Lost our Russian tortoise

[Shortie Tortie]

Hi there, if anybody could offer some advice or tips please. I turned my back for 10 minutes and my Russian decided to try and cross the road. 9/12/24. Somebody helped her across without my knowledge, and I ended up searching the soy bean field to the left of us for 6 hours and not across the street. We spent the next couple days searching that fallen tree, ditches, the whole property even with a drone and by foot with the help of a few people.. This is the end of day 3 and we are in shambles and not sleeping. We spend every single moment we can searching for her when not at work.

This is the "across the road".. we've lived here for 5 years and shes never been over there.. will she come back? Did she keep going straight south?we live in a small town surrounded by farm fields.
I'm going door to door with flyers already and searching a few nice people's yards in the morning. Tomorrow I'm calling all the vets and shelters and rescues I can. Please help me. She's our first child and an emotional support tortoise

 

[wellington]

So very sorry. What you have done and are going to do is what we would suggest
Also, look for her first thing in the a m. when the sun comes out. She will be trying to warm up from the cooler night.
Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[KarenSoCal]

Any bushes or shady places in the middle of the day are also good places to look. When torts bury themselves under leaf litter, they can be impossible to see. You can't just look with your eyes...you have to get down on the ground and feel for her under the leaves and dirt.

My best wishes for finding her are with you.

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

Any bushes or shady places in the middle of the day are also good places to look. When torts bury themselves under leaf litter, they can be impossible to see. You can't just look with your eyes...you have to get down on the ground and feel for her under the leaves and dirt.

My best wishes for finding her are with you.

Here is a photo of my Russian hiding under a bush for refrence. There might not be much to see, Russians kinda shimmer themselves down to the soil.

 

[SinLA]

This thread may be helpful to you...

Little Stumpy escaped

So last Tuesday Stump (1.5yr 15lb sulcata) was by his burrow under the blackberry bush and busted through a hole in the fence by force. My wife checked on him 10 minutes later and he was lost for 1 week. I was an absolute wreck and it's the worst feeling in the world. We spent 2 days trying to...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[Carol S]

Is the weather getting cold in your area? Perhaps he/she has dug down into the ground due to temperature/seasonal changes. Go around your yard looking for disturbed dirt (a small raised mound) that looks sort of like a gopher was digging, pushing the dirt up.

I hope you find your tortoise.

 

[Ink]

Please make sure you notify your neighbors to keep an eye out for your tortoise. I hope you find him soon.

 

[Shortie Tortie]

****Update: she’s crossed the rainbow bridge. We found her in a field that had her most favorite flowers, she didn’t suffer. RIP our beautiful Tortilla 9/16/24

 

[Ink]

****Update: she’s crossed the rainbow bridge. We found her in a field that had her most favorite flowers, she didn’t suffer. RIP our beautiful Tortilla 9/16/24View attachment 379395View attachment 379396

I'm sorry for your loss. Do you know how it happened?

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

What happened?

Remember that cold tortoises sometimes look and feel dead even though they aren't. Look at this for example: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/close-call-for-curtis-another-case-of-reanimation.196619/

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

What happened?

Remember that cold tortoises sometimes look and feel dead even though they aren't. Look at this for example: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/close-call-for-curtis-another-case-of-reanimation.196619/

Yes definitely make 100% sure.

I’m so sorry for your loss

 

[wellington]

Oh man, sure hope you checked and rechecked that she was actually dead. Unless she ate something bad or was attacked by something, there is no reason for her not to have survived. It's just not cold enough yet
If it's not too late, warm her up in warm water and be sure she is actually gone.
So very sorry

 

[Shortie Tortie]

I appreciate all you so very much, it's very hard right now on both of us, even the cats are feeling down. She was a tough cookie, that under different circumstances would still be thriving. The day she got let across the street, the farmers had just started mowing the field to bail it. And yesterday they came to fluff it into rows, and the kind man extra fluffed the field for us and found her. My aunt-in-law sheltered me and didn't let me see. From what I was told she had been there a couple days since they mowed and had gotten hit.
We're so broken.. I'm going to save a couple of her scutes, she was just over 20, we had her 8-10 years

 

[Ink]

Prayers for your family.

 

[wellington]

Oh darn, so very sorry.

 

[KarenSoCal]

I am so, so sorry this has happened. My heart is broken for her and for you. I wish you and your family peace.

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

That’s heartbreaking, my heart truly goes out to you and your family!