Post by stano40 on Oct 29, 2005 15:12:27 GMT -5
Stories about are babies or What the Heck were we thinking of, anyway!!
This is the story of our encounter of adopting an african spur sulcata tortoise. We help out our local rescue and found out that a sulcata just came in. Wellllll....I wasted no time in convincing my wife michelle, that we should adopt this little baby and give her a good home. We were told that speedy loves to sit in your lap and give kiss's.....awww ain't that nice.
Anyone ever realize how much a 35 lbs tortoise could fit in your lap? I didn't, not at first. I figured if Rick could do it, so could I.
We did look online and found out all we could about the sulcata and were aware of what we we're getting into.........Right.
First the trip was going to be nearly two hours up and two hours back. This should have been a warning in itself. We met Rick the founder of the rescue and after exchanging necessary paperwork and the adoption fees we were introduced to speedy. Later we had to rename him to Miss Speedy. He was a she.
Boy were we happy to get speedy. Ok she was a little bigger than I thought and we were driving a small compact car. She just looks big in the car. Michelle decided that she better drive and for me to hold Speedy.
Little did I know I was to get the better of the whole ordeal.
Also Rick didn't tell us about speedy's habits! Wasn't that nice of him.
We're off! Miss Speedy was a little squirmy sitting on my lap on her new blanket facing Michelle so I turned her around hoping the view would settle her a bit. It did and we were happy driving her home. Being new to a tortoise we couldn't help notice that the odor was not unlike that of an elephant. How prophetic those words were going to be.....and
Somewhere during this trip things were beginning to emerge.
Now picture this, your sitting in a small compact car with a center stick shift console and a 35 lb tortoise's butt aimed at you the driver.
Did you ever see a horse pee, well that's nothing compared to a tortoise. I looked at my wife as she was driving at the same time Miss Speedy let loose a stream that would make Niagra Falls proud. It shot out across the console and into Michelle's lap covering her, the console, the steering wheel and the drivers door. As we stared at speedy all I could do was hand Michelle the only paper towel I had, that's right one sheet.
Shortly after that incident Michelle lets out a scream of... OHHH my God! That's disgusting.
Who saw the movie alien when the monster popped out.
Well this was the monster of all poops and it was coming out and rolling down onto the stick shift. We made a hasty bee line for the emergency lane and pulled to a stop. After cleaning up a little and disposing of, what looked like elephant poop we continued on. Did I mention Elephant?
How many time's does a tortoise poop? Sounds like a trick question right. Well let me tell you she shined on that subject and again she was producing a sizeable poop and this time it rolled into Michelle's lap. Not once but twice. Let me tell you that Michelle wasn't too happy right now and again we had to stop and clean up.
How long does it take a sulcatta to stress, another trick question, no we just didn't think about this one.
Now after evacuating her bowels we felt relieved, did I say relieved, ouch!! Speedy got nerveous and began to have diahhrea in the direction of the driver. Not once but several times.
Michelle was not a happy camper.
Tortoise poop not only looks, but smells worse than an elephant.
Ten minutes later we made it to my mother in laws house which is about 40 minutes away from where we live and we were so glad to get there. We cleaned up the car and gave Miss Speedy a rest before going home. Miss speedy looked around my mother in laws house and I thought now is the time for revenge....hee, hee, heee.
She didn't do a d**n thing.
Miss Speedy got to her new home and is sharing a room with our large red tegu, whom she likes to try and bully around. No, Miss Speedy can't get ahold of the tegu. She's behind a moveable fence that she can move around behind.
Their happy, I'm happy and Michelle is still giving me dirty looks.
Bob and Michelle
I would of switched places after the first peeeeeeeee LOL!
