Lost eastern box turtle

[TurtleMan46]

This morning we went to check on our 2 box turtles and one is missing we can’t find any dig out marks or anything to show how or indicate that he ran away. I think it’s hopeless but if anyone has any ideas how best to find him let me know

We are in Memphis area TN

I added pics of him in the indoor enclosure

 

[Yvonne G]

Oh my! What a pretty face!! From the looks of the pattern on his carapace I'd say he's quite old. I hope you find him. Get down on your hands and knees and thoroughly go over every inch of the ground in the enclosure, testing the earth with your fingers looking for freshly turned earth.

 

[TurtleMan46]

Oh my! What a pretty face!! From the looks of the pattern on his carapace I'd say he's quite old. I hope you find him. Get down on your hands and knees and thoroughly go over every inch of the ground in the enclosure, testing the earth with your fingers looking for freshly turned earth.

Yeah he is old and he always had that :3 smile on his face i loved him so much I tried to dig around and can’t find anything. Im bought a thermal camera on amazon it will be here tomorrow hopefully. And posted on nextdoor. Idk what else to do.

 

[mark1]

this may not be helpful, but i always found if they run into an obstruction they can't get under they don't turn around they follow it, such as fences .......corners where fences meet other fences or a house they will dig into those ......... look in an under shrub, tree roots, and brush piles especially if they are near an obstruction......... i've found them weeks later........

 

[TurtleMan46]

this may not be helpful, but i always found if they run into an obstruction they can't get under they don't turn around they follow it, such as fences .......corners where fences meet other fences or a house they will dig into those ......... look in an under shrub, tree roots, and brush piles especially if they are near an obstruction......... i've found them weeks later........

Yes we have noticed this about him too, he will just walk along the fence pushing his head onto it he always looked so funny and stupid it was so cute

We have a very small yard and have looked every inch of the fense (that i’ve watched him try to get out of and never got anywhere near escaping)

We got rakes and raked the whole yard and nothing and dug up some holes where maybe he would be. Nothing so far. Hoping and praying. Thermal camera hopefully will get here asap. I want to fly a drone with the camera but people are deffo gonna call the cops here. Im scared to post too much about it because the wildlife agency here are tyrants and might literally raid my house.

 

[TurtleMan46]

Another detail it has been storming very bad here and maybe he got scared from the thunder. He used to be a wild turtle as well unfortunately so idk but he’s been here for 2 years

The girl turtle who I think is gonna have his babies hopefully was just chilling in the log cover like nothing

 

[Maggie3fan]

I have also lost box turtles...the best time to look for him is in the early morning where the sun hits first, as he will find a spot like that to warm up in the morning...search for him on your hands and knees as that is turtle level and he will be easier to see that way...and lastly...I've had numerous box turtles escape...one was found in the empty lot next to my house...6 months after he escape..2 other escapees were found in my yard hiding days later...my point...don't give up!!!

 

[mark1]

Yes we have noticed this about him too, he will just walk along the fence pushing his head onto it he always looked so funny and stupid it was so cute

We have a very small yard and have looked every inch of the fense (that i’ve watched him try to get out of and never got anywhere near escaping)

We got rakes and raked the whole yard and nothing and dug up some holes where maybe he would be. Nothing so far. Hoping and praying. Thermal camera hopefully will get here asap. I want to fly a drone with the camera but people are deffo gonna call the cops here. Im scared to post too much about it because the wildlife agency here are tyrants and might literally raid my house.

won't be deeper than the top of his shell exposed..... i keep mine in a 24'x24' pen and have had some i couldn't find , i went through the pen on my hands and knees , only to have them show up weeks later in the pen......

 

[TurtleMan46]

@Maggie3fan @mark1 Do you guys have big yards and you’re saying the turtles stayed in your yard for weeks/months? We don’t have a big yard and have searched every inch. He isn’t in the yard and we possibly found an exit route under the fence. Searching neighborhood with thermal hasn’t worked yet but I just tried it first time today and the weather was not good for it


This is making me genuinely depressed maybe im a softie but can any of you guys tell me how you cope with losing a pet or a turtle. I’ve never lost any pet before I dont know if he’s dead or alive somewhere probably scared and cold (it’s pretty cold out the weather took a rapid shift and we’re into spring)

 

[mark1]

unless he gets gotten by a dog, hit by a car or picked up by someone who doesn't care for him properly, i'm sure he's fine, your weather is not a problem for him....... keep looking, ask your neighbors to watch for him......

 

[TurtleMan46]

unless he gets gotten by a dog, hit by a car or picked up by someone who doesn't care for him properly, i'm sure he's fine, your weather is not a problem for him....... keep looking, ask your neighbors to watch for him......

Thank you

What about birds? We have some big birds here. They drop them from high to break the shell right? We’ve been searching the roads haven’t seen him on any hard surfaces

 

[Daffodil]

I would out notices on your neighborhood apps, talk to your neighbors on the whole block, and maybe post notices with a photo, asking people to look out for him.

There's a sulcata in my neighborhood that seems to go for a wander every couple of years. Now, people know it belongs to someone and they'll take and post photos of it w/ the location. (It's too big for most people to pick up, i guess.) The owners go out and get it.

Someone else lost their Russian tortoise once. Somebody found it in their yard a couple of months later, posted to their neighborhood app, and the owner (the neighbor four doors down) got their pet back.

Yours has to be somewhere. Someone will spot it and hopefully that person will know someone who has heard about your tortoise.