Reptile & Amphibian Forums

It was so nice yesterday that I put all the girls in the pen for the day.. now I can't find Shell E :::rolling eyes::::
She has hidden herself really well out there so she spent her first night in the pen then we had a storm.
It never got any cooler than 62 & will be around 70 today so I'm not too worried but,, you know I still worried last night.
Oh well she'll be living there 24/7 anyway so if I couldn't find her I'm sure the rain didn't bother her.

It's always something!
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PHRatz

Hide and seek

I've noticed some interesting behavior when herps that have been kept inside for a period of time are suddenly placed outdoors. I've had snakes that were completely docile indoors strike, bite, and struggle vigorously when taken outdoors. I've raised turtles indoors that RUN to me for food only to have them turn tail and flee in the opposite direction, upon my approach, after spending some time outdoors. They usually come around, but it almost seems like something in them is saying, "NO WAY! You're not taking me back in there!! I'm free!"

I hope she's ok. I'm sure she's just enjoying some freedom.

>I hope she's ok. I'm sure she's just enjoying some freedom.

I hope she's ok too. 2 years ago, in April when our fence was completed I let Shell E & Charity outside to roam when Charity vanished. She buried herself & stayed under for 3 days.. but the difference is- I knew where she was.

Charity is the skittish one, doesn't matter if she's outside or inside she runs no matter what.
Shell E though comes after me for food so I'm sure when she gets hungry she'll show up.
I'm still gonna worry though...
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PHRatz

Ok I have been in & out in & out all day looking for her. Wouldn't you know it.. it's cloudy, misty & sprinkly here today. No sun yet & no reason for her to come out yet.
Still can't find her.. which worries me to death.. but then I think logically about it. Even if she somehow got out of the pen.. she still can't get out of the fence.

arrggghhh!
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PHRatz

I dug under some bricks & there she was.
I am soooooooo relieved because even though it's spring, even Hobo isn't yet venturing far from his winter burrow.
He's not even taking food from me yet although he is alert.
If he's not ready to get back to spring/summer normal then I don't want Shell E out there full time just now.

Ahhhh I know I'll sleep better tonight!
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PHRatz

That is a relief! I can't count the number of times that I've thought a turtle escaped or was stolen because I couldn't find them in the pen. Then, suprise, there they are. Often, they'll have little piles of dirt on their shells.

Here's to an insomnia-free night...cheers.

Every now and again I can't find one of my turtles, and the first thing I do is reassure myself that there are no escape routes, and then I try to calm down and do a more methodical search. The 'missing' turtle has always turned up a little later, but darn, they can be hard to find!

Yep Steph, Ken.. that's what I was doing- convincing myself that she could not possibly have gotten out.
She was a mess when I dug her up, covered in damp sand, she took a bath to get the dirt off & I put her under the CHE, she seemed really happy with that!
She's fine & IF by any chance we see a relapse on that respiratory problem.. well now I'm prepared. I got my own nebulizer in from eBay about 3 weeks or so ago.
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PHRatz

I'm really glad you found her. I know exactly how you felt. I feel that way all the time. In fact, since I have only seen 4 of the original 8 boxies out in the pen this spring, I keep wondering if all are out there still. I guess I have to just keep waiting and see if they appear in time. I keep thinking that this week if they haven't all appeared that I had better search under all the cubbies and hideouts really deep to see if they are actually in there. I too have a cinderblock fence around the yard, so it would be hard for them to get out of the yard if they did get out of the pen.(That is unless they had help getting out of the yard....if you know what I mean! That is something my hubby gets upset at me for. Thinking someone would actually come into the yard and take a turtle! It could happen though...right?)

My husband also gets irked at me because I worry about the turtles. He doesn't understand why. I don't know.....but I have always loved turtles ever since I was a little girl. I love the way they look up at me when I talk to them and how they come to me when I go out to the pen with their food. Maybe I am too attached to them. I do know that I am going to have to talk to my kids and make sure they understand that when my days on earth are gone that they need to find nice homes for the turtles.....somewhere where they can stay outdoors and not in a tank since they are used to being outside. Maybe my kids can even 'home' them in their yards. Hmm....time will tell on that one. ...9boxies

Yes people could steal them.. it does happen. Usually when I hear of it, it's someone's large tortoise that's been stolen but it does happen.

I think my husband understands my worries, he seems to but we do have family who think of animals as things & they don't understand at all. Then I don't understand them at all.
Luckily I don't have to live with them.

For me it doesn't matter if it's the dog, a crab, the frog.. any of our pets. If there is a problem I worry & that's all there is to it.

I don't think we get too attached- I see so many animals that people don't get attached to enough, the animals suffer because of it.
Caring owners is what they all deserve, your turtles have that. That's a good thing!
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PHRatz