Have you ever lost a tortoise in your garden? I have, and it really gets your adrenaline pumping! It can be nerve racking trying to locate one or more pet tortoises in your backyard! The worst part of it is not knowing where to look. The good news is they can’t go too far, and most tortoises will be found near the area you last saw them in plain sight.
To find a lost tortoise in the garden the first thing to do is to look if the tortoise is under something, like a bush or flower pot. Try moving these things around and see if you can find it. If not, try looking on top of objects like tables and chairs. You may also want to check any plants that are near the ground as well as inside them – they might have crawled into one!
Once you’ve found your lost tortoise, take some time to think about why he was out exploring in the first place. Maybe he wanted more space or maybe he just wanted some fresh air? Whatever his reason was, make sure there’s not too much space between his walls and the ground or he may go exploring again!
Finally, remember to watch your tortoise more carefully in the future. You don’t want him getting lost a second time!
Tortoise owners often experience their torts being lost. Believing that their tort is so slow to run away, they leave the tort for a few minutes. And then torts let them believe in the magic of being disappeared.
Well! If you have experienced the same thing or want to prepare yourself for future problems, you need to understand that it is not your neighbour’s place or somewhere in the town where you need to find out your tort. It is right in your house in a burrow or under something that can provide your tort place for shelter.
If your tort can burrow, it will burrow to find a peaceful place to spend time. Therefore, you might find your tort inside your home under some furniture or in a burrow where your tort will be having fun.
There are some favourite places where your tort where your tort love to hide. You should have an idea of these places in your home so that you can easily find your lost tort.
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Where Do Tortoises Hide?
Tortoises can often be found hiding under things such as bushes or flower pots, in planters and flowers, on top of objects such as tables and chairs, inside plants, or in a burrow where they sleep. They just like to hide from time to time!
Tortoises are burrowing animals, and they have their innate instinct to burrow where they live. In the area where torts live, that may be your lawn. There must be at least ten to twenty burrows made by your tort. The burrows may not be deep and long. Torts only make shallow burrows where they can easily hide. Therefore, burrows are the most favourite place for torts to hide. Burrows are one of the first places you might want to look to find your tortoise.
However, if you don’t have a lawn where your tort can make a burrow, there are some other places where your tort can hide. First, you need to know why your tort needs to hide and the physiological reasons that compel your tort to hide.
Furthermore, you should look under anything on the lawn. Your tort may have hidden under or inside anything where the temperature is constant, and your tort can find some peace. The same protocol is for your home. If your tort is lost inside your room, you should look under and inside everything that can be in access to your tort.
Why Does Your Tortoise Need To Hide?
There are good reasons for a tortoise to want to hide. The Shell on a tortoise is the turtle’s only defense against Predators. If it feels threatened, it will retract its head and feet into the shell, rendering them virtually impervious to any attack.
The tortoise typically withdraws into its shell when frightened, but this can also be a sign that it’s becoming sick or that difficulties with urination have rendered the animal unable to leave its shelter.
Tortoise responds to their instinct and finds a better place where they can hide. They have developed this behaviour because of survival instinct. In the wild, they need to protect themselves, spend the winter and reproduce in a safe place. All the needs can be fulfilled in a burrow. Following are the reasons that will explain to us why the tortoise needs to hide in a burrow.
Shelter
You should not underestimate your management or efforts to make a comfortable house for your tortoise. Your tortoise may feel uncomfortable with the elements or the surrounding temperature and want to take inside a burrow. They may also want to avoid the rain.
Safety
Your tortoise may have seen a predator and want to protect herself by going inside the burrow. Tortoises have developed this behaviour in the wild for protection. Whenever they feel unsafe because of any predator, they go inside the burrow.
Hibernation
Tortoises hibernate to spend the long winters without being frozen. When winter comes, they dig up a burrow and go inside. Tortoises lower their metabolic activity and go into a deep sleep in which they can easily spend the long winters without food. Hibernation protects tortoises from being frozen in the winters.
Eggs
Females need a safe and sound place to lay eggs. Reproduction is the basic principle of survival; no species can survive without successful reproduction. Therefore, females make the safety of eggs their prime priority. The same is the case with tortoise; female tortoise finds the best place to lay eggs where eggs can be safe for the incubation period.
How To Find a Lost Tortoise in The House
You should not panic but instead go systematically about finding the lost tort in your home. It is not a big deal for your tortoise to be lost. You know everything about your house, and you can quickly locate your tort.
Try following these strategies if your tortoise is lost and you need to find it.
1. Make a Household Search Party
You should call every member of the house and tell them that you have lost your tort. They must come up with a beautiful idea or a plan to find the lost tort. If not, they will lend you a hand which you need the most. So don’t hesitate to tell your parents, siblings, or other house members to help you out.
2. Search For Burrows
If you are sure that you have lost your tort in the lawn, she must be inside the burrow. You should start looking for burrows inside the lawn and carefully search inside each burrow. If your tortoise spends time on your lawn, she must have built several burrows. Therefore, a careful search is essential to find your lost tort.
3. Check Under/Inside Stuff
You should see under or inside every stuff to look for your tort. If you don’t find your tort in the lawn, or your tort has been lost inside the room, check under every piece of furniture or inside everything that can be in access to your tort. Remember not to leave anything while searching.
4. Morning Sunlight
If your tort can go inside the burrow because of temperature, it can come out again because of temperature. When the sun rises, the temperature goes up, and your tort may not find the burrow comfortable and come out of it.
How To Track a Lost Tortoise
To track a lost tortoise the most effective way is to look where the tortoise spends time. Look in the area your tortoise frequents, such as lawns or under furniture. Tortoises are torpid in winter and during days of extreme heat.
Look for burrows if that’s the case. Female tortoises find a safe place to lay eggs when they need too or an aesthetically pleasing hiding place at other times of year, so be sure not to forget about inside sofas, deep cupboards and shelves etc!
If you live in a hot climate, then morning sunlight may work out here for you- when it gets warm enough outside (depending on season) try placing some bowls of water around your property and possibly on the roof.
There are several exciting ways to put a tracker on your tort. You can use a shining sticker that will shine in the light and help you locate your tort. Or you can use water-soluble adhesives to put a disc-with-hook on your tort’s back and bind a thread with it every time you leave your tort for a walk.
Losing your tort can not be easy. You should be precautionary while setting your tort free and keep an attentive eye on your tort. Otherwise, you can have a tough time finding your lost tort.
Tortoises are slow and steady creatures, but there’s always the chance that they might get lost in your yard or home. We hope this article has helped you find a tortoise – lost or not – and reunite them with their family.
Remember to keep an attentive eye on your pet while setting him free and be careful where you place bowls of water around your property during hot days! If all else fails, call us for help finding a lost tortoise. We’re experts at spotting these adorable reptiles anywhere they may hide to avoid being found by predators.
