Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I had a bag of mulch in the tortoise pen, and my father went in to take it out, and two Russians (male and female) were in there. I found the male by the side of the pen trying to dig his way back in. But I couldn't find the female. Then, I decided to pick up the bag of mulch, and I saw the female. Its strange, the male left, but the female decided to spend the night, and most of the next day in the bag of mulch until I found her.

Your were very lucky to get them back, it does not always turn out so... I once had two hatchling T. greaca ibera get out, and I was so pleased to find them basking in the morning Sun next to the enclosure wall, apparently returned home after there 24 hour great adventure. Escapes often end in trajedy, try hard to make them secure. Glad you were given a 2nd chance, don't use up all your luck! Vic

My russian male got loose once and went on a three week walkabout. We posted lost tortise posters around the neighbor hood and at the local pet stores and lucily he was found two blocks away trying to cross the street.

But VICtort is right, we got lucky that time. The next year the kids left the top off his enclosure and a red fox killed him that night.

R.I.P.

You were lucky to get them back too, but sorry about your Russian getting killed. It's a good thing mine didn't go down by the road, because this kid down the street from me would probably just run them over for being living things. My tortoise pens now have new locks on them, and my father doesn't have the key to them. One of the rabbits got loose, went to the yard behind us, and nearly got killed by a pit bull, so needless to say, he doesn't have the key to that pen either!

You were lucky to get them back too, but sorry about your Russian getting killed. It's a good thing mine didn't go down by the road, because this kid down the street from me would probably just run them over for being living things. My tortoise pens now have new locks on them, and my father doesn't have the key to them. One of the rabbits got loose when he was feeding them, went to the yard behind us, and nearly got killed by a pit bull, so needless to say, he doesn't have the key to that pen either!

Just last weekend, I had a gentleman down the street from me bring me a 3 toed box turtle that had escaped from my pen about 3 years ago and somehow managed to survive the long, harsh Ontario (Canada) winter!

Matt

My male dug out his pen last summer and spent three weeks out in the great wilds of my neighborhood. My daughter saw a lady picking up a turtle about a block away from the house and suspected it was him. Her and my wife ran over to check it out and sure enough it was him. The lady thought it was a wild turtle and was going to throw him into the little neighborhood lake!!! Whew, close call!! Needless to say I fortified the perimeter of the pen.