Missing Tortoise

[nell]

Our 8 year old horsfield has been missing since sunday. She normally lives in a greenhouse with free access to our smallish, high-walled garden. Generally, at this time of year (we live in London, UK) she's not venturing out much, but it was very warm at the weekend and I'm guessing she was out and taken by surprise when the temperature dropped - normally she's good at getting back into her greenhouse in the evening.

So far we haven't been able to find her - I assume she's dug herself in somewhere, but there's no sign of a burrow - do they back-fill their holes? The walls around the garden go down 3ft, so I don't think she's burrowed out.

My main question is what to do with her if we find her and she's hibernnating. Should we wake her up? We would have planned to hibernate her in 3 or 4 weeks time anyway, but she hasn't been fasting, and we would have been encouraging her to drink more etc. if we'd been planning for it.

Any advice would be much appreciated!

 

[pebbles mom]

you must be worried sick. I am crossing my fingers for you and your torty ...

 

[shackleton]

Sorry to hear this Nell. I've been through similar, seven years ago.

You can read about it here:

http://forum.kingsnake.com/tortoise/messages/22359.html

http://forum.kingsnake.com/tortoise/messages/22469.html

...perhaps you may find it interesting and useful.

The short version of my advice, be aggressive in your search!

Good luck.

Doug

 

[Crazy1]

Sorry to hear your horsfield is not safe in its greenhouse. I understand that London can have some fairly wet winters. If you do not find her watch for her come spring. I have only lost one for a day and that had me worried sick. Good luck in your search.

 

[nell]

Thanks for the messages, especially the hopeful story Doug! I spent most of yesterday searching for her with no results - so frustrating when I'm almost certain she's somewhere in the garden. Tomorrow we'll dig the whole flower bed up to a depth of 2 feet, which should find her if she's there. I'm quite worried now that with us walking around looking for her, we'll have collapsed her tunnel on her. Does anyone know how sturdy a burrow is when it's been dug into good gardening topsoil? Can tortoises survive underground if their tunnel has partly collapsed and they don't have much air? Does anyone have any tips on finding a tortoise burrow? It would be great if she'd just reappear come spring, but I'm almost certain the burrow will flood in the british winter....

 

[Jentortmom]

Good Luck!! It can be very hard to find them once they have burrowed under. They fill in there holes and I can never find them. Does she have a favorite spot in the garden that she sits at?? Only suggestion would be to put a tarp over the garden on the days that it rains.

 

[oswego tort lover]

hello here 20 miles from the south shore of lake ontario i have had russian tortoies dig in as early as the first cold snap in late august and come back out in early april. thats about 7 1/2 months and it can dip down to -27f here in january. i much perfer to bring them in to spend 5 or 6 months in my fridge but on occasion like this year one has dug in . most will dig into the tunnels or burrows they have been using all summer.but i have had a few dig straight down in an area they have only walked through before. they dont dig very deep if they go straight and its hard to find. i have found them emerging from these places and have found at least here, the hole is less than 1 foot deep. its wet here, but ive found that as long as the water drains off and doesnt pool on the area they hibernate i havent had a problem..that said if you can find it good if not dont worry. i would think that the areas grass grows rather than lose dirt would be the most likly place to dig in..............ed

 

[nell]

An update - went into the garden today (lovely sunny warm day for february) to find a visible hole and a very muddy tortoise in it. She is now very awake, but extremely cranky at being cooped up inside (has never liked being in any kind of enclosure) and won't eat or drink yet. Skinny, but seems otherwise perfectly healthy despite a very wet and cold winter outdoors. Amazing! Fingers crossed she calms down about being indoors and eats soon.

Thank you to all those who told me tortoises could live on their own through the winter. I didn't really believe it at the time, but you were right!!

 

[Kristina]

Congrats!!! All those months of worrying must have been rough. I am glad to hear she made it through.

Kristina

 

[Yvonne G]

Little Russian tortoises are just wonderful diggers. And as they dig, they push the dirt behind them, filling in the space they made. Almost impossible to find them unless you see it happening. I'm so glad you found your little tortoise! Her "punishment" for eluding capture last year is to have to stay indoors!

Yvonne

 

[tortoisenerd]

Amazing!

 

[Crazy1]

Congratulations. Love to hear good things are a springing out of the ground

 

[maevamichelle]

hehe I'm so glad I don't have a hibernating species.... !!
That's awesome that she's 'home' again, even w/o leaving^^

 

[Nay]

Sorry to hear this Nell. I've been through similar, seven years ago.

You can read about it here:

http://forum.kingsnake.com/tortoise/messages/22359.html

http://forum.kingsnake.com/tortoise/messages/22469.html

...perhaps you may find it interesting and useful.

The short version of my advice, be aggressive in your search!

Good luck.

Doug

Hi Doug, I read your lost tort reports with great interest to see what the outcome was. Nice to get a happy ending! I had a Russian once that escaped and we searched for hours and did find him, but really thought our enclosure was safe. Well we put him back in to watch and that little bugger did just what he did to get out again! It was a picket type fence only with every other board on either side shifted just a bit to not be totally solid, but to allow light in with NO way enough room to squeeze through. UNLESS you stood your little body up on the rocks next to it, turn yourself sideways and drop over the rocks on the other side. Incredible!!
Question, did you do the breeding thing?????
Nadine