# Walking through HongKong's reptiles market



## mitchellr (May 30, 2014)

Just to share my experience. As i walk through Hong Kong's Goldfish Market i saw these tortoises and turtles were being sold. They were put into small aquariums and barely able to walk (for large tortoises). In one of the picture you can see there's actually 3 aldabras on a very small aquarium. Geez they cant even walk pass each other. Most of the babies close their eyes and some even show MBD. Feel bad about these guys.


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## Yvonne G (May 30, 2014)

In one picture there's a pile of tortoises and one of them is on his back.

I really hate to see them selling the Aldabrans or giant tortoises to people who live in apartments. It kills me.


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## yillt (May 30, 2014)

That's terrible. If your going to sell them to a bad place(which you shouldn't) at least give them a nice start in life. I want to go and teach that man a lesson.


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## Neal (May 30, 2014)

Both frightening and interesting. 

Thanks for sharing.


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## Blakem (May 30, 2014)

That's crazy...these are sold in a pet store it looks like? At least it's not in a meat market like I've seen...


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Here's some great plant identification websites I use. 

http://www.tlady.clara.net/TortGuide/diet.htm#plantlist

http://africantortoise.com/edible_landscaping.htm

http://m.thetortoisetable.org.uk/m/plants_19.asp


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## Tom (May 30, 2014)

Sad state of affairs, I must say.

What is the ambient humidity like in HK?


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## dmmj (May 30, 2014)

my first question was, Is this a meat or pet market? I wonder what is gonna happen to these tortoises when they get larger?


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## naturalman91 (May 30, 2014)

i could have swore i read something recently that said all tortoise's are illegal in China guess i was wrong


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## bouaboua (May 30, 2014)

Tom said:


> Sad state of affairs, I must say.
> 
> What is the ambient humidity like in HK?


At least at 80% this time of the year. Temperature is about 90 at night and 100 + at day. But most shop have their A/C on.


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## Yvonne G (May 30, 2014)

naturalman91 said:


> i could have swore i read something recently that said all tortoise's are illegal in China guess i was wrong



No, I read that too. One of our members posted that and not too long ago.


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## bouaboua (May 30, 2014)

naturalman91 said:


> i could have swore i read something recently that said all tortoise's are illegal in China guess i was wrong


This is the interesting part of China. Hong Kong is part of China but the laws are different. Most of Tortoise are legal to sale and purchase in Hong Kong except some of them on the endanger one list.

China also have similar laws but it really depended on the enforcer. very tricky in China. Water is murky and deep.


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## naturalman91 (May 30, 2014)

bouaboua said:


> This is the interesting part of China. Hong Kong is part of China but the laws are different. Most of Tortoise are legal to sale and purchase in Hong Kong except some of them on the endanger one list.
> 
> China also have similar laws but it really depended on the enforcer. very tricky in China. Water is murky and deep.



doesn't sound like i would wanna muddle in those murky waters i mean in one pic i see hermanns (i think its hermanns) with leopards and redfoots all together that's a problem just waiting to be purchased


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## Yvonne G (May 30, 2014)

Yes, but, don't you see? Those that don't know the dangers never seem to have trouble. It's only us folks who know about mixing species that end up with sick tortoises.


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## kball (May 30, 2014)

Oh my gosh that's awful


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## mikeh (May 30, 2014)

Another place to add to my long list of DO NOT to visit places.


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## mike taylor (May 30, 2014)

Don't buy them and encourage others to do the same . If there's no buyers there's no sale so they will stop trying . Wishful thinking .


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## wellington (May 30, 2014)

That is so sad. Very sad the disrespect some people have for animals.


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## wellington (May 30, 2014)

Yvonne G said:


> Yes, but, don't you see? Those that don't know the dangers never seem to have trouble. It's only us folks who know about mixing species that end up with sick tortoises.



Oh, Yvonne, the bad thing is, the problem with keeping different species together will show it's ugly head to the uneducated, unknowing sucker that buys them. If it does show to the people selling them, I'm sure they don't care, or they would treat them like they are. Sad, just sad


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## mitchellr (May 30, 2014)

It is a pet store. Most tortoises are very small tho. I feel bad because they really are kept in very very very POOR condition. They also quite cheap actually, compared to indonesia.


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## Flipper (May 30, 2014)

makes me want to cry


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## sissyofone (May 30, 2014)

Flipper said:


> makes me want to cry



Me too. Its So Sad


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## visco (May 31, 2014)

It might just be my experience but is this a weekend market or a perminant market? There are a few here in Taiwan that are only open on the weekends, otherwise the vendors have all the plants and animals at their shops.


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## mitchellr (May 31, 2014)

visco said:


> It might just be my experience but is this a weekend market or a perminant market? There are a few here in Taiwan that are only open on the weekends, otherwise the vendors have all the plants and animals at their shops.


No. This is permanent shop not a weekend market.


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## emysbreeder (Jun 13, 2014)

You dont have to go to China to criticize or see this ! And like here some do a good job and others do not. Tortoises and Turtles are not illegal in China. In fact, just like here Rare Captive born Tortoises are very costly. There are top end Exotic pet stores there and by the time they come from private breeders in the USA and again exported to the main land they pay many many to 10 times what we pay here. There is an emerging upper income class of people in China that is about 1% of the population. BUT, their upper 1% of high income without a delayed gratification ( like our 90's dot com bubble people, rich by their 30's) amount to more people than are in the USA altogether! They want to be like Americans, have big Cars, (Buick has a plant their now) Exotic pets and look like Elvis or maybe Justin Timberlake. There are more exotic PET reptiles going there from the USA than you think. The economy and punitive laws have decreased sales here and they are filling the void, and they pay big bucks, increasing the price breeders get here. Just like you they DEMAND good healthy captive born reptiles. 1.3 BILLION Chinese cant be all wrong ! Vic Morgan


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## YourAverageReptileLover (Nov 1, 2014)

That is absolutely horrible... I just want to go there and take them all!


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## leopard777 (Nov 13, 2014)

Well, you should have seen how they sell their aquarium fishes, guess due to lack of space, pets are sold this way


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## YourAverageReptileLover (Nov 13, 2014)

How does anyone in China get healthy pets?!


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## Alaskamike (Nov 14, 2014)

There are markets like this all over the world. Many with WC and smuggled tortoises that are illegal - but enforcement is poor. The Bangkok markets in Thailand do this. And if a foreigner wants to purchase , they explain different ways of smuggling the tort out of country.
Where $ is. To be made , it will always be thus.


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