do wild-caught aldabras grow slower than the ones bred by a breeder?

cassjayde

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Recently, I have bought an estimatedly one year old aldabra tortoise- it was wild-caught. I was wondering if there were any differences in the growth between a tortoise that was caught from the wild and one that was farm bred. From what I've heard, wild caught ones grow slower, though i'm not very sure.
 

Tom

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There are uncountable variables that determine the rate of growth for both wild and captive bred tortoises. Generally speaking, captive tortoises grow faster due to better food, better hydration, better temperatures, and reduced stress, parasitism, and other hardships of wild living.
 

Tom

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Sad that you bought a wild caught when there are so many being captive bred. Very sad that anyone is allowed to take them from the wild.
Aldabras are imports, but not really "wild caught". They are captive bred in other countries and on some islands and shipped in. Not being taken from their native island.

And there are hardly any being captive bred and sold here in the US. @ALDABRAMAN is one of the very few breeding them here in the US. I know of one other breeder that produces a small amount annually, and there is one other man producing lots of them, but he has no interest in selling any of them. There is at least one zoo that produces a few from time to time, but those can't be sold to the public due to AZA elitism. Its slim pickin's for fans of the species. For the vast majority of people, its buy an import from Sam or go without. Unless you are lucky enough to know Aldabraman and close enough to drive to pick one up.
 

TeamZissou

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Aldabras are imports, but not really "wild caught". They are captive bred in other countries and on some islands and shipped in. Not being taken from their native island.

And there are hardly any being captive bred and sold here in the US. @ALDABRAMAN is one of the very few breeding them here in the US. I know of one other breeder that produces a small amount annually, and there is one other man producing lots of them, but he has no interest in selling any of them. There is at least one zoo that produces a few from time to time, but those can't be sold to the public due to AZA elitism. Its slim pickin's for fans of the species. For the vast majority of people, its buy an import from Sam or go without. Unless you are lucky enough to know Aldabraman and close enough to drive to pick one up.

This was my understanding of imported Aldabras too, that there was a second island somewhere in the Seychelles where they breed and export them. I did not know that Sam imported them. I always thought that it was weird that all his animals were quite pyramided despite being raised in FL. It's not clear if they're being kept too dry on the original island or if he gets them as babies and then just keeps them outside.

For what it's worth, the OP's location comes up as Australia, so they may not have a breeder of Aldabras to be able to buy an in-country, CB animal. Or, it could be some other Melbourne.
 

wellington

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Yes, I know of the imports here in the states, which i thought was only the one guy in CA Jungle something? Hopefully this person in Australia did get an import. I thought Sam bred his own and then of course the best one Greg.
I heard of one Zoo but didnt think they were doing it at all any more.
I thought there were at least one more breeding them, he's on the forum FB all the time. Maybe he's the one you said don't sell them.
 

ALDABRAMAN

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~ Wild tortoises do typically grow slower due to proper food sources, this is why there is generally no pyramiding in wild or properly raised tortoises for the first year of life.
 

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