Could my russian have escaped?

[jjsull33]

I don't have an exact depth, but I know they can dig down a lot, they are one of the true burrowing species. Mine have buried themselves several inches down before, I always put 6-12 inches of substrate in my indoor enclosures for that reason. They are also great climbers, when you do find him I would put caps on the top of that garden wall so it sticks into his cage 1-2 inches, it will prevent him from climbing out again (if that is where he is). As for not moving around, I don't think it is that they do not like being outside, I think it is more that tortoises usually don't like change, so I would guess that he is probably hiding in his enclosure and scouting it out when he feels it is safe and no one is around. My female that lives outside spends almost all of her time underground burrowing, I only ever see her on the weeks her chicory garden is full grown.

I also suggest putting up fliers and calling pet stores/animal control and letting them know hes missing, you would be surprised how many people will see a tort and decide to keep it or something like that, not even thinking about it being someone else's pet. Even if he is in his enclosure still it can't hurt and will help you if he actually did escape.

 

[LisaTurtle]

They are excellent diggers so maybe he is hiding under a plant somewhere. Mine likes to dig near plants or pots, or at the corners/edges. I've seen mine dig himself in the ground next to a flower pot so only a tiny bit of the top of his shell was showing. They are also excellent climbers. Especially if there was anything near the wall inside the enclosure that he could use to help himself over the edge, they will find it and escape.

I bet you will find him in the enclosure or out somewhere near, keep looking and don't give up.

 

[fOrKyAnDpRoUd]

Thank you for those tips. I will keep looking and just give him time to adjust. I still dont think he got out but ill take those suggestions just so i can have more people lookin out for him. Thanks everyone

 

[buddy1996]

Hey guys, i havent had the courage to introduce myself seeing as my Tortle has been feeling down lately.
I keep him in a 55g tank and at first he loved it but now it seems like he doesnt.
So i tried to clean out a desert garden my gma had to try to get him outside more and the other day all he did was hide. I could find him right away though.
Yesterday i had to work so i let him run around while i was running errands. I couldnt find him right away so i was freaking out but when i started talking to him he was rustling in the ground so i tried to feed him. All he did was smell it and run away. Now, he hasnt eaten in 4 days so i was real upset.
I figured he just needed time... when i came back out an our later i picked up everything inside the garden but he wasnt there. I called and called but nothing...
I had to leave but my gma went out every other hour to look but she didnt find him.
As soon as i got home at 9 i turned turned on my phones flash and dug but still no luck.
My gma keeps talking about how he climbed the walls and im starting to think shes right....

My tortoise ran away and was missing for days. I put up posters and unbelievable someone had seen him. They contacted a Local Tortoise Club who took him in. Try that, normally they only dig to cover their shells.

Good luck we will think good thoughts for you

 

[Irish]

I had a similar situation. I spent over an hour in ever widening circles searching for a tort that dug under anwas bured 1 inch outside my pen before I put footers down. After an hour, I calmed and thought, "how likely would it be for him to have traveled this far?" and I went back through his pen for the fourth time an found him completely covered and outside his pen. Whie great climbers, I think the way you have your walls would be a fairy good deter ant, and my bet is he is still in the pen, probably buried in a corner, or at he base of the cactus.

 

[fOrKyAnDpRoUd]

I did see him scurry off to that corner before i left. That gives me so much hope. I gonna dig right now!

 

[fOrKyAnDpRoUd]

Still no luck. I dug by all the walls, plants and in the bush right outside the wall. I think im allergic so ill have to ask someone else to double check lol.
Im off tomorrow as well so im not giving up yet!
Thanks everyone for the help...

 

[jjsull33]

Check nice and early tomorrow, he will likely be looking to bask pretty early in the morning after a night outdoors.

 

[Arnold_rules]

You could also try watering the cactus garden fairly heavily, he might come out to get out of the flood.

 

[Levi the Leopard]

My 4 Russians always surface when I water the pen! Especially in the heat of the day. Try that.

Sent from my TFOapp

 

[luvpetz27]

Still no luck?? I am really hoping you find him!! If we lived close to eachother I would help you!! Everyone on TFO probably would help!! Good luck and dont give up!!

 

[Timjb97]

Hope you find him!!

 

[fOrKyAnDpRoUd]

Thanks for the support everyone. Im just losing hope in finding him...i dug i walked around every yard and even watered everything but still nothing...
Id rather him have run off or get picked up by someone wholl love him, than to have suffocated or died from dehydration.
Does anyone know how long they can survive underground with out coming up on their own?

 

[LisaTurtle]

They brumate (hibernate) for up to 9 months in the wild. I think he will be ok under ground as long as it doesn't freeze. Where do you live?

 

[fOrKyAnDpRoUd]

Im in central texas and its still pretty hot. Just right now it started raining so i dont know if theres any thing i can do

 

[lynnedit]

They are amazingly tough. He may be estivating due to the heat (which is what they do in the wild at this time of the year), and won't come up until it cools down a bit.

 

[jjsull33]

My female russian spent almost all summer underground, I only see her for a few min in the early morning if I get to the pen early enough, I have also "lost" my male in his indoor enclosure before, he dug down deep enough I couldn't find his shell and stayed hidden for over a week before finally resurfacing for food. I agree with Lynne he is probably estivating due to heat and is just hidden really well, don't lose hope and make sure you keep looking and keep asking around/posting on craigslist and telling everyone you know to be on the look out.

 

[Saleama]

Mine are indoors and their activity is almost nothing right now. I have to almost beg them to eat and they get really upset with me when I try to give them a soak. Just keep putting out some good foods inside and outside the place where you had him. He might come running when he is ready. Check in the early morning and right at sundown. That is when mine start moving around a bit. Good luck and if you are ever in the dallas area, I have an extra male that needs a good home!

 

[Arnold_rules]

Thanks for the support everyone. Im just losing hope in finding him...i dug i walked around every yard and even watered everything but still nothing...
Id rather him have run off or get picked up by someone wholl love him, than to have suffocated or died from dehydration.
Does anyone know how long they can survive underground with out coming up on their own?

Here is a story of one found after 10 months being buried: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...onths-burrowed-mud-Cambridgeshire-garden.html

As others have said, they can be very resilient creatures. Don't give up hope. Some morning you could wake up and he/she will be knocking on your back door to come inside.

 

[Saleama]

I read an article the other day about some kids who knocked on the door of a house that was cleaning out an attic, 32 years after their father died. Their Mom had gotten ill so they were selling the house. Anyway, the kids asked the guy why they were throwing away their turtle. When the man went and looked, he realized it was his father's red foot that went missing at his Father's funneral! They thought a guest had left the door open and the Tort had wandered out. They had actually packed him in a box and put him in the attic with their Father's stuff. He lived in that attic for 32 years!!! The vet said he was a bit light but appeared to be ok otherwise. They think he might have survived by eating cardboard and mice and drinking water that dripped from the AC or through the roof! Torts are hardy little dudes.