Shared from tom crutchfields facebook
All i can say is WOW
All i can say is WOW
Albino Rad.....
- Thread starter Hustler
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If that's real, it is a WOW. Do you know,this person? It just that the pic looks a little funny around the edges, specially around the shell, like its been photo shopped or something.
Tom Crutchfield "I have NO INFO on this pic just WOW............LOL...It is REAL....I can tell that easily......."
As far as i know he is well known in the american reptile industry mind you I am very sheltered from this as i am canadian
As far as i know he is well known in the american reptile industry mind you I am very sheltered from this as i am canadian
Seems I've read some fun adventures, (second hand) concerning Tom and some authorities.
uhhh ohh Ken pm me on the subject
Cowboy_Ken said:
You are correct. No seems about it, either.
On a semi-related note, I feel bad for whomever bought an "Amazon Basin Yellow Foot" recently from a particular source after I passed on it for being a regular animal that merely had some decent (but by no means outstanding) size on it. Happens all too often and from multiple sources.
Oh, yeah. The topic. I would imagine the animal is legit in its look. Not sure it is an albino, however, from that photo. I would need a much better photo to be sure.
Re: RE: Albino Rad.....
I'd like to make sure I understand you. People selling a tortoise incorrectly labeled to make it sound special when it isn't?
When you say it happens all too often, are there common examples?
I'm not doubting you by any means, I'm genuinely wanting to know.
Heather
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Baoh said:
I'd like to make sure I understand you. People selling a tortoise incorrectly labeled to make it sound special when it isn't?
When you say it happens all too often, are there common examples?
I'm not doubting you by any means, I'm genuinely wanting to know.
Heather
Sent from my Android TFO app
such a beauty!
Team Gomberg said:
I've seen this when I was looking to buy my first redfoot. There is a website that sells them for more money based on the color of the hatchlings shell even though they are all just regular redfoots that will look similar when grown.
Thanks mayo. I'm not in the market for torts so I haven't really been exposed to any of that. It would be nice to have a heads up on that stuff should I ever come across it, I could ID it, ya know..
Heather
Sent from my Android TFO app
Heather
Sent from my Android TFO app
Team Gomberg said:
Your understanding is correct.
Selling an Eastern Hermann's as a Western. Selling a "standard" yellow foot as an ABYF. Selling a non-cherryhead Northern redfoot as a cherryhead. Selling a mildly lighter colored animal as a hypo. Calling a sandy-colored sulcata an ivory. Selling a CDT as...anything. Selling Indian stars as Sri Lankan stars. Selling pardalis babcocki as pardalis pardalis. Selling a cross as pure. More. Most of these mislabeling examples appear to be intentional when done by people who should know better. Every once in a while this is accidental. It is mainly done to move animals or increase the prices for which they sell.
Heck, watching most members of any dedicated forum try to ID turtles and tortoises (a recent DT vs Russian thread comes immediately to mind) can make a person who can readily discern such things most of the time wince and that is not even intended/meant to deceive, so the stuff that is intentionally mislabeled raises my ire as a breeder, seller, helper, and overall person who emphasizes accuracy in descriptions (truth in communication, I guess, so that information retains its integrity when being passed between different brains in different skulls).
Whitney's example is a good one. Basically naming silliness to sell non-hereditary variations on an appearance theme as though they are legitimate morphs. The sad thing is that the site also does speak the truth about some locales and some morphs they sell. Of course, then there are the revisionist accounts about how certain morph animals were "discovered".
Thanks for the details.
Heather
Sent from my Android TFO app
Heather
Sent from my Android TFO app
This was the only article that came up about his smuggling, pretty dumb if i must say if he didnt think he would get caught.
8/7/98 According to a FWS Press Release, Tommy Edward Crutchfield, a well known reptile dealer, was arrested yesterday (8/6/98) at Miami Airport on his arrival on US soil following his deportation from Belize. Tom Crutchfield is charged with wildlife smuggling, conspiracy, and money laundering. The former Florida businessman has spent the last 5 months in jail in Belize fighting that country's February 28 expulsion order. He now faces U.S. charges based on his alleged involvement in a major international reptile smuggling ring.
Last October, a Federal grand jury in Orlando, Florida, returned a multi-count indictment against Crutchfield, his wife, two former employees, and two other individuals based on the Service's ongoing scrutiny of the highly lucrative black market reptile trade. The indictment alleges that the six were part of an international smuggling ring that is believed to have brought hundreds of rare and endangered snakes and tortoises out of Madagascar into Germany. From there, the animals, worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, were smuggled into the United States and Canada where they were sold to wildlife dealers and private collectors. Protected reptiles from Australia, Indonesia, and various South American and Caribbean countries were also traded.
The smuggled reptiles, which were typically concealed in suitcases and transported aboard commercial airline flights, include highly prized Madagascar tree and ground boas, radiated tortoises, and spider tortoises- species that occur naturally only in Madagascar, an island off the southeastern coast of Africa. These animals, and the other reptiles allegedly smuggled, purchased, and sold, are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) - a global agreement that regulates world wildlife trade.
Crutchfield, who was named in all 10 counts of the indictment returned by the grand jury in October, is charged with multiple offenses of smuggling, violations of the Lacey Act (a Federal statute that allows the United States to prosecute individuals for violating international wildlife protection laws, including CITES), conspiracy, and money laundering.
If found guilty, Crutchfield could be sentenced to up to 5 years in prison and fined as much as $250,000 on each smuggling and Lacey Act count. Conviction on the money laundering charges could result in prison terms of up to 20 years and penalties as high as $500,000 per count.
Crutchfield, formerly the president of Tom Crutchfield's Reptile Enterprises, Inc., located in Lake Panasoffkee, Florida, was generally considered one of the largest reptile importer/exporters in the United States before he left the country in the spring of 1997. He was on supervised release following completion of a 5-month prison sentence for a 1995 conviction for smuggling endangered Fiji Island iguanas when he fled to Belize after being notified by the Justice Department that he was under investigation. He also faces potential penalties for violating the supervised release.
The reptile investigation has already produced significant results, according to Service law enforcement officials. In addition to the charges against Crutchfield and his associates, four individuals from Germany, South Africa, Canada, and Japan have been arrested and successfully prosecuted in the United States. Of these, German citizen Wolfgang Michael Kloe received the stiffest sentence--a $10,000 fine and 46-month prison term--after pleading guilty to six counts including conspiracy, smuggling, money laundering, attempted escape, and Lacey Act violations. Three other Germans charged in the case remain at large.
8/7/98 According to a FWS Press Release, Tommy Edward Crutchfield, a well known reptile dealer, was arrested yesterday (8/6/98) at Miami Airport on his arrival on US soil following his deportation from Belize. Tom Crutchfield is charged with wildlife smuggling, conspiracy, and money laundering. The former Florida businessman has spent the last 5 months in jail in Belize fighting that country's February 28 expulsion order. He now faces U.S. charges based on his alleged involvement in a major international reptile smuggling ring.
Last October, a Federal grand jury in Orlando, Florida, returned a multi-count indictment against Crutchfield, his wife, two former employees, and two other individuals based on the Service's ongoing scrutiny of the highly lucrative black market reptile trade. The indictment alleges that the six were part of an international smuggling ring that is believed to have brought hundreds of rare and endangered snakes and tortoises out of Madagascar into Germany. From there, the animals, worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, were smuggled into the United States and Canada where they were sold to wildlife dealers and private collectors. Protected reptiles from Australia, Indonesia, and various South American and Caribbean countries were also traded.
The smuggled reptiles, which were typically concealed in suitcases and transported aboard commercial airline flights, include highly prized Madagascar tree and ground boas, radiated tortoises, and spider tortoises- species that occur naturally only in Madagascar, an island off the southeastern coast of Africa. These animals, and the other reptiles allegedly smuggled, purchased, and sold, are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) - a global agreement that regulates world wildlife trade.
Crutchfield, who was named in all 10 counts of the indictment returned by the grand jury in October, is charged with multiple offenses of smuggling, violations of the Lacey Act (a Federal statute that allows the United States to prosecute individuals for violating international wildlife protection laws, including CITES), conspiracy, and money laundering.
If found guilty, Crutchfield could be sentenced to up to 5 years in prison and fined as much as $250,000 on each smuggling and Lacey Act count. Conviction on the money laundering charges could result in prison terms of up to 20 years and penalties as high as $500,000 per count.
Crutchfield, formerly the president of Tom Crutchfield's Reptile Enterprises, Inc., located in Lake Panasoffkee, Florida, was generally considered one of the largest reptile importer/exporters in the United States before he left the country in the spring of 1997. He was on supervised release following completion of a 5-month prison sentence for a 1995 conviction for smuggling endangered Fiji Island iguanas when he fled to Belize after being notified by the Justice Department that he was under investigation. He also faces potential penalties for violating the supervised release.
The reptile investigation has already produced significant results, according to Service law enforcement officials. In addition to the charges against Crutchfield and his associates, four individuals from Germany, South Africa, Canada, and Japan have been arrested and successfully prosecuted in the United States. Of these, German citizen Wolfgang Michael Kloe received the stiffest sentence--a $10,000 fine and 46-month prison term--after pleading guilty to six counts including conspiracy, smuggling, money laundering, attempted escape, and Lacey Act violations. Three other Germans charged in the case remain at large.
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Baoh said:
Yes he does ... and much longer than most folks even know about . I used to do some deals with him in the 80's with snakes. I do have one of his animals at current, that I have raised up from a hatchling....and of course "top notch" .
Nice to see ya " Hustler" .... thanks for the post!
You will find that most people who have been in this trade for years will have all sorts of wildlife violations. This is nothing new, and a lot of it stems from over zealous wildlife enforcement and in recent years animal rights activists. If someone with the right connections wants to see you fail, they will. If someone with the right connections wants dirt on you, they will find it. This goes for any Reptile keeper, whether you keep 1 or 1000 animals.
Show me proof that 75 lb. sulcata wasn't imported illegally… is a prime example.
Truly, how many of us could make good if charged?
Truly, how many of us could make good if charged?
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That looks like a bad photoshop to me.
Weldd said:
I agree will. I want to believe it, but the hand looks too sharp compared to the tortoise. And the eyes, in my opinion seem too red considering the angle to the viewer, and that they are set so far back. I'm more than skeptical, personally.
N2TORTS said:Baoh said:
Yes he does ... and much longer than most folks even know about . I used to do some deals with him in the 80's with snakes. I do have one of his animals at current, that I have raised up from a hatchling....and of course "top notch" .
Nice to see ya " Hustler" .... thanks for the post!
Always a pleasure.
EricIvins said:
Yes. I have always been concerned by this despite my compliance.
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