Hello, my name is Lynne and we have what our vet thinks is a 3 year old female Sulcata. We are calling her Suki. I’m sure she started out as a pet but I believe this young lady has been on her own for awhile and we are trying hard to gain her trust. Here are pictures of her.
I was on my way to a coworkers going away party and saw a tortoise in the road, so I pulled over to move it out of the road. At the time I thought it was a Florida Gopher tortoise, and because I know they are protected I decided to pick it up and see if I couldn’t find a rescue. Well Florida Fish and Games asked me to send pictures and told me it was best to release it where I found it. I followed their instructions and I believe someone in the neighborhood thought I was dumping a pet and we found her in our backyard the next afternoon. That or she decided to follow me home! Lol
So we started Feeding her Romaine lettuce, kale, and tried hibiscus flowers which she didn’t go for and then about 2 weeks later I received an email from FF&G telling me it wasn’t a gopher tortoise but what they believed was an African spurred tortoise. They advised me to find the owner as it wasn’t a native species or to contact a rescue.
It’s been over 2 months now and we haven’t found an owner, and she isn’t microchipped so we found an vet that treats exotics and had her checked out.
Im concerned because she is nothing like the articles I’ve read....she doesn’t like hibiscus flowers, has eaten maybe 2 Mazuri biscuits, doesn’t like to be touched...hisses, and she prefers to sleep under some bushes rather than the box we have outfitted with a pig blanket and heat lamp. In fact we have to close her in it at night since the temperature has dropped below 75. These are all reasons I think she’s been living wild for awhile. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
So wonderful that you are helping this tortie. It may have been dumped by a previous owner, and obviously is not used to human contact. With time and patience, you will win him/her over!
Suki will come around especially when you become the food alien.
You said you are trying mazuri. Is the mazuri the 5m21 type or the LS? Do you soak the pellets?
Sounds like she has been out by Herself for a while, I hope you can get her settled in and once that happens she will warm up to you. She looks pretty healthy in my opinion.
By the way, what part of Florida are you at, if you don't mind my asking? Just curious because my daughter lives in South Florida and lost a young sulcata there some years ago. Hoping maybe it's him/her!!! And has been rescued!?