HELP i've lost my hermann tortoise in the garden

Lucysiegert

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hi i really need some help. yesterday we left our little hermann tortoise outside in our garden for twenty minutes. we usually leave him out for this period of time as he never usually moves quickly when outside. However, we have been looking all day yesterday and all today and have not found him. Our garden is about 1/2 an acre and is relatively open to to the two gardens next to us, as well as the woods behind the garden. It is all woodland and therefore is full of weeds and long grass. We have left him food out scattered around the garden in a hope to entice him out as he could be hidden anywhere. We've also had the neighbour's dog over has also had no such luck. Any other advice on how to find Herman would be great as we are all very worried about him as he isn't used to be outside for very long and it is supposed to rain for the next couple of days. (he is not much of a burrower and if he is we can usually see half of him poking out)

thnks :(
 

tortoise tree

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Hi,

You don't say how big your tort is. I have a Hermann's and on the rare occasion that we have lost him, we have been known to stand very still and move very slowly around the garden and listening very hard for movements . Mind you is fully grown and is not quiet when moving around.

When you tort has been outside before did it have a favourite place he liked. I know mine has certain area's he likes and most of the time he can be found in the two or three places.

I'm sorry I can't be of more help but I hope it helps.

Theresa
 

CathyNed

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Your tort will be looking for a warm spot to heat up in the mornings. Look early in the morning for spots where the sun hits and where the tort might come to warm up. I jope you find him....
 

Lucysiegert

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Okay thank you @CathyNed we have wired up his heat lamp so it is in the garden, maybe he will see it and move towards it when he wakes uo
 

Gillian M

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If it is cold back there he may be hiding somewhere in search for "warmth."

Hope you find him soon.
 

GingerLove

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My tortoise loves hiding near fences or finding corners to dig... that's wear I usually can't find her. She also finds the largest patch of leaves and goes in underneath. I sure hope you find your tortoise, keep us updated! Smart thinking with the lap.
 

Hector108

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CathyNed is right...... look for him where the sun hits really early when the sun starts coming out. I really hope you find your guy. Look where he usually likes to hide. Gl
 

Lucysiegert

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thank you all for your replies, he is about the size of a fist so is very tiny and therefore impossible to see. @tortoise tree , and he isn't really one for fast pace moving, other than about once a day for ten minutes . he hasn't really been outside to roam properly before as this is a new house and the weather has only recently been warm enough, and when he does go out we put him in a pen. its just typical that its the one time we do leave him alone ....
 

JoesMum

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Look for where the sun shines directly in the mornings and bait the spots with some strawberry.

Few torts can resist the red fruit.

Can your tort get out of your garden? It may be with a neighbour by now. They move pretty quick when fully warmed up.
 

JoesMum

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Okay thanks @JoesMum but the sun isn't out today and it's just bright so I don't know if he would even try to Come out
It's wet and miserable in many places today, but not that cold. Joe will quite often venture out - very very slowly - even in that type of weather.

In fact it's not uncommon to see him just sitting in the middle of the lawn in the rain. This may be a ploy to get me to put him under his kennel heat lamp, but I don't know that he's that intelligent.
 

Lucysiegert

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still no luck, put some strawberries out but the squirrels and birds ate them all very quickly! we still keep looking, but are beginning to lose hope now
 

JoesMum

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still no luck, put some strawberries out but the squirrels and birds ate them all very quickly! we still keep looking, but are beginning to lose hope now
It may take a week or more for him to show. Especially as the weather isn't that great at the moment.

Another thing to leave it is a whole lettuce. The birds won't eat it, but your tort may be tempted to nibble on it if he's hungry.
 

Lucysiegert

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okay thank you, do you think he'll be alright outside? we are worried that maybe he has been picked up by a large bird
 

JoesMum

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okay thank you, do you think he'll be alright outside? we are worried that maybe he has been picked up by a large bird
Birds are not something I would be concerned about unless you're very rural. There's nothing big enough.

Foxes are a possibility even though you said you weren't aware of them. They are incredibly common and most gardens get visited even if their owners are unaware. You have a dog which may leave scent dissuading the foxes. A fox could take it anywhere, but would probably lose interest before it got in.

This is why you need to tell the vets, RSPCA, PDSA, any rescues and neighbours in your area so they know you're looking.

Assuming he's just gone to ground, which is most likely, he's absolutely fine. The challenge is finding him. There's no point stressing about all the awful things that may have gone wrong. Just assume he's enjoying himself too much to put in an appearance :)

Be patient. The sun will come put again properly eventually!
 

Gillian M

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Could he be hiding somewhere around, seeing that the weather is cold?
 

Lucysiegert

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okay thank you, we do have foxes sometimes but we haven't seen one recently as we have fenced off most holes to next door, where a large animal could get through, (still many gaps where a tortoise could get through however), the dog isn't actually ours but next doors so I'm not sure he would have left a scent. Thank you for your comments, we will keep looking, as I'm sure he will make an appearance at some point
 

Pearly

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So sorry to hear you are going through this heart wrenching time and anxiety. I did that for whole 4 week back in February! texas winter but still cold, we had few days when temps dropped to low 30's at night. Sounds like you are already doing what I had done (heat source, daily food, fresh water, I had also made a "nest" directly under the heat lamp). I got down on all 4's daily and kept searching (looking, touching, feeling, moving plants). Think of all the behavior habits you've seen in your tort and try to place them in the area where he'd vanished. I'm wishing you all the luck you need to find your little friend. With all you are doing I think your chances of finding him are pretty good. We'll all be rooting for you here. Perhaps you could post pics of the area where you last saw him. You never know what another pairs of eyes may notice. Don't lose hope
 

Cheryl Hills

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okay thank you, we do have foxes sometimes but we haven't seen one recently as we have fenced off most holes to next door, where a large animal could get through, (still many gaps where a tortoise could get through however), the dog isn't actually ours but next doors so I'm not sure he would have left a scent. Thank you for your comments, we will keep looking, as I'm sure he will make an appearance at some point
You my want to check next doors two. If there are holes he can get out of, they will find them.
 

von345

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Don't worry mine lost his privileges to the " big " play pen because I lost him for a week! I knew he baried himself down so I would put food out and water and then one day after searching the same place for the 4th time I found him! After a good soak he was fine. But.... Now has a kiddie pool for a play pen haha
 

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