Hi there,

Can anyone please help me? my 5 year old horsefield tortoise is missing! she has had the run of the garden all summer and she is usually kept awake in the house all winter.

I did not see her last weekend when i looked for her as I was going to bring her in for the winter, but realising this warm weather decided to leave her out for the week. I have searched for her all week, expecting to see her in this lovely hot weather but with no luck. Is it possible that she has hybernated herself? someone told me that when it was cooler the week before last that she probably dug herself in somewhere for the winter?. I have proded around in my rockery where she usually sleeps during the summer months and there seems to be holes under the earth but no sign of my Sammy! There are also some very large green bushes in the rockery where she usually shades herself in the heat. She has hidden away before for a couple of days but usually appears for some fresh food. She has never stayed hidden this long before. If she has dug herself in, will I be able to find her and bring her in for the winter? how deep will she dig? what other explanation could there be for her disappearing act? Will she survive?

Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks

Jayne

Hi,

Sorry to hear your tortoise has gone missing. Keep searching. Really scan through your bushes as they can really blend in. My tortoise didn't ever dig a deep hole just kind of wedges himself between things.
Ask neighbours to check their gardens too as they can move quickly when they are on a mission. Hopefully this hot weather will bring her running back to you for some food.
Good luck. xx

Sounds like good advice, I would just like to add, that be very careful before you dig or mow the lawn just in case S/he has dug down. I would have thought that with this weather they would have surfaced, so maybe the neighbours would be a good choice.
Hope S/he turns up soon, please let us know
Jane