Urgent Care :: Missing RES

[laturcotte]

I have a 4yo RES who during winter months lives in our Jacuzzi. During the summer from mid June (depending on warm weather) to 1st week of September she lives in our 7,000 gallon outdoor pond. Pond is completely surrounded my stone with one beach area which is surrounded by a 4ft high 2 ft deep rod iron fence. We have been alternating her for 3 years with no problem as long as we get her in the house before it gets too cold. The pond draws out 1/2 of the volumne of water every hour and has a skimmer, filter with waterfall. It is usually clear enough to see her swimming but the weather as been rainy on and off which makes the water cloudy. But this has never been a problem.

I put her in 2 weeks ago. It takes her about 2-3 days to start eating. She was basking everyday sometimes all day. I could watch her if I peeked out the bathroom window, everything spooked her. I use binoculars to keep an eye on her health. The pond is filled with Hyacinth and other water plants, never short of tadpoles. Here is the problem, Neither my husband or I have seen her in 3 days. I drop the food in there and it sits most of the day. I think the skimmer picks it up or the koi eats it. There is a chance she keeps getting spooked but she was coming out everyday.

I may have to go into the pond but we just cant take the chance of making a hole in the liner its a big pond. I just don't know My questions are; Will a turtle crawl out of the water when they are sick? If she is sick and dies will she go to the bottom to die or go to the nearest shore and beach herself. We checked she did not get out, positive.

[marisa]

I think it would depend on what's wrong with the turtle. When you were seeing her, did she appear ill at all (it can be difficult to determine if anything is wrong with her by viewing her through binoculars, though). A turtle could crawl on to the basking area if the turtle is ill (they often will bask excessively if they have an RI, for example). If she's injured or trapped under water somehow and died, she could remain under water.

That's a wonderfully big pond with a variety of food in it, which she could live on without the food you're giving her. And 3 days isn't that long to not be seeing her. If you're sure she's still in the pond, could she be hiding or basking around some of the water hyacinth?

If she still doesn't appear in a few days, and you want to see if you can find her, rather than going into the pond, can you get some netting and drag the bottom to see if she's there?

[laturcotte]

That was the reason we put the basking rock in the middle so it would be in plain site for viewing. The binoculars are high powered and bring her up really close and clear. The pond is only 25 feet from the bathroom. I look for shell deformity, weight and any yawning or eye rubbing. Nothing.

It didn't make sense to me that if she didn't eat her food she would starve there is just too much turtle goodies. Thanks for clarifying I was still worried. Say she was ill she should be easy to catch right? Oh hell I know you don't know. I just needed to ask someone who may know. I feel awful. In the end she probably is just hanging out and we just keep missing her. I'll let you know.

I apologize and paniced thank you very much for the quick response. I just want to make sure if she is ill we get her in time.

[marisa]

You said she looked good when you viewed her, so it doesn't sound like she's ill. And yes, I think if she were ill and you saw her she'd be pretty easy to catch.

Panicking has never gotten me anywhere (and wastes a lot of energy). I'd give her a few more days before I started to worry.

[TheComputerGremlin]

Since she's skitterish, have you considered setting up a webcam so you can monitor her without having to go near the pond? They make those little cameras good for indoors and outdoors, able to run 24/7 on the internet or save to a hard drive. It might be good for your worries!

I'd give her at least the rest of the week before you try anything with the pond. Then I would recommend a net. You could also try one of those really bright underwater lights, shine it around, you might see movement or her hanging out somewhere.

[fluz2]

you could make a feeding ring out of pvc pipe. say 1/2 inch pipe, and 4 90% elbows. about 3"s around. put the pellets in there. see if there gone at the end of the day.i hope your turt is just playing hard to see

[mat012]

Hi, Laturcotte,

Have you found her?

[laturcotte]

5 days and nothing. We dragged the water, one part of the pond is 5 feet and found nothing. We can't see to the bottom it has thunderstormed here everyday for a week so the water is pretty mucky. We removed all the hyachinth hoping she was hanging on but found nothing. The only rocks in the pond are hand sized field stones so we don't think she would have gotten trapped she is pretty strong. We cut the bottoms in half of plastic planters the kind you get a tree in, (so the turtle and fish can go in one side and out the other for fun) we removed all them, nothing. Nothing else is in the pond. The very large filter is out of the water and runs into a out of pond waterfall, the end of the fall is built up and the water falls over the rocks, definately can't get out there. The skimmer is outside and she is too large to fit in the opening (anyway we took it apart).

We walked outside and touched every inch rock by rock and we can't find how she could have climbed out. Like I said the beached area is fenced AND the entire yard around the pond is fenced in we have 4 small dogs. The yard fence is flush tightly to the ground. We found nothing disturbed, no moved dirt, bent grass NOTHING. I am heart broken. She is very large about 11-12 inches and very skiddish, my husband insists the turkey vulture came down and caught her. I say no way she was really large and heavy and would dive in the water with the slightest movement. Her basking rock is directly in the center of the 4 foot area of the pond. She is much much to large for the herring to take and anyway all the koi are there.

We are going to drain some of the water out, but we were hoping the muck would settle to the bottom, if it would only stop raining. I have 8 Koi and don't want to make them sick. I know she is probably dead and I can't tell you how this breaks my heart. My husband rescued her 4 years ago and she was wonderful. I feel like I failed her, but I thought we escaped proved that pond. We tried a camera but caught nothing. I still think she is at the bottom.

Thank you all for your help and I wish all your turtles well. If we find her I will let you all know, again thank you.

[steve]

I'm sorry to hear it. You shouldn't feel like you failed her, it sounds like she was in wonderful hands.

[mat012]

Yes Steve is right. We cant control everything - tho like you I would be heart broken. Let us know what happens in the end. Until then I will keep hoping for a miracle.

So sorry!

[SpotsMama]

What a shame. I agree with mat012. We can't control everything. I'm going to hope for a miracle too.

[RonnWilliams]

I'm hoping for a miracle too. If you had her for 4 years, that's a success in my book. When they reach 11-12 inches long, a pond is the best thing for them!

[marisa]

I'm really sorry you haven't found her. If she doesn't turn up with continued searching, do you think someone possibly could have come on the premises and taken her?