Hermann's tortoise hatchling for 3400 dollars xD

[peasinapod]

I just found an ad on a swiss site for a hermann's tortoise hatchling. The price: 3500 CHF (~3500 USD)...?

It was an albino, but still...
Well if he finds somebody willing to pay that price...



Here the pic that was in the ad.

 

[GBtortoises]

Albinos to some species are very rare, Hermann's are one them. Some people are into the whole "rarity" thing. I personally don't care for albinos of any species, but it all comes down to preference, demand and rarity. Someone will probably pay it at some point in the hopes to produce more of them in future and cash in on someone else's preference for having one. The same thing happened decades ago with albino Red Ear Sliders and snakes of several species.

 

[peasinapod]

I didn't know that albinism is more common in some species of tortoises/turtles than in others. I also like the natural colours a lot more.

It is very sad if those lovely animals get used as pure moneymakers.

 

[portsmouthtortoises]

They don't look albino to me but just high yellow.
We have an adult that looks fairly similar in colour.

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

They don't look albino to me but just high yellow.
We have an adult that looks fairly similar in colour.

Agreed...this is an albino:

 

[peasinapod]

They don't look albino to me but just high yellow.
We have an adult that looks fairly similar in colour.

Agreed...this is an albino:

Woah! That tortoise almost seems to glow!

But on the picture it does seem as if they have the red eyes going on, maybe it changes a bit with age?

 

[GBtortoises]

Yeah the tortoises in the OP's photos aren't truly albino, but instead leucistic. True albinos look like the photos above. Kind of creepy in my opinion!

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

They don't look albino to me but just high yellow.
We have an adult that looks fairly similar in colour.

Agreed...this is an albino:

Woah! That tortoise almost seems to glow!

But on the picture it does seem as if they have the red eyes going on, maybe it changes a bit with age?

No, ruby-eyed albinos have ruby eyes forever.

The Hermann's tort in Post #1 are like Golden Greeks...simply reduced melanin. Albinos have no pigment at all.

Here is a semi-albino, also with ruby eyes:

Some call a reduced melanined Hermann's tort, with either ruby or normal eyes, "caramels". Compare:

 

[peasinapod]

Thank you for all that great information!
I love posting on this forum, there are so many knowledgeable people around here that it amazes me.

 

[theelectraco]

They don't look albino to me but just high yellow.
We have an adult that looks fairly similar in colour.

Isn't that a Greek?


0.1.0 Dachshund
0.0.1 Redfoot
1.0.0 Greek

 

[portsmouthtortoises]

They don't look albino to me but just high yellow.
We have an adult that looks fairly similar in colour.

Isn't that a Greek?


0.1.0 Dachshund
0.0.1 Redfoot
1.0.0 Greek

no, she's Hermanni boettgeri.

 

[Raymo2477]

Why is it missing the cervical scute?

 

[portsmouthtortoises]

I have never seen the ruby eyed one before, they look interesting!

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

I have never seen the ruby eyed one before, they look interesting!

They also seem to have health issues with their eyes, I'm told...cancers, among other things.

Possibly skin cancers, as well.

 

[EricIvins]

Both animals are Albinos - Not Leucistic, not semi Albino? etc.....

Albinism comes in many forms and the "look" will depend on how Tyrosinase is processed. The information is out there in case anyone wants to educate themselves. I don't think a "true", by definition Leucistic Tortoise has been found. Some Turtles have come close, but again, genetics aren't black and white either....Ivory Sulcatas may be a form of Leucism, but they may also be a form of T+ Albino. We will never know until someone forks the money over to figure it out....

 

[FLINTUS]

I have to say, it's weird in tortoises how albinos are considered way more valuable. Technically, it is a genetic defect and a disadvantage. I have a cashmere x French lop eared rabbit that's an albino, which I took in from a rescue centre. In nearly all mammals, it is considered a bad thing-one of the places I went to in Mauritius had an albino wallaby that they rescued, I put up a pic if anyone fancies searching. With reptiles it is the opposite. Now before anybody criticises me, yes I do have jadatzi giant African land snails, but albinism does not seem to cause any disadvantages in inverts, and if I just kept normal GALs I would never be able to get rid of the hatchlings.

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

Both animals are Albinos - Not Leucistic, not semi Albino? etc.....

Albinism comes in many forms and the "look" will depend on how Tyrosinase is processed. The information is out there in case anyone wants to educate themselves. I don't think a "true", by definition Leucistic Tortoise has been found. Some Turtles have come close, but again, genetics aren't black and white either....Ivory Sulcatas may be a form of Leucism, but they may also be a form of T+ Albino. We will never know until someone forks the money over to figure it out....

Your opinion is based upon what?

 

[ShellyTurtlesCats]

I don't get the desire to have any albino pet. The red eyes creep me out.

I used to breed dachshunds and once in a while, other people I talked to bred dapples to dappled which could cause some interesting looks but also came with higher chances of deformations, no eye sight, lack of hearing...

Deformations come at a cost, even if it's just color.

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

I don't get the desire to have any albino pet. The red eyes creep me out.

I used to breed dachshunds and once in a while, other people I talked to bred dapples to dappled which could cause some interesting looks but also came with higher chances of deformations, no eye sight, lack of hearing...

Deformations come at a cost, even if it's just color.

My major concern would be the higher incidence of cancer, of various types...albinos are VERY suceptible to skin cancers, in particular. Thus, keeping one outside, where it can get lots of sun, could also lead to it's demise...very problematic.

I've wondered how well the "Snow" sulcatas will fare, over the years.

The only known albino gorilla, Snowball, who lived for many years in a zoo in Barcelona, Spain, finally developed cancer so bad that he had to be euthanized.

 

[ShellyTurtlesCats]

I personally avoid anything "rare" for all of those reasons. Free? Sure. Pay you 100's (or more) for your purposely bred deformation? No thanks.