Just sharing

[kjcj2737]

Guys 😭
I literally just made my account because I need to share with someone what just happened..

A few weeks ago I got my first tortoise, a 2” sulcata hatchling from a breeder and she’s perfect!
I did all the research and have been improving on her care daily because I’ve always wanted one so ima do it right 💪

So I’ve been taking her outside like every other day for some grass and sunshine, and I know someone’s going to say something about needing a fence but I watch her and she never wonders far… I was wrong, I lost her.
Literally turned around for 5 minutes and can’t find her when I turn back. I’m like how far could she go 🤷‍♀️ she’s so small.
Nah dude google said 33 car lengths of travel in about 30 minutes 😳 idk how accurate that is but I’m stressssssing because at that point I have 3 people looking and she’s probably way outside the zone we’ve been searching...
I mean if I know my tortoise she didn’t go far, she found shade or good grass and hasn’t moved and that’s why we can’t spot her right?
But still I’m walking and scanning every sq ft of the yard and checking every shade spot, checking every crevice for like a 2 acre radius.. Like low key freaking because I love her and all the awful things that could happen to her.

So we literally move everything, look around, under, over, EVERYTHING… Go ahead guess where she was 🤦🏻‍♂️
She was 5 FEET from where I lost her.. She found a lil crack under our porch, that we literally looked in 3 times, but like 30 minutes later she pokes her little head out like 🤨

Anyways take what you will from this story, but trust what you know about your tortoise, and don’t stop looking!

She’s currently having a nice soak and bout to get some greens 🥬 I’m so relieved I found her and I still be getting a play pen

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Hello and welcome!
I'm glad that your story ended well. You can take a deep breath, relax and post some photos of your little escapee

 

[Yvonne G]

Welcome!

 

[wellington]

Hello and Welcome. Now will you make her a safe outside enclosure? We say it here all the time to not let them roam outside without being in a safe enclosure dedicated to them. So glad it all worked out.
Btw, when my leopard was young. He had a safe enclosure that he could not escape from. He could hide very well though. I know that awful feeling, when I would lose him inside the enclosure. Even at 14 years old and so much bigger, I sometimes lose him in his outside enclosure. He still hides very well in the tall weeds and grass. I still get that awful feeling and panic until I find him lol
Also, be sure you follow the care info on this forum. It's the only way to get him to grow big, healthy and smooth.
Get working on that enclosure now before you have a heart attack.

 

[TammyJ]

Welcome to the forum. Glad your tortoise found you. Don't let him loose you again. He can't see the forest for the trees!

 

[Tom]

Guys 😭
I literally just made my account because I need to share with someone what just happened..

A few weeks ago I got my first tortoise, a 2” sulcata hatchling from a breeder and she’s perfect!
I did all the research and have been improving on her care daily because I’ve always wanted one so ima do it right 💪

So I’ve been taking her outside like every other day for some grass and sunshine, and I know someone’s going to say something about needing a fence but I watch her and she never wonders far… I was wrong, I lost her.
Literally turned around for 5 minutes and can’t find her when I turn back. I’m like how far could she go 🤷‍♀️ she’s so small.
Nah dude google said 33 car lengths of travel in about 30 minutes 😳 idk how accurate that is but I’m stressssssing because at that point I have 3 people looking and she’s probably way outside the zone we’ve been searching...
I mean if I know my tortoise she didn’t go far, she found shade or good grass and hasn’t moved and that’s why we can’t spot her right?
But still I’m walking and scanning every sq ft of the yard and checking every shade spot, checking every crevice for like a 2 acre radius.. Like low key freaking because I love her and all the awful things that could happen to her.

So we literally move everything, look around, under, over, EVERYTHING… Go ahead guess where she was 🤦🏻‍♂️
She was 5 FEET from where I lost her.. She found a lil crack under our porch, that we literally looked in 3 times, but like 30 minutes later she pokes her little head out like 🤨

Anyways take what you will from this story, but trust what you know about your tortoise, and don’t stop looking!

She’s currently having a nice soak and bout to get some greens 🥬 I’m so relieved I found her and I still be getting a play pen

Hello and welcome. You learned that lesson the hard way. I'm glad everything turned out okay.

Most of the care info for tortoises is all wrong. Here is the correct care info:

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

There is a sulcata care sheet near the bottom, and questions are welcome.

 

[Maggie3fan]

I'm relatively experienced with Sulcata...I've had several large Sulcata and uncountable hatchlings, and many escaped and were recovered, but what I personally learned is once they have seen/been outside their area they will continue to try and go back out. Last Wednesday my 50 lb Sulcata named Mary Knobbins knocked over a 3 high cinder block wall and escaped to another area where no tort escaped to before. My property is fenced in totally and a 50 lb animal should be easy to find....hahaha, just like your baby...Mary was right in front of me, and I still couldn't see her...The very next day I went to a surprise b'day lunch for me and was gone for about 3 hours...when I pulled into my driveway she was just going down the 5 stairs to the street! This time she freaking knocked over the rotten post holding the gate closed...she has gatedar and evidently just rammed the post until it fell...then up 7 stairs to the deck...across the deck and on her way to the street. Your baby can't do any of that just yet, but she will, I guarantee it. Fence her in with a solid fence she can't see thru, then just remember this...if she can escape...she will...so be ever so careful
this is Mary and her tire