A Naples family is hoping for the return of their beloved tortoises after the animals were stolen from their backyard Friday morning.

Christina Kraus and her mother, Maura Kraus, have owned and cared for the tortoises for about nine years. The tortoises weigh between 75 and 100 pounds each, are 20 years old and are a mating pair.

The African spurred tortoises were kept in a pen behind a privacy fence and three sets of gates. The male tortoise is named Gus and the female tortoise is Spike.

The theft is especially hard for her mother, who is a principal environmental specialist and in charge of the sea turtle program in Collier County, Christina Kraus said.

“Literally her life's work is turtles,” Christina Kraus said. “For someone to come and steal our own personal turtles it's just a slap in the face. It's terrible.”

The theft must’ve happened while she and her mother were moving items around inside their home, which is in downtown Naples, Christina Kraus said.

"They are our life,” Christina Kraus said. “We constantly are in the backyard checking on them and hanging out with them. They are very social, super friendly. If you walk outside, they come right up to you."

She reported the theft to the Naples Police Department, Collier County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Christina Kraus said.

An incident report from the Naples Police Department states the theft is under investigation.

Lt. Bryan McGinn, a public information officer with Naples PD, said he did not have further information to provide as of Monday morning when asked about possible suspects in the case.

Christina Kraus believes the suspect’s vehicle was captured on video by her neighbor’s camera.

The footage shows an unfamiliar gray Ford F-150 Platinum driving near her home the morning the tortoises were stolen, Christina Kraus said.

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“You are not just going to drive down this way unless you are there for a reason,” Christina Kraus said. “The platinum truck, that's not one you usually see around a lot. That's a newer model and a very expensive truck.”

She is hopeful someone with information on the vehicle or suspect comes forward, Christina Kraus said.

Both tortoises are expected to live up to 100 years. Gus was adopted from a friend of Maura Kraus’, who is also in the turtle community. Spike was originally thought to be a male.

"When we got Gus, it turned out Spike was a girl and they started mating,” Christina Kraus said. “We never thought they would lay eggs, but they laid a clutch of eggs and we had some babies hatch from them."

Baby tortoises are a little bit bigger than a ping pong ball and difficult to care for at birth, but as they grow, they get more and more valuable, Christina Kraus said.

“The cheapest I've seen for one the size of Gus or Spike is $1,500 a piece,” Christina Kraus said. “They are extremely valuable and very picky about who they mate with. To have a pair that mates, breeders would be extremely interested in them."

The tortoises were her 3-year-old daughter’s best friends, Christina Kraus said.

"They are like family,” Christina Kraus said. “You walk outside, and they come right up to you. They are almost like dogs. I’m praying for their return.”

Anyone with information about the tortoises is asked to contact the Naples Police Department at 239-213-4844.