into the soil. We have tried to find her by moving as much of the soil as we can as this has worked in the past and she has been as much as 6 inches down, but this time she is not there. She was out last night and now it is raining. 

My question is: Will she be okay? Is it too cold for her? Will the rain affect her? Will she be able to find her way back out if she has gone down too deep?

We are really worried and really hope that she will be okay. Any advice will be greatly received. So worried.


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## Kristina (May 16, 2010)

Not knowing how cold it is, or what kind of tortoise Phyllis is, makes it hard to guess how the temp/rain will affect her.

Good luck finding her!!!


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## Tom (May 16, 2010)

Welcome to the forum.

Where are you?
What kind of tortoise is Phyllis?
What is the overnight low where you are?

I'm guessing by this point, you realize that you need to make a secure enclosure of some sort for Phyllis' outside time. There are lots of ideas waiting for you in the enclosure section.

Good luck.


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## Yvonne G (May 16, 2010)

Hi colinsmum:

Welcome to the forum!!

Because of your username, I'm guessing you're in England??? So its probably a cold rain. And I'm guessing that Phyllis is either a Hermann's or a Greek tortoise??? 

If it were a warm, spring rain, I'd say it probably wouldn't do Phyllis any harm, however, if its cold, it certainly won't do her much good. Get out your brolly, put on your wellies, and go out and try to find her.

Good luck!!


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## stells (May 16, 2010)

I am in the UK and have Hermanns and Horsfields out now... i also have an Ibera that dug down a while back that i am not panicing about... they will be fine and will resurface once the better weather comes along...


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## colinsmum (May 16, 2010)

Hi - Many thanks for all your replies. I live in Swansea and Phyllis is a hermanns. Colin is my other tortoise who is also a hermanns but is 6 now and is much bigger than Phyllis. He is quite easy to find when he digs down. The area we have has been made secure (well we thought so anyway) and cannot see anywhere she could escape from. Mind you, she is always trying to climb and even though she is little, I am now wondering if she can climb more than we thought!!! Both hubby and I have been out in our wellies today and dug down the whole area twice over. He did it first and then I followed behind, just in case he missed anything - all to no avail. We have now put Colin in the garden in the hope that she will sense him and come to the surface.

We will continue to look for her, and hope any pray that she 'returns' very soon. Once again, many thanks for all your help and advice.


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## Stephanie Logan (May 17, 2010)

Let us know when Phyllis resurfaces...my tortoise got "lost" once in our yard last summer and my kids searched for hours in the dark and the next day...she finally started moving around about mid-afternoon the next day and my son, who was posted out in the middle of the lawn in a chair, heard her rustling around and retrieved her.

Best of luck to you!


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## colinsmum (May 20, 2010)

*RE: Help - I've lost Phyllis!! NOW FOUND!*

Yippeeee!!!! I've found her. She resurfaced late yesterday afternoon looking a bit dazed and covered in mud!!! 4 days she spent outside and, boy, was that a lovely sight to see her just sitting quite happily on the top of the soil.
Mind you, she was in the part of the garden she shouldn't have been, so she escaped from her part somehow. Am going to sit and watch her at the weekend and she where Houdini finds her escape route

Many thanks for all your replies!


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## Weloveourtortoise (May 20, 2010)

So glad to that Phyllis returned safe and sound!!


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## Tom (May 20, 2010)

Glad to hear it. They can be such sneaky little buggers.


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