OUR TORTOISE RAN AWAY!

[PetCrazy]

Please help, our little Russian Tortoise, Zander, has escaped and we cannot find him. He has been loose for a week and we know he's around as we found his poop in the driveway. Does anyone have any ideas on how to track him down? We live in northern Wisconsin and have a plethora of his favorite foods (dandelions and clover) available to him, especially since we are afraid to mow the lawn now that he's loose. We were happy to find his poo, as then we know he's not been eaten by a predator, but he certainly won't make it outside through this fall when temperatures start dropping. We will try anything as we are desperate to find him. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

 

[Shakudo]

I can't help you with info but I wanted to wish you luck!

I hope you get Zander back soon!


Take care,

Joey

 

[guille24]

I hope you find it ! Try to put some fruit or dandelions flowers out there for him and see if it works , I'm from Wisconsin near the Kenosha area

 

[WillTort2]

Get up when the sun first hits your driveway and you just might find him basking there to absorb the suns rays. Otherwise, check with neighbors and look under shrubs and along fence lines.

Good luck.

 

[Yvonne G]

Russian tortoises are great little escape artists. They usually travel in a straight line and just walk for miles and miles. I suggest you put up fliers on the utility poles around your neighborhood. You might even go door-to-door. We had a posting on hear yesterday where a man remembered seeing something about a lost tortoise on craigslist and when he found a tortoise he was able to put the tortoise with the person in the ad. The more coverage you can do the better your chances are.

 

[Pokeymeg]

Someone recently pushed a success story of putting fliers in their neighbors mail boxes and sure enough a neighbor found their tortoise!

Just get the word out as best you can. Craigslist, fliers, posters. I think the general public often doesn't realize that tortoises are, well, tortoises and not wild animals but rather beloved pet!

 

[tortoisetime565]

I lost one of my Jeuv Sully's after a family member left the gate unlatched. After he was gone for almost two weeks I finally thought about putting an add on Craigslist and I did. I had a call the next day about some people who had found him a mile away. I was so happy to have my Gideon back!! I hope the best for you.

 

[PetCrazy]

Thank you, everyone, for your suggestions. We have over an acre of everything he could possibly want (except a mate ) and we found the poo 6 days after he escaped so we are hopeful he's still on our property although we have alerted the neighbors. I will post on Craigslist & put up fliers just in case.

One question, if he is still here do you think he would dig a new burrow each day or return to the same one?

I will be out there at daybreak tomorrow watching for him on the driveway.

Thanks again for all your help!

 

[Tom]

Get down on your hands and knees and search at the base of any plant or weedy patch. Look around the bases of any rocks or logs too. They typically dig in only a couple of inches at night and down at their level you will have a better chance at finding the disturbed earth.

Your tortoise could survive the winter there just fine if he finds the right spot and digs in nice and deep.