CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – The search is on in the Fifeville neighborhood for a missing tortoise, and time is of the essence. Rowdy, a 38-pound African sulcata tortoise got out of her enclosure at her home near the intersection of Bailey Rd. and Ridge St., according to a post by her owner in the Facebook group “Lost and Found Pets: Charlottesville.”

“She must be found before the weather gets cool,” owner Barbara Johnson’s post said.

Barbara Johnson’s son has had Rowdy, who is about 18 inches long and has a diamond-patterned top shell, as a pet for four years, since finding her loose in Florida and rescuing her. The tortoise, which feeds on grass and hay, has been kept in an indoor pen with heat lamp.

Johnson told Cville Right Now on Thursday that Rowdy had been last spotted crossing 5th Street around midday, and could be headed toward the Willoughby neighborhood or 5th Street Station.

“Her instincts are grass and warmth,” Johnson said. “As weather gets colder, she will freeze and perish.”

Johnson’s son has been putting up missing flyers in the area. Anyone who spots Rowdy is asked to contact Johnson through her Facebook post. Johnson said Rowdy can be picked up – and won’t bite or snap – but warns that she is heavy.