Habitat - Outdoor :: Lost turtle

[kamecare]

on June 30th, around 7pm it was a very nice day out, so i brought my two turtles out on my deck to bask. while i cleaned the turtle tank inside, i left them out there for approximately 45mins. when i came back, one turtle was missing. i keep thinking about this situation, and cant figure out where did he go. could anyone give some input on what predators can lift a turtle off the ground over the 1.5m guard rail?

some detailed specs:
-missing turtle is around 6inches shell length
-haven't weighed him, but i would guess 4-5pounds?

-deck is totally closed off
-deck guard rail compose of stucco walls for 1.2m and then the remainder with metal railing
-nothing to hide under
-deck is located on second floor of the house without stairs leading to ground.

is the typical crow or seagull able to lift a turtle off its feet? even IF it was able to get a hold of his limbs?


i feel completely terrible. not having the best luck with my pets.i miss him dearly...

[steve]

We have some tips here: http://www.redearslider.com/lost_turtle.html

They can squeeze through tiny gaps or wedge themselves behind other objects. Any place to dig?

If it wasn't a flying predator, I would think it could be a raccoon that grabbed him. How big is the deck?

[kamecare]

thanks for the reply like always steve,

this has been puzzling me continuously. technically its a balcony not a deck (my mistake)
there is no object to hide under or behind, the balcony is completely empty. you can see all 4 corners easily. no chairs.. nothing. nowhere to dig also. as mentioned its on the second floor of the house so i would assume 12-14feet above ground level. (slanted grade). its possible it could be a racoon but it would be pretty farfetched to see a racoon climb that distance during the day, let alone seeing them around during the day is pretty rare in my neighborhood. see how this can get me so confused on what happened?

[kamecare]

Great news!! After some lost turtle postings near my neighborhood. My neighbor called and have found him in his driveway today. He seems to be in shock. Might even have caught a cold in the process. I'll keep a close eye on him. Thanks

[ljapa]

That is great news! Now you just need to figure out how he got down, so you can block that escape route. Turtles are amazing creatures.

Keep us updated on how he is doing.

[kamecare]

its still a mystery how he got down. i still think its some strong seagull.

im pretty sure he's caught a cold, he has no appetite, and is basking alot, his shell seems to float above the water, seems fatigue and slow. so far I've increased his water temperature and left the basking light a little longer. hope he'll be alright. any other recommendations?

[steve]

They can also climb very well... never turn you back on them. Anyway, great news indeed. Glad you're all reunited

[kamecare]

just an update to the whole situation.
I found my turtle after posting lost ads around my neighborhood. (remember to remove them after found) my neighbor found him on his driveway.

realized my turtle had swimming issues and sneezing, must had caught a cold on the nights he was wondering around the neighborhood. he is all recovered now and is cuter than ever.

things i did to cure his cold:
-kept turtle out of water / left the basking/uvb lamp on for the whole day except sleeping time
-hydrate turtle in a bucket of warm water for about an hour each day
-try add variety of foods in case turtle eats
-i added diluted tetracyline (used for fish in aquariums. pet store manager recommended as lasts resort if turtle hasn't been eating for 4+ days and is getting lighter/weaker and if vet is not optional)
-monitor turtle while soaking in case turtle is struggling to keep head above water to breath.
-i pretty much did this for about a week+ until his appetite started to increase while soaking. feed turtle foods with high vitamin A / C content to help increase immune system.
-i also left turtle a water dish just in case turt wishes to drink during the dry docking. which he typically spills anyways.

thanks for everyone's support. as mentioned, my turt is back to health and now in the main tank, swimming / eating happily.

[devilduck]

Happy to hear that everything turned out well! Thank you for sharing your tips.