Other Turtle Discussion :: Lost Turtle - What to Do??

[Turtle Mummy 101]

Hey all,
It's been awhile since i've posted and Charlotte is doing great. Today I left the house for about 8 hours and when I came home Charlotte was not in her tank!! I still can't figure out how she got out because there is a lid over her tank that she shouldn't be able to lift, but I can't see any other way for her to get out. Before I left the house, I checked on her and she was secure in her tank.
My concerns:
The tank is about 4 1/2ft off the ceramic floor so I am worried she may be hurt from falling from such a distance.
I have 2 cats and a small dog that were in the house roaming around while I was out.
Our whole house is usually pretty cold as we have ceramic tile and wood flooring all over the house.

I have looked EVERYWHERE but have had no luck in finding her. What do I do? Is there something I can put out to attract her? How long can she be without food and water? I know she would still be in the basement as the stairs are too high for her to climb - unless one of the cats or dog got to her...Please help!! How do I go about finding her??

[steve]

I'd keep your pets in one room and start with another search. They like to hid and bury under everything. I sometimes would just keep things quiet and listen for any movement.

There are some additional tips here: http://www.redearslider.com/lost_turtle.html

[Turtle Mummy 101]

Thanks so much Steve! Good news. I sequestered my pets upstairs and did one last search. When I didn't find anything I just sat downstairs watching tv. She actually ended up just finding me!! All of a sudden I felt something brush up againsed my foot, and to my surprise - it was her!! I immediately picked her up to inspect her and she dosen't have a scratch on her and is acting normal. I did put her in a warm aquarium salt soak just in case. Boy, isn't she lucky?

[steve]

Good to hear! I don't think a salt soak is necessary, though you would want to rinse her off after her travels.

[SINI5T3R]

lost for a whole 25 minutes!

[Turtle Mummy 101]

Haha. I feel so stupid for even posting this as a question. Thankfully she came back!

[sflemin2]

Maybe she wants to lay eggs? Mine got out some how too (5 foot fall, hard wood floors..she got pretty banged up but thankully she is OK). Turns out, mine was trying to find a place to lay eggs. I found her in a spare room with the door shut! LOL!

I a glad your baby isnt hurt. They are tougher than they look! A reptile fanatic friend of mine reassured me by reminding me that they are build to handle falls in the wild (in streams and whatnot). We forget sometimes haha

[blulite]

damn!.. already found her....when i saw this qestion, i felt the need to post a reply simply saying,

Find It!

lol. ah well not to worry.