Is this a good place to buy a Russian tortoise?
- Thread starter Noah101
- Start date
Megatron's Mom
Well-Known Member
I don't know anything about that breeder. But my daughter uses MorphMarket all the time. MorphMarket does try their best to keep out scammers.
I don't know this seller, but I already see one problem. They are advertising a "female baby Russian tortoise". There is no way to sex a baby. They can be surgically sexed as babies, but that would cost much more than the selling price of this tortoise. If incubated on the warmer side, in theory, you should get more females, but only sulcatas have been studied in a lab, so sulcatas are the only species where the exact temps to produce all males or all females is known.
I would recommend buying from one of the many breeders on this forum that are up to date on current and correct care info. I personally know and highly recommend the first three here. I don't know dovelett15, but I remembered seeing an ad recently.
@TylerStewart
@biochemnerd808
@HoosierTort
@dovelett15
I know the same as those above. No experience with them.
I agree with Tom though.
I agree with Tom though.
Noah101
Member
Okay thank you so much!!
Noah101
Member
It said their 3-4 years old maybe the baby part is just a misprint because on morph market the diet also sometimes misprinted so I think it may be a misprint should u still use a different source?
Noah101
Member
How about this one. he’s a rescue?
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Are you looking for an adult or a baby?
Are you looking to buy one or rescue one for free?
Do you mind dealing with the potential disease and parasites of an imported animal, or does a CB animal that is more likely to be disease and parasite free better suit your interests?
Anastasia 22
Active Member
I was recommended to use Morph by people from the exotic pet stores. I couldn't find Russian tortoise locally and they told me to check with Morph. I saw pictures of three baby Russians there and it said one was for sale (it didn't say which one though). I don't know but something told me not to deal with them. I found my Russian boy in a pet store and I didn't mind to drive for 6 hours to get him....
Noah101
Member
I’m looking for a captive bread adult and I was going to buy one but if I can rescue one that is close enough to nj to pick up or get delivered to me I’m okay with rescuing one as long as it doesn’t have any health issues
CB adults are seldom offered for sale. When someone buys a baby and raises it to adulthood, they usually want to keep it. Sometimes people's life circumstances change and they end up needed to re-home a tortoise like this, but it is not the norm. Keep looking and you might get lucky.
Any rescue and almost all adults offered for sale are going to be WC tortoises. Unfortunately, when they are WC, health issues come with the territory. Many diseases are suppressed and only come out in times of stress. Some of the diseases are difficult, if not impossible, to diagnose in a living animal and can only be confirmed with a necropsy. Its a gamble.
The safest bet is to buy a well started baby from one of the sellers I mentioned. If you don't mind the risk and possible expenses, you can probably rescue a long term captive near you for free.
Noah101
Member
It said it’s captive bread do some people just say that so they can sell for more ?
Noah101
Member
It said it’s captive bread do some people just say that so they can sell for more
they said it was given up by its owner
I 100% recommend getting a rescue, there are so so many Russians in need of homes. BTW I see you are in Cedar Grove, I'm originally from Verona 
So as an example, here's one from down the shore: https://jerseyshore.craigslist.org/for/d/neptune-male-russian-tortoise-for-sale/7760864909.html
this tortoises life as been really crappy. He's in one of the 2x3' Tortoise houses they sell on the internet that are 1/6 of the space they actually need, he's got a water dish that can kill him, and his teeny tiny house is otherwise taken up with so much stuff I'm surprised he can walk at all.
Get this guy, and you can feel great about giving a tortoise that's had a rubbish life a really good one...
So as an example, here's one from down the shore: https://jerseyshore.craigslist.org/for/d/neptune-male-russian-tortoise-for-sale/7760864909.html
this tortoises life as been really crappy. He's in one of the 2x3' Tortoise houses they sell on the internet that are 1/6 of the space they actually need, he's got a water dish that can kill him, and his teeny tiny house is otherwise taken up with so much stuff I'm surprised he can walk at all.
Get this guy, and you can feel great about giving a tortoise that's had a rubbish life a really good one...
Some people do that, but more likely is that the place where they got it from told them that it was CB. Most of the chain pet stores do this. They call them "farm raised" imports and tell their customer they are CB. If the original owners raised it from a baby and it grew from tiny to this size with them, then I would believe it was CB.
Noah101
Member
Okay thank you
Noah101
Member
Okay thank you so much!!!I 100% recommend getting a rescue, there are so so many Russians in need of homes. BTW I see you are in Cedar Grove, I'm originally from Verona
So as an example, here's one from down the shore: https://jerseyshore.craigslist.org/for/d/neptune-male-russian-tortoise-for-sale/7760864909.html
this tortoises life as been really crappy. He's in one of the 2x3' Tortoise houses they sell on the internet that are 1/6 of the space they actually need, he's got a water dish that can kill him, and his teeny tiny house is otherwise taken up with so much stuff I'm surprised he can walk at all.
Get this guy, and you can feel great about giving a tortoise that's had a rubbish life a really good one...
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