my friends tortoise

Question
my friends pet tortoise is stiff,and lifeless,with its neck sticking out of its shell.is it dead?

Answer
Hi Christine, You can try holding the nostrils under water  briefly to check for any signs of breathing but I'm afraid that it does sound like it may be gone. If the tortoise has gotten cold for some reason I would also try warming it up before you make a final determination. Cold tortoises appear dead, are unable to move and their metabolism will have slowed down so much they may not appear to be breathing.