Breeder: "Tortoises Home" in Las Vegas

dongphx

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Phoenix, Az
I am getting ready to buy 2 Radiated tortoises from this breeder in Las Vegas named Rocco Zuardo, does anybody have any reviews or know of this breeder?

It's quite a bit of money and he is giving me a one year health guarantee but I can't find anything on the Internet about him.

Any reference or background would be helpful
 

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Toddrickfl1

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I am getting ready to buy 2 Radiated tortoises from this breeder in Las Vegas named Rocco Zuardo, does anybody have any reviews or know of this breeder?

It's quite a bit of money and he is giving me a one year health guarantee but I can't find anything on the Internet about him.

Any reference or background would be helpful
What's the website?
 

Toddrickfl1

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I am getting ready to buy 2 Radiated tortoises from this breeder in Las Vegas named Rocco Zuardo, does anybody have any reviews or know of this breeder?

It's quite a bit of money and he is giving me a one year health guarantee but I can't find anything on the Internet about him.

Any reference or background would be helpful
If it's this site


Save your money because your about to be scammed.
 

zovick

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I am getting ready to buy 2 Radiated tortoises from this breeder in Las Vegas named Rocco Zuardo, does anybody have any reviews or know of this breeder?

It's quite a bit of money and he is giving me a one year health guarantee but I can't find anything on the Internet about him.

Any reference or background would be helpful
The tortoises look very nice, especially the two smaller ones. I have been keeping and breeding Radiated Tortoises since 1965 and I have never heard of this fellow. That doesn't necessarily mean he hasn't bred Radiated Tortoises, but it seems more likely that he is selling ones that he bought and grew up rather than being an actual breeder.

Another very likely possibility is that the whole thing is a scam. Most people I know who breed Radiated Tortoises would not sell two Radiated Tortoises they produced that looked as good as those two smaller ones. To be sure it is not a scam, I would request individual pictures of the tortoises on a newspaper with a readable date of November 30th or Dec. 1st 2020. If those pix cannot be produced, he is probably using someone else's photo off the internet to scam you. How much did he ask for the tortoises and how many were you going to buy?

One more important thing is that your profile says you are located in AZ and this Rocco Zuardo is from Las Vegas. That means that BOTH you and Zuardo would need to have current valid CBW Permits from the USFWS in order to have a legal sale. Did he say anything about that to you?
 

dongphx

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Phoenix, Az
The tortoises look very nice, especially the two smaller ones. I have been keeping and breeding Radiated Tortoises since 1965 and I have never heard of this fellow. That doesn't necessarily mean he hasn't bred Radiated Tortoises, but it seems more likely that he is selling ones that he bought and grew up rather than being an actual breeder.

Another very likely possibility is that the whole thing is a scam. Most people I know who breed Radiated Tortoises would not sell two Radiated Tortoises they produced that looked as good as those two smaller ones. To be sure it is not a scam, I would request individual pictures of the tortoises on a newspaper with a readable date of November 30th or Dec. 1st 2020. If those pix cannot be produced, he is probably using someone else's photo off the internet to scam you. How much did he ask for the tortoises and how many were you going to buy?

One more important thing is that your profile says you are located in AZ and this Rocco Zuardo is from Las Vegas. That means that BOTH you and Zuardo would need to have current valid CBW Permits from the USFWS in order to have a legal sale. Did he say anything about that to you?

Great suggestions and well worth following. He indicated he would prepare all the proper documents. I do not have a CBW permit.
 

dongphx

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zovick

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I am getting ready to buy 2 Radiated tortoises from this breeder in Las Vegas named Rocco Zuardo, does anybody have any reviews or know of this breeder?

It's quite a bit of money and he is giving me a one year health guarantee but I can't find anything on the Internet about him.

Any reference or background would be helpful
Check these links. It is highly likely that this fellow is scamming you.


 

zovick

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Great suggestions and well worth following. He indicated he would prepare all the proper documents. I do not have a CBW permit.
He cannot prepare any documents. The USFWS has to issue a permit to you for you to be able to buy Radiated Tortoises from a resident of another state. The application fee is $200 for the permit, and the waiting time is close to a year to get one. Additionally, USFWS has not been issuing any permits to beginners or to any people without professional zoo affiliations for that matter for several years now. There is no way this fellow could get a permit for himself, let alone for you.

For how much was he offering you the Tortoises? I am very curious to know.

If you really want to buy Radiated Tortoises, there are several breeders in AZ who could sell you the species legally.
 

dongphx

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He cannot prepare any documents. The USFWS has to issue a permit to you for you to be able to buy Radiated Tortoises from a resident of another state. The application fee is $200 for the permit, and the waiting time is close to a year to get one. Additionally, USFWS has not been issuing any permits to beginners or to any people without professional zoo affiliations for that matter for several years now. There is no way this fellow could get a permit for himself, let alone for you.

For how much was he offering you the Tortoises? I am very curious to know.

Seems like a scam for sure: $800 for smaller ones and $1,200 for largest one

If you really want to buy Radiated Tortoises, there are several breeders in AZ who could sell you the species legally.

Would appreciate any referrals for Radiated in Arizona. My nephew Norman used to raise some but sold out everything a few years ago
 

zovick

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Alex C

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I am getting ready to buy 2 Radiated tortoises from this breeder in Las Vegas named Rocco Zuardo, does anybody have any reviews or know of this breeder?

It's quite a bit of money and he is giving me a one year health guarantee but I can't find anything on the Internet about him.

Any reference or background would be helpful
This person seems no to be legit... He is advertising Angonoka tortoises... Highly illegal!
 

wellington

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Look at the price for an adult aldabra...$1100. No one legitimate sells an adult aldabra for that. $3000 or $4000 is more like it. I say scam.
3 to 4000 is a scam price too if it's for an adult. You are looking at a price of 7 thousand for a teen and upwards of 20 thousand or more for a full grown adult.
 

DesertGirl

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I am getting ready to buy 2 Radiated tortoises from this breeder in Las Vegas named Rocco Zuardo, does anybody have any reviews or know of this breeder?

It's quite a bit of money and he is giving me a one year health guarantee but I can't find anything on the Internet about him.

Any reference or background would be helpful
I entered “Rocco Zuardo Las Vegas” in google and found lots of hits. 702.896.2444 shows as his phone number. His Linked In profile shows he’s the owner of Eagle Mini Mart. Nothing else is shown on Linked In. I would think someone who’s trying to breed/sell anything would have something about that posted somewhere. They are gorgeous for sure. I’m in Las Vegas but I would buy from Tom or someone else in this forum. You will not get burned. Not that this guy isn’t completely wonderful and totally legit. However, everything about this is making my antenna stand straight up!!
 

dongphx

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Jun 21, 2020
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Location (City and/or State)
Phoenix, Az
I entered “Rocco Zuardo Las Vegas” in google and found lots of hits. 702.896.2444 shows as his phone number. His Linked In profile shows he’s the owner of Eagle Mini Mart. Nothing else is shown on Linked In. I would think someone who’s trying to breed/sell anything would have something about that posted somewhere. They are gorgeous for sure. I’m in Las Vegas but I would buy from Tom or someone else in this forum. You will not get burned. Not that this guy isn’t completely wonderful and totally legit. However, everything about this is making my antenna stand straight up!!
Yeah, you're right, Thanks
 

DesertGirl

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So those photos aren’t even showing the “right” tort? They are beautiful but beauty doesn’t make a great tort friend.
 

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