HELP! LOST RUSSIAN TORTOISE

[alylay25]

Hi
I've had my Russian tortoise for over 10 years. She went missing today. I've posted flyers and done all the right steps and searched for 3 hrs for her. I had a few questions. My backyard where she roams sometimes (under supervision until today ) is hard soil. So like it's diggable but its not really soft dirt but clumps of dry dirt. Is it possible for her to dig in that? And is it easy to spot where a tortoise is with that type of soil? I live in a neighborhood but there are wild animals here. And I live in socal where it gets cold at night. She's about 7 inches so how likely is it that she burrowed and is alive? Or is she most likely dead? Be honest do you think she will return or keep wandering until found?

 

[orv]

You can try leaving her favorite tasty treat in her favorite morning basking spot and see if she turns up on her own. Unless you see evidence of digging through the fence, its possible that she's expertly hiding under a bush or around the foundation of the house. Keep a careful eye out and contact your neighbors. Russians are wiley little creatures and can travel an amazing distance when not carefully watched. Good luck, and let us know how the saga unfolds.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Most lost tortoises get found. Safe and sound.
Do you have neighborhood children? I like the idea of offering a cash reward. Kids can find anything.
Most tortoises will stop and stay under a bush, a grassy fence line. Some place they can hide.
My only ever escaped tortoise was missing for 3 days and stayed hidden through multiple searches. Only to be found trying to break back in to his enclosure for food or shelter.
Best of luck.

 

[RosemaryDW]

Your Russian can dig through pretty much anything if she puts her mind to it. I’m in Orange County and my female buried herself halfway under a small boulder today, because she’s getting ready to hibernate.

She is also crazy looking to get out of our yard, to see if there is a better place to hibernate. This is normal behavior for her, although I note that right now she is worse than usual. When we found her three years ago in late October, she had obviously escaped from somewhere doing the exact same thing. She popped underground while we were looking for her owner. She buried herself right under our feet and we had no clue where she was until she came out in spring.

She eventually changed her mind today and went back to her night box. We won’t be surprised to see her digging around for a few more days; we can’t wait for her to be fully ready to go into the fridge for the winter but she is still interested in a little sun and food.

I would be amazed in a wild animal in Orange county had any interest. Coyotes have to be darn hungry to be interested and she’s too big for our local birds of prey. A raccoon is a danger but truly, I don’t think that’s your issue. Nor is it cold enough to be a problem. She’s buried or she’s climbed her way out of your yard.

Look for her in the morning where the sun first comes out or wherever she would normally be in the morning. You can also poke around for softer spots in your yard but they can pack themselves down pretty well.

If you haven’t posted on your local FB page for lost and found animals, do that as well.

I hope you find her soon.

 

[LaLaP]

I lost mine for 12 days and he was returned because of a post I made on NextDoor.