Urgent Care :: My 10 month old RES escaped his tank, and I need help!

[NewToRESoWning]

Hello all,

I usually feed my turtle when I wake up and at around 7-8pm. Well, last night I was running a bit behind and didn't get to feed him until around 12am. However he was still in his tank at the time. I don't know how long he's been missing but when I went out there at 1:30pm, (Woke up late so didn't get to give him breakfast but he's used to eating at around 1 or so anyway). He wasn't anywhere to be found in his tank.

Right now I am tearing apart the room looking for him. I keep thinking I hear him clanking around but then again I look over at the rats cage and they're just smiling away like it wasn't them making me paranoid!

Somebody on yahoo answers told me I should put out a pan of water and his favorite food. Do you think that would be a good idea? I'm scared to move everything outside because what if I'm accidentally moving him outside, like if he is in something and I don't see him. Should I just leave the pan of water out there and his food and check back every hour without tearing everything apart? Then again, what if he is stuck somewhere and if I don't move anything?

Please help me out with any ideas as to what I should do. Maybe if something bad happens and I listen to someone's elses idea I can blame someone else and not feel so guilty.

I'm very sad and want to find my baby!

*Sighs*

~~*~~Cassie~~*~~[/b]

[jenaero]

A pan of water is never a bad idea. Make it easy for him to climb into if he sees it.

Get a flashlight and slowly and methodically look in every crevace in the room, even if it seems like there's no way he would fit. Do that with every room. I wouldn't move anything outside just yet.

Good luck

[NewToRESoWning]

Hi guys,

Great news! I found him! With almost half of the room torn apart, I decided to check back under some toys that were out there. Earlier I had moved a small toy piano with no sign of the turtle, I quickly went to the other side. With almost making a bigger mess, I went back to the toys and moved a small seat that goes with the piano and bam, the turtle was right there!

I don't know how long he was out of his tank but I got him damp with a rag and cleared some web, fuzz and whatever else was around his face. At first his breathing sounded a little weezy like but then it was better to where it sounded normal or you couldn't hear it. He was kicking and he is capable of putting his head in and out of his shell. His neck looks strong and he is able to turn it either left or right. There doesn't look to be any cracks of the shell, bruising or anything. I am so happy that I found my turtle! Like I said earlier, I don't know how long he was missing, but it took me almost 3 hours to find him.

YAY!

[NewToRESoWning]

I put him in his tank to see how his swimming was and he seems normal. There was one time when he went straight up and almost fell backwards at the top of the water as if he were trying to do a backflip but then he slowly floated down to the bottom and was back to swimming.

I am going to check back on him maybe every 30 minutes or hour.

Anything else I should do? Please let me know. I love my Squirt!

[megcornell]

Yes, try and figure out how he escaped the first time so you can block his route to prevent repeats. Once a turtle finds a way out, they'll keep exploiting it until you block it.

I'm glad you found him!

[moldygrape]

CONGRATS!!!!!

[Joel]

I lost my RES Not to long ago, it took me 12 Hours to find her, i was so stressed out it was like losing a child!
This was even worse, i had lost her outside and was looking EVERYWERE
once i found her, she was Squished up against the fence and a pot plant half buried in dirt and leaves,They usually go somewhere they can be hard to see (camouflaged) which is what they tend to do. check every corner of your house, under you bed behind the tv,and definatley the messiest place in your house would be a good place to check, Go from area to area looking very closely at anywhere he/she could be.