Now that all is well after all, my heart rate is settled down.
This morning I went out to see Elsa, my Hermann's tortoise, to say good morning before bringing out her breakfast. I didn't see her initially, which isn't unusual: her enclosure has lots of deep weeds and grasses and she's VERY good at camouflaging herself. She's a good size for a Hermann's: 7 inches long and 6 inches wide, and I always find her sooner or later- "Spot the Tortoise Butt" is one of our family's favorite games. But today was different. She wasn't in the "alley" behind her safe house, she wasn't under any of her ferns or hostas or the low-growing rose. I know all her main hiding places and she was no where to be found. I got down on my hands and knees and pulled aside the tall Purple Fountain Grasses, and peeked in the cave she has dug under one of them- no Elsa. I committed the Great Offense of picking up her favorite palm-bark hide, to see back inside it (risking the "stink-eye" from a sleepy tortoise) but no Elsa. AGAIN I went all over her grassy yard on hands and knees, but no Elsa.
The walls of her enclosure are cinderblock, and are 2 blocks high- all was intact and undisturbed.
There was only 1 conclusion: those new yard guys must have come back during the night and taken her. Their boss had a friend who has a sulcata, and he thinks Elsa is really cool looking. One of the guys always pauses and looks at her in her enclosed "yard" as he's weed-eating. I was working out my plan: I can't PROVE anything but I can tell the yard guys to NOT mow in the back... put up posters... how big a reward should I offer...
I work out of town all week, so tortoise care falls to my husband during that time, and he's probably more familiar with her patterns than I am. I dashed in and told him Elsa is gone- I think she's been stolen! and in his typical fashion he declined to join my panic. He came right out to see, bringing his coffee cup with him (HOW can you think about coffee at a time like this????) He remarked that just the other day he had walked right past her. And today, as soon as he stepped in the enclosure THERE SHE WAS. Crisis averted.
But I SWEAR on ANYTHING you care to offer, that she had been NOWHERE TO BE FOUND until she was good and ready!!!!
So my question stands: Do you think tortoises have Invisibility Superpowers or is it Stealth Ninja Skills?
This morning I went out to see Elsa, my Hermann's tortoise, to say good morning before bringing out her breakfast. I didn't see her initially, which isn't unusual: her enclosure has lots of deep weeds and grasses and she's VERY good at camouflaging herself. She's a good size for a Hermann's: 7 inches long and 6 inches wide, and I always find her sooner or later- "Spot the Tortoise Butt" is one of our family's favorite games. But today was different. She wasn't in the "alley" behind her safe house, she wasn't under any of her ferns or hostas or the low-growing rose. I know all her main hiding places and she was no where to be found. I got down on my hands and knees and pulled aside the tall Purple Fountain Grasses, and peeked in the cave she has dug under one of them- no Elsa. I committed the Great Offense of picking up her favorite palm-bark hide, to see back inside it (risking the "stink-eye" from a sleepy tortoise) but no Elsa. AGAIN I went all over her grassy yard on hands and knees, but no Elsa.
The walls of her enclosure are cinderblock, and are 2 blocks high- all was intact and undisturbed.
There was only 1 conclusion: those new yard guys must have come back during the night and taken her. Their boss had a friend who has a sulcata, and he thinks Elsa is really cool looking. One of the guys always pauses and looks at her in her enclosed "yard" as he's weed-eating. I was working out my plan: I can't PROVE anything but I can tell the yard guys to NOT mow in the back... put up posters... how big a reward should I offer...
I work out of town all week, so tortoise care falls to my husband during that time, and he's probably more familiar with her patterns than I am. I dashed in and told him Elsa is gone- I think she's been stolen! and in his typical fashion he declined to join my panic. He came right out to see, bringing his coffee cup with him (HOW can you think about coffee at a time like this????) He remarked that just the other day he had walked right past her. And today, as soon as he stepped in the enclosure THERE SHE WAS. Crisis averted.
But I SWEAR on ANYTHING you care to offer, that she had been NOWHERE TO BE FOUND until she was good and ready!!!!
So my question stands: Do you think tortoises have Invisibility Superpowers or is it Stealth Ninja Skills?