Very very important read about how we decide to purchase tortoises and turtles. Please read!

Warning pictures maybe considered graphic to some!

http://www.socalreptiles.com/captivebred.htm

This post was last modified: 05-17-2008 05:32 AM by modestyfirst.

When I bought my first Russian tortoise about 20 years ago, I went to a wholesaler in Southern California and that was what they looked like. There were 1,000's of them, all piled up on top of each other! At least there weren't any dead or maggot-infested animals, but it was horrible to see.

I'm going to save the portion of Darryll's article about how they are all mixed up and cross-contaminating each other to post when the question of mixing species comes up again.

Yvonne

Thanks for posting this message. Here in canada,there are not a lot of breeders you can buy your tortoise from. I bought mine in a pet shop and there is a law in Canada that says that all reptiles must come from a canadian breeder and must be born in Canadia. The pics on the link are very disturbing. How could someone do something like that???? It is sooooo cruel!!!!

I remember seeing these pictures many years ago and unfortunately it is still happening. My first russians came from a Customs Seizure at Heathrow UK. They came into the country in three banana boxes! Imagine that! The smell was atrocious. Even after several washings, soaks and recleaned containers, the smell permeated everything it came into contact with. Just imagine what these little ones must have been going thorugh. People assisting with the rescue and rehabilitation of these little ones said that their cars held the smell for weeks. All this for the sake of some greedy B*** making a few pounds

those poor babies.

How can you breed them and not care that they get squished or die?

very very sad things that people will do just for money....the pictures are very sick and poor little tortoises to be put through that.......DISGUSTING !!!!!

I may be mistaken, but it was my thought that these were pictures of wild caught animals.

Yvonne

That's right they are not bred by anyone they are stolen from their natural habitat Mine have cryptosporidium and were ill for months

omg thats just wrong! never seen anything like it before.

There's a good reason why you have those photos... they were illegal shipments and they were confescated as they should have been.

Wild caught tortoises serve a purpose... they provide a founding stock for the captive bred tortoises everyone seeks.

The wild caught trade should be regulated as it is in most countries but it would be foolish and short sighted to take it any further than that.

The prime reason these animals are vanishing is because of habitat destruction and overpopulation... not much we can do about either of these but with the proper planning and understanding we can set up breeding colonies that will ensure that we will be able to enjoy these animals now and in the future.

It is an important read but keep it in context. That is not how all wild caught tortoises are shipped. In fact that is most likely a very small portion of the trade as evident in the fact that same article has been circulating for that many years.

Ed