Speedy is missing

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speedysmom

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Hello! I'm glad I found this group. Our 3 year old sulcata tortoise, Speedy, broke out of his outdoor playpen last Tuesday. He was gone at least a couple of hours before we noticed. We put up signs right away. We got a phone call about 10:30 at night about a sighting over 2 hours before, but by the time we got to the location he was nowhere to be found. He was supposedly in someone's garden about 1/2 mile from our house - he had to go through some woods and cross a creek to get there.

Right now we have signs on telephone poles and have put flyers in mailboxes in a wide radius, but we have receive no calls since the one on Tuesday evening. We have also posted on our local craigslist.

We live in a neighborhood in upstate NY that is surrounded by woods, fields, creeks and hills. It has been as low as 50 F at night but it is normally in the 60's. I am worried about the effect of the nighttime temperature on him. I have gone out looking for him multiple times during the warm part of the day. I would like to try to narrow down my search options. Does anyone have a suggestion about what type of terrain might be more likely than another for him to wander?

I was encouraged to see that a sulcata lost for 3 weeks was found. It has been 5 days now and I am getting discouraged.

Thanks for any words of advice.
 

RV's mom

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I'm sorry speedy decided to check out the neighborhood. I wish I could give you pointers, but you seem to have your bases covered. Check with your local police department too: someones sulcata got loose in phoenix and it was on the news, the police took him into 'custody' and I think the owners were able to pick him up from there.

good luck, best wishes to you with recovery..

teri
 

-JM

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I hope you find him!

Around here it would be helpful to contact the the police and animal control and possibly the local rescues and shelters. They get a lot of calls about critters running loose and will be on the lookout for your tort.
 
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Maggie Cummings

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I would look in late afternoon and early evening, looking mostly on your hands and knees as that is how he looks and that way you can see the terrain from his point of view, at that time of day he would be out looking for a place to sleep that night. I will notify my friend who operates a tortoise rescue in NY state possibly the finder will call her. Notify all the Vets you can and the local SPCA. I would put up flyers in all the pet stores, look every day and most of all don't give up.
 

speedysmom

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Thanks for the words of encouragement. We got a phone call this afternoon from a 6 year old who saw him on his patio. Unfortunately once we got there we found out that the sighting was yesterday. So we looked for about an hour in the rain anyway. This is the last set of houses before a huge area of woods.

I didn't know there was a tortoise rescue in NY - yes, please contact them. I didn't think to call the vets - we'll do that tomorrow.

At least he is distinctive out in the wild - he's about 18" long, so not easily confused with a wild turtle.
 

speedysmom

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SPEEDY IS HOME!!!
We got a call this afternoon from a walker who saw him at the top of a driveway by a garage door. She kept an eye on him until we got there. Interestingly, I think it is the same house where he was sighted on the day he went missing. I think the owners are out of town. No matter - he is back with us. Thank you for all the prayers and good thoughts!
He looks like he has been sleeping under a car because he had some grease on the back of his shell, but otherwise he is unscathed. We are convinced that he did not defecate while he was gone because he put down about a half dozen huge poops since he has been home.
I am attaching a copy of one of the flyers (deleted phone number). I don't think you can tell how big he is from the picture but you can see how cute he is. We got him in 2007 and he could fit easily in my hand. The 18" may include the roundness of his shell.
View attachment lost_speedy.pdf
 
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RV's mom

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HURRAY! HURRAH! I love stories with good endings...
keep with the forum. Lots of good folks here and you learn alot from the community.

teri
 

spikethebest

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CONGRATS!!!! i love hearing a happy ending like this!! keep us posted on speedy's progress and post some more pictures!

most importantly, post pictures of his outside enclosure so we can help you find better ways to secure so this doesnt happen again.
 
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