Need help! Lost tortoise..

[littleturleycrew]

I have a polytunnel with slightly raised bed in. I have put my tortoise in for a couple of hours, came back and I can't find where she has dug. She's totally vanished. I'm really worried I won't find her. Any info on what I can do or should do? Will she be OK without food and water.. please help. We are on day 3 now.

 

[Yvonne G]

Please post a picture of the area where you put the tortpise. Also, what species?

 

[littleturleycrew]

Russian dwarf.. I'll send photo in the morning as very dark here now

 

[Cathie G]

I have a polytunnel with slightly raised bed in. I have put my tortoise in for a couple of hours, came back and I can't find where she has dug. She's totally vanished. I'm really worried I won't find her. Any info on what I can do or should do? Will she be OK without food and water.. please help. We are on day 3 now.

Hello and welcome to TFO. I can't answer about a poly tunnel. I'm not sure what it is. I can say keep putting food where you did. It may entice her to come there. And be watching at her regular feeding time. You should post more information or pictures of the outdoor enclosure. We could help you better that way to figure out the little escape artist's tricks.

 

[littleturleycrew]

It's where I grow my vegetables.. I'll send pictures tomorrow. I actually live in ireland but it's very hard to find people with advice here so I've branched out to get help. I've only had her 3 weeks, she's 2 years old. I'm very very sad that she hasn't come out yet. I'll send photos tomorrow and maybe there may be a way to find her.

 

[RandyTortoise]

If it is a small tortoise it could be theft or a predator if there is no way of escaping the enclosure. Or you missed something in terms of an escape route.

For a little hope, in 1996 I lost an adult red footed tortoise. She was about 10 pounds. Over a week later a small boy brought her back to my door as I put up signs all over the neighborhood (Bristol Rhode Island). I got one back, so don’t lose hope?

 

[littleturleycrew]

So I left her in one of the 8 smaller plant beds I have. As u can see I already went abit into panic mode and dug back dirt but I just don't know how much dirt to dig back. Where to start or whether to wait.

 

[COmtnLady]

Is the tube/greenhouse sealed around the bottom, or does it just lie on the dirt? Basically, could the tortoise have wiggled out under the bottom of the plastic wall? Did you see any evidence of such by doing a close look around the outside base/perimeter?

With only low boards as bed-edge definers, it seems like there is big possibility that your tortoise could still somewhere inside (provided the door hasn't been left open)… that it climbed over the wood and could be somewhere inside, but in another bed.


.

 

[littleturleycrew]

I've put the nice dirt on top of clay like dirt. The clay is thick and hard and I doubt she could dig through it. But again can't be 100%. Doors been closed and doesn't seem there any evidence of digging out.

 

[COmtnLady]

I'd check around inside, under the plants with big leaves, back in corners, under things. I would also put her food and water in that walkway. The dirt in the beds makes it just a couple inches to climb out/over from inside the bed, but its higher from the walkway side, so less likely your tortoise would go back in there. If you put the food in the walkway and notice the food going away, that would be a good indication where to look for her/him.

Humans think about digging down and then back up on the other side of a barrier, but tortoises don't really do that. They might dig down to make a burrow, but not back up to get out from under the walls. Has your tortoise dug much before now? If not, its less likely right now.

What is the temp inside the tube/greenhouse? (The plants look happy!)

 

[RandyTortoise]

Is the tube/greenhouse sealed around the bottom, or does it just lie on the dirt? Basically, could the tortoise have wiggled out under the bottom of the plastic wall? Did you see any evidence of such by doing a close look around the outside base/perimeter?

With only low boards as bed-edge definers, it seems like there is big possibility that your tortoise could still somewhere inside (provided the door hasn't been left open)… that it climbed over the wood and could be somewhere inside, but in another bed.


.

He must still be in there. I think you are right.

 

[littleturleycrew]

I don't think she could of dug down because I've dug a trench around the polytunnel.even if she did get put I've 6 ft high concrete walls surrounding the main garden so again it's unlikely. I'm just not sure how to find her. Could she burrow in bark? As that's a few inch's deep to. There's no evidence she has come out at all in 3 days.
Never dug like this with me but her previous owner said she dug for 10 days once so I'm holding positivity that she is just enjoying hiding ..
Temps are colder atm, Top temp 21degrees but over night could be as low as 6degrees. Today has had some warmer spells but only pushing up to 25 Inside the polytunnel. Thanks everyone for the advice...

 

[COmtnLady]

When torts are cold (or too hot) they dig into the ground to find a more comfortable temp. Your tort could be in the dirt, but more likely, just hidden somewhere under the plants, and I bet she's still inside the tunnel/greenhouse.

 

[Tom]

They can easily dig down 60cm, though they typically don't go more than about 30cm deep. And the clay soil is not a barrier to them.

 

[Yvonne G]

Your tortoise is still in the greenhouse someplace. The wood dividers between the beds aren't tall enough to contain a tortoise. . . especially a russian, who is very adept at climbing and digging.

 

[TammyJ]

1. If the wood barriers can be removed, I would take them all out and leave it as just one large open space inside.
2. I would make a large warm hide in the center kept at a steady 80f.
3. Keep everything quiet and keep the cute little spaniel out, he likes to chew small things!
Keep checking in and close to the warm hide and keep water dish close to it too.
Good luck

 

[Cathie G]

I especially agree with the fact that a Russian can hide in and under a plant. Especially a large plant. I have to play hide and seek every day with mine in the spring and summer. I have found him wedged sideways in the leaves of a plantain weed in his outdoor enclosure. Is there a place that faces the sun in the morning where she could be hiding across the room? That's what my little Russian picked for a sleeping area. I put his food tile near there. He comes out every morning around 8-10 to find food. Depending on the weather.

 

[littleturleycrew]

Do you think I should dig and try find her or hang tight until she surfaces? I'm caught between too of my favorite things n life.. I'm vegetables and my hiding tortoise

 

[COmtnLady]

Look around, with a flashlight/torch, under and behind things, lift leaves up and look under. Digging will only waste time unless you see a burrow.

 

[littleturleycrew]

I have looked very closely can't see any evidence of her but she can't of got out. The door is closed by a large heavy chair.ill keep checking at intervals