This story was told to me by the tortoises owner, the lady I
got Teddy from many years ago. I was not there when it happened
and am just relaying this to you.
She told me that one day she was in dire need of some funds and
decided to try selling her large female tortoise. She brought
her into the pet shop that she works at and put the tortoise in
the tortoise enclosure which is like a cave in the back. Apprently
somebody tried lifting her out and dropped her accidentally and
the sulcata began bleeding profusely from the nostrils. She was
freaked out (luckily she found out it happened right away) and
ran cold water over the torts face until it stopped. Then she
packed the sulcata up and took her home and swore she'd never
again do that even if she missed paying her bills.
Whenever Teddy and I go for walks kids will sometimes come up
and want to see, but I always tell them "he's a mommy's boy"
and isn't used to anybody else petting him. Now that he's bigger
I let people pet him one at a time and not on the head. They are
usually a little scared of him anyways and just want to touch his
shell. I don't let any kids near him if they're on bikes, and
I don't allow anybody's dog around us period. I don't really trust
toddler age children and don't let them too close, I think they
don't control their legs and hands well, and don't want them to
kick at him simply because they don't know any better.
When my son was younger he would hold Teddy, but only when he
was sitting down (like in the pic on my website of them), and
now that Teddy is elephant weight, my son can't pick him up
anyways.
My Tortoise Theodore (aka Teddy)
