escaped Map turtle

Question
Hello!  We have had two turtles for four years.  We have them in a nice sized turtle tank and we woke up this morning to one of them gone from the tank.  We have some floating wood of in there that is suctioned cupped to the back of the tank and a clip on lamp for them to bask in.  I supposed that it was on top and somehow managed to get up the 7 or 8 inches, we have no idea how though.  But what my question is  is how long can they live outside of the water?  We have turned our house upside down looking.  We also have a 75 pound chocolate lab (indoor dog).  If she were to have gotten to the turtle, wouldn't I find pieces of shell and possibly blood and wouldn't she be sick?  Also, is there anyway for them to climb up something fairly tall (toy box or tupperware containers?  Thank you for any help you can give!
Laurie

Answer
I don't know what a "nice size turtle tank" means. It's not specific. You also didn't tell me how big the turtles are. That might be useful information. Dogs are known to swallow turtles and other such things whole. Especially Labs and other such high prey drive hunting type dogs. I have seen x-rays of padlocks and keys that were swallowed by dogs, so it wouldn't surprise me at all. If it is a large enough turtle, dogs have been known to chew on them. You might check the dog over for debris in the mouth, etc. Especially where the dog has a favorite spot to take things and lay down.

For now, unless your dog is acting strange, go under the assumption that the turtle is loose in the house somewhere. Your dog might also be valuable in helping to find the turtle ( again if it didn't swallow the turtle itself ). Play close attention to the cues from the dog. Labs are hunting dogs and have high prey drive. If they see a turtle about, or they know where it is, they are likely to get excited and want to play with it, or show you, so that you can help the dog play with it.   

I will tell you that you should look in ALL places. Look in places you think are impossible for a turtle to be. It is not only snakes that are good climbers and hiders. Turtles are experts too, and can climb out of things and hide where you least expect. Trust me. We once had a rescued female Slider more than 10" in length. She was over 20 years old at least, and I set her down in the living room for a minute. In less than 2 minutes she had disappeared into thin air. It was as if she was like a mythical unicorn who didn't want to be seen, and made herself invisible. A big turtle like that...she was missing for several hours before walking back out into the open. We had looked under couches, physically in the couches, in the fireplace, behind bookcases, etc. They can be very difficult to find when they don't want to be found, so look EVERYWHERE!

First thing: double check your tank. Many times I have had people looking for reptiles that never actually left the tank, but are buried under rocks/substrate or hiding in/under the decor. We once had a goldfish that got inside a small hole in a piece of decoration. We just found him in time. Make sure for sure it is not in the tank first.

Next, some obvious places would be someplace dark, like under things, and some place that might also be damp, or warm. I have found escaped snakes in closed dresser drawers. If you have a box spring under the bed, check it to make sure there are no rips in the underside which would allow a turtle to climb into. Same thing with the couches and other furniture. Turn the furniture upside down and look into them. Look in piles of clothes, near water heaters, etc.

Take the search in a methodical and coordinated manner so that it is organized and efforts are not duplicated, nor anything missed. Close off any means to the outside and secure a perimeter. Close off a/c vents, toilet lids, or anything of the like that may be a hazardous route ( after checking as much as possible ), and close doors to compartmentalize areas to be searched and cleared in an organized way. Once you complete searching a room, close the door and seal the bottom of the door with a towel or something and move on.

If no luck, then you might put the dog up in a bathroom or somewhere to segregate it, as the turtle may not show itself if there is a potential predator about. You might also at this time place some fruit or some of it's favorite food out to entice it out. Darkening the room may also help, as a reptile out of it's element is not going to care much for being out in the bright light.

Do not despair. We know a lady that lost her Red Eared Slider in the house. After weeks of looking she thought he was gone, or done for. But he reappeared months later, slightly dehydrated, but nothing a vet trip couldn't fix. He is now fine and back with his keeper. Turtles can go for some time without eating or drinking if they are in good shape. A water turtle may dehydrate much faster than a land turtle, but you still have some time to search. If you don't find the turtle soon though, I would try to rule out that the dog did not swallow it. That may take an x-ray at the vet, but a swallowed turtle could be a fatal condition for the dog too.

Get an aquarium lid for that tank! And I would like to know whether you find the turtle ok...you can contact me here or at http://freewebs.com/wichitafallsreptilerescue