Volunteers finally find Betty White—the rescue tortoise

Betty White is about 20-years-old and lives at Badger Run Wildlife Rehab in southern Oregon. Laura and John Hale / Badger Run Wildlife Rehab Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Betty White spent the winter hiding from the authorities. The roughly 20-year-old female Russian tortoise ( Testudo horsfieldii ) named after the iconic actress is one of Oregon’s Badger Run Wildlife Rehab resident reptiles. She went missing this past fall, only to be found months later underneath her enclosure by a volunteer named Rose. Russian tortoises like Betty White are found throughout Central Asia, including in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Iran, and China. After the fall of the Soviet Union, they became a popular export for former Soviet states . “Almost all of the Russian tortoises in the pet trade are wild-caught and this has taken a toll on their species in their native territories along with habitat loss,” Laura Hale , a biologist and the president of Badger Run Wildlife Rehab , tells Popular Science . “They are considered endangered or threatened in much of their range.” Betty White is a Russian tortoise, a species found through Central Asia. Image: Laura and John Hale / Badger Run Wildlife Rehab. In December 2023, Betty White and a male Russian tortoise named Smudge were rescued after her owner had died. Both were brought to Badger Run Wildlife Rehab in Klamath Falls, Oregon, where they teach the public about turtles, tortoises, and the dangers of the exotic pet trade. Trafficking wild animals takes them out of their natural habitats and owning exotic pets also pose health risks for human handlers and the animals —Betty White included. Her name comes from the white lines on her shell due to improper growth between the individual sections of the shell. These lines are due to a poor diet and the incorrect humidity she was originally kept in. Betty White and Smudge now spend their spring, summer, and fall together in a large outdoor enclosure with deep soil for burrowing. In the winter they are moved indoors to a warmer enclosure with UVB lamps. Betty White (left) and her buddy Smudge (right) were reduced in 2023 and now help teach the public about reptiles and the dangers of the exotic pet trade. Image: Laura and John Hale / Badger Run Wildlife Rehab. “Since Betty White and Smudge have ‘day jobs’ as education animals we do not let them brumate (hibernate) during cold weather,” Hale says. “They are moved indoors where they stay active throughout the cold months.” According to Hale, many reptile experts advise against letting captive animals like Betty White and Smudge brumate unless caretakers can ensure absolute silence without any disturbances for the animals’ wellbeing. “Every time a hibernating animal is awakened, it raises their metabolism again which burns precious calories,” Hale explains. “If that happens too often, they won’t h