Hey community of turtle and tortoise lovers. I was feeling nostalgic and sad for my lost Yevgeny, so felt inclined to share.
A few years ago, someone had to rehome a male Russian tortoise and a female ornate box turtle. Both adults. They had been housed together in a 20 gallon tank… I know, not great for them. They were separated, and I ended up finding a lovely home for the Ornate, as we already had a juvenile male. We kept the Russian.
Fast forward a year and a half. I had overwintered him in brumation in the basement and he was doing well. His outdoor enclosure was working fine for the second season, so I thought. And then one spring day, he was gone. There was no sign of a struggle. It is likely he climbed up the corner and took off for greener pastures.
We live near some nice brome hay fields and keep about half an acre in prairie grass growth which we scythe for hay for chickens. There are many burrowing rodents in our clay soil and a creek is just across the field.
The question: could a Russian tortoise survive NE Kansas winters in a nice thick grass covered clay burrow?
We haven’t seen any sign of him (there is so much space, it’s unlikely we will find him). I can’t help but hope to stumble upon him one day. Anyway, I’ve enjoyed reading some personal stories on this forum, so this is just one of mine.
And, if anyone has some miraculous lost tortoise stories, feel free to share!
A few years ago, someone had to rehome a male Russian tortoise and a female ornate box turtle. Both adults. They had been housed together in a 20 gallon tank… I know, not great for them. They were separated, and I ended up finding a lovely home for the Ornate, as we already had a juvenile male. We kept the Russian.
Fast forward a year and a half. I had overwintered him in brumation in the basement and he was doing well. His outdoor enclosure was working fine for the second season, so I thought. And then one spring day, he was gone. There was no sign of a struggle. It is likely he climbed up the corner and took off for greener pastures.
We live near some nice brome hay fields and keep about half an acre in prairie grass growth which we scythe for hay for chickens. There are many burrowing rodents in our clay soil and a creek is just across the field.
The question: could a Russian tortoise survive NE Kansas winters in a nice thick grass covered clay burrow?
We haven’t seen any sign of him (there is so much space, it’s unlikely we will find him). I can’t help but hope to stumble upon him one day. Anyway, I’ve enjoyed reading some personal stories on this forum, so this is just one of mine.
And, if anyone has some miraculous lost tortoise stories, feel free to share!