Just wanting to share.......

[turtletania]

We just got back from a vacation in Hong Kong...... OMG..... it is tortoise/turtle heaven there.

We counted a total of 32 different species.
Sulcatas from 2" to 12"
Aldabras from 4" to 15"..... it was amazing.

If anyone is thinking of going .... make your way to Monk Kok Station and walk to The "Goldfish Market".... there is store after store of goldfish and torts/turts.

 

[coreyc]

I think it's horrible there stack like cord wood way to many in to small of a tank the tank's did look clean for having so many in a small space but still horrible

 

[Bowser-the-Redfoot]

Its the same in Japan... I saw a full grown... It looked like a herrmann in a 3x2 space... I was so sad for it... I would've bought it but I have no idea how to care for it and it was like $300...

 

[Yvonne G]

With tortoise being so plentiful, its a real shame there isn't more education on how to care for them.

 

[ISTortoiseLover]

Oh, I've read that the government's gonna clamp down on sale of those animals in the "Goldfish Market" along with the others. When exactly would be anyone's guess. I do believe sale Of reptiles is illegal in most Asian countries. Pity about their small tanks. perhaps someone shd visit the reptile Market in hong kong And hand out flyers with an advert pointing them to our forum.

 

[Laura]

I was expecting to see much worse.. considering.. it didnt look too bad.
Mixed species not good,, pyrymiding, prob too dry.. but better then some local pet stores..

 

[Madkins007]

The mentality of the wholesaler and many retailers is that they will not be in these small tanks long, and bigger tanks means fewer tanks means fewer sales means less profit. If we could help them find a way to make more money with more space, I'd bet they would switch in a heartbeat.

 

[Tom]

I think it looks very good. Clean bedding, smooth torts, decent food in the bowls, proper basking lights and heat gradients...

Sure they are crowded, but that is how it works in retail...

Thanks for sharing your pics with us.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Aren't they mostly sold for food? Thanks for the pictures, it's interesting to see how they are, and I see a lamp for sale, so maybe I'm wrong about the food thing, I'm just asking, I don't really know...

 

[Jacqui]

I think it looks very good. Clean bedding, smooth torts, decent food in the bowls, proper basking lights and heat gradients...

Sure they are crowded, but that is how it works in retail...

Thanks for sharing your pics with us.

Tom summed up my thoughts exactly.

 

[Jermosh]

Aren't they mostly sold for food? Thanks for the pictures, it's interesting to see how they are, and I see a lamp for sale, so maybe I'm wrong about the food thing, I'm just asking, I don't really know...

They would sell food turtles in markets or stores, and not rare species like that most likely.

 

[turtletania]

They were definitely for pets.... sold everything else to go with them.
I came home with 2 suitcases completely full of food/supplies/globes/basking rocks/humidifier/plants etc etc. It was wonderful.

I only wish I could have bought/brought 2 leopards home with me. I sooooo want them.

As for over crowding, well...... these photos were the good ones. Some stores had much more crowding in the enclosures. The worst was the big aldabra... it was in a space only big enough to turn around. But at almost $10k US it will probably outgrow before it is sold.... that was sad.

 

[dmmj]

I wonder how difficult it would be to get those tortoises into the US, legally of course.

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

I wonder how difficult it would be to get those tortoises into the US, legally of course.

I was wondering that, too...

 

[Jessicap]

I wonder how difficult it would be to get those tortoises into the US, legally of course.

I was wondering that, too...

Well I know they can't fly in the cabin with you... lol

 

[egyptiandan]

All kind of things going on here

More space would be nice Mark, but the shops are extremely small (maybe 300 sq. ft. and some smaller). So there is no room for larger enclosures.

Quite impossible to get the Sulcatas and Leopards in the country as imports are banned in the US. No matter what country they come from.

They do have petshops in Hong Kong, as evidenced by the pictures , that sell animals for people to keep. I know at least 2 of the shop owners on the street. They buy quite a bit of their animals from the US. There are though still food markets that sell turtles and tortoises for food and medicinal purposes. They also have over a 1,000 turtle farms in China. Ranging from huge to very small, that breed over 30 species of turtles and a few species of tortoise.

Danny