Sheesh! Lost All My Gulf Coast Box Turtles!
 

So yesterday a.m. the phone rings and it's a neighbor from where I USED to live 25 years ago. He was driving down the street just south of me and saw a large turtle in a puddle. He left it there then went home and called me. I knew it would be gone by the time I got there, but I hopped in my truck and went looking for a turtle in a puddle.

I didn't bring my camera with me, darn it, but sure enough, there was a turtle in a puddle. And not just ANY turtle, but a Phrynops hillari. What are the chances of a Phrynops hillari being out in my neighborhood and it NOT being MY OWN turtle? Slim to none!

So I tossed her in the back of my truck and went home. I gave the fence around the pond a very close inspection, and all the RES and soft shells and pond turtles were very interested in what I was doing. So it appears none of them had escaped.

But as I looked further afield, I saw that the bottom board on the fence surrounding the gulf coast box turtle yard was pulled away from the fence. I have no idea how the water turtle climbed over the 2' tall fence into the box turtle yard. She's never climbed in all the 25 years she's lived in this pond. But all the gulf coast box turtles couldn't resist the call of the wild. They're all gone! This is quite a blow. I was very partial to the gulf coast box turtles. I hate thinking of them wandering around here out in the country, crossing streets, looking for food, etc. We have something called "Nextdoor" that is like social media in your own neighborhood. I've put up a thread telling my neighbors to watch for the turtles.

But on a nice note, while I was looking for the box turtles I found four hatchlings from last September, still in the nest.

That’s awful, Yvonne! :shock: :-(
I really hope that you and your neighbours can recover the majority, if not all, of them. The Next Door social media call out will hopefully help.
I’m so sad for you as I’d be heartbroken so I really hope that you have success in getting them back.
Lovely they have hatchlings though and I guess you’ve now fixed the fence!

Goodness Yvonne that is so sad I really hope that you manage to track them all down and return them safely to their enclosure.

Yeah, there's not much hope of finding them. Where I live is pretty rural, with wide open spaces and homes few and far between. But thank you all for the kind words. Your lips to the turtle higher power's ears!

Sorry to hear this Yvonne :(

sorry this has happened Yvonne, but finding the little ones and one in the puddle was a good thing. Hope things are bit better for you now CB