# Tips for finding a lost Hermann



## LauraAndSpeedy (Jun 19, 2016)

My 7 year old Hermann is living up to his name (Speedy) and managed to escape 48 hours ago. He was in his outdoor enclosure (as he would normally be) when I left for work but when I came home he had gone. 

The garden (I think) is fully tortoise proof and has 30cm deep concrete under the fences and the gate is only 1cm above the ground so no chance he could squeeze underneath. I have been around the garden perimeter (including crawling behind the flowerbeds) and can't see any holes in the fence. There is a shed but its sitting on paving stones so he couldn't dig underneath.

Several fingertip searches per day through the flower beds have not found any sign of him or any loose soil where he could have dug down. I've also tried watering everything to see if that scares him out from wherever he's hiding but no luck... 

Bowls of food and water have been left outside but the only thing eating from them are the local slug/snail population.

There are a few cats in the neighbourhood that occasionally pass through our garden but I've never seen them show an interest in him before. 

Has any body got any other ideas to help find him? I am meant to be moving house in 6 weeks which is adding to my anxiety as I really don't have that long to find him. I'm in Lancashire, UK so day time temps are around 20'C, night time 14'C at the moment and its not forecast to be particularly sunny at any time soon.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!


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## CathyNed (Jun 19, 2016)

Hi Laura! So sorry to hear that Speedy has made a speedy escape. In the early morning your tort may be looking for a place to warm up. Look for spots in the garden where the sun hits first thing in the morning. You say you have food and water left out too which will hopefully tempt him out. Try some brightly coloured irresistable foods like strawberries etc. Hoping you find him soon. Keep us posted!!


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## wellington (Jun 19, 2016)

Sorry to here this. Is it possible a human or animal/bird could take him?
As stated, check in the morning sunny spots. Notify neighbors to keep an eye out for him, also ask close neighbors if you could search their yards.
Red and white items seems to attract tortoise, try place these color foods around.
Keep looking, they usually show up. If by chance you do not find him before your move, leave a number and a picture of him with the new residence so they can contact you incase he shows up after your gone. 
Good luck and keep us posted


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## JoesMum (Jun 19, 2016)

Hi

The weather forecast in the UK as a whole today is diabolical, so wherever your tort has gone to ground it is likely to stay. 

As far as finding your tort is concerned, your best bet is first thing on a sunny morning - we have to get one soon! Look for the sunny basking spots and bait them with a strawberry or a piece of tomato (shouldn't be fed regularly, but needs must)

Enhancing a likely sunny spot by spreading blue slate chips will help raise temperatures and make it more attractive even when the sun is weak. 

Also, contact your neighbours, your local vets, the RSPCA, any animal rescues, etc just in case your tort has managed to go on an adventure. 

As for predator risk - I say this more for the information of our USA members who have a bigger problem - here in the UK, a fox is probably the only wild mammal capable of carrying anything other than the tiniest tort. We also have few predatory birds capable of carrying anything other than the tiniest torts and they're in very remote areas. 

Foxes could be a problem, although they've never bothered our tort, and are more than capable of picking up a small tort and taking it elsewhere. 

Good luck. Assuming your tort is still in your garden, it's unlikely to come to much harm.


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## Linhdan Nguyen (Jun 20, 2016)

Do you see how he was able to escape? 
I would try leaving food out in different spots, not just one.


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