Scratch and Shelby are Leopard Tortoises (Stigmochelys pardalis), a species that can claim two rather impressive titles: the fourth largest tortoise in the world and, perhaps surprisingly, the fastest. Looks can be deceiving. Not Scratch and Shelby specifically—the species as a whole.
Leopards are stunning animals – high domed shells, pale yellow with dark patterning or dark browns and tans with yellow patterning. Either variation gives you an exceptionally beautiful animal.
Scratch arrived with me shortly after Agnes – the only reason I said I would take Scratch is because I had an enclosure and a heated shed all ready to go. Agnes would have to learn to share.
When Scratch arrived, I was very excited, he was a beautiful yellow base colour with dark rosettes all over his shell and around 6 years old. An absolute stunner. Yes, he looked like a mini stegosaurus with the pyramiding on his already high domed shell, but that added to his charm. That, and he couldn’t move three of his legs properly. It looked like Scratch was going to be a rehabilitation case before he ever got out into Agnes’ paddock.
It took close to 3 months of rehab and patience with Scratcher. My very simple tactic was to get him foraging for food, so working the muscles and joints that weren’t functioning correctly. It paid off and the day he pulled himself up on all four of his stubby little legs and started scratching around (now you know how he got his name) I knew we weren’t far off.
A few weeks later I had a fully functional Leopard Tortoise. He could walk and everything.
I carefully and gently drop kicked him outside and watched him relentlessly for days. I needed to make sure what I’d read and what I knew converted to what I was observing from my prehistoric looking leo. It was going well. Lots of grazing, plenty of activity, he would enjoy the pond and explore the house and was beginning to acclimatise to his new life in Agnes’ paddock.
Two short months later, Scratch was still becoming familiar with everything and everyone around him – and doing well at it - Shelby arrived. Shelby was a 6-year-old female with a dark base colouration and lighter, yellow rosettes. Not quite as pyramided a Scratch, but noticeable. Almost like the only bald guy in the room – noticeable but not by much. Shelby had fully functional limbs and was in general good health. The only issue? She had all the confidence of a snowman in an industrial kitchen.
Bless Shelby she was terrified of everything. I kept her away from any other tortoises and people during her quarantine period, she was fed and watered with as little interaction as possible and I let her settle properly.
The day came for Shelby’s introduction to the outside world and her forever home. It did not go well. Agnes was very “Agnes” about the whole process, more interested in me than anything else and specifically, my bootlaces. Scratch was too busy racing up and down the digging trench to notice what was going on and Shelby, Shelby just stopped. Withdrew into her shell and stayed there for hours.
I watched her intermittently throughout the day, unobtrusively so not to disturb her. Agnes wondered over and had a sniff, dismissing Shelby entirely as she was not edible. Scratch came over and did something unexpected.
Now male tortoise meeting female tortoise goes something like this – Meet, sniff, head bob, bite, mount and make silly noises (there are actually experts in tortoise reproductive sound identification that can ID a tortoise simply by listening to it mate. I’m not one of them..) Scratch sat down next to her and just existed. He sniffed her and settled down for a breather. 10 minutes later, he was off again and Shelby stuck her head out and looked around. Progress.
I put her to bed for the night, all tucked up with Agnes and Scratch with promises treats in the morning. The process had begun.
Shelby very slowly – excuse the pun – started to come out of her shell. She was moving around, started grazing, started interacting with Agnes and Scratch. She was still a little shy around people, but she does hand feed off me and she will take herself off to bed when she’s done.
One arrived needing physical rehabilitation. The other simply needed the confidence to realise the world wasn't quite as frightening as she thought it was.
Both of them now existing quite happily with their overly large roommate. Both not completely recovered but functional and continuing to grow – physically and mentally.
Sometimes you don't fix them at all. You just give them the opportunity to figure things out for themselves.
Add comment
Comments