Platysternons

[Gerards]

How about you, Anthony?

No sir, not me. Never worked with them. By the time I really got into the exotics, these guys were already too rich for my blood.

Nothing against Mark, or any others who love this species enough to give them a try, but I try to stick to small, cold tolerant species that are EASY enough to breed. These guys obviously don't fit the latter at all.

As much as I would love Chelus, Carettochelys, Platysternon, Acanthochelys, Platemys, etc., I just hate the idea of spending so much to maybe have breeding success. It's always a crapshoot, but I'd rather try to pay a lot for projects that will probably give me breeding success.

You have to respect those that try it though. It's a high reward thing. I doubt the few people who are breeding rare animals like Chelonoidis, Chelus, or Podocnemis erythrocephala are regretting their decision to do so.

I'm just a chicken Not tough like Mark..

Lots of things that are available today were thought of the same way years ago. The reward factor of trying to figure out species lie this is what drives me, today. I have been drooling over this thread none stop, it's not good for me affliction. Such an amazing species.

 

[sibi]

Hi Mark, and welcome! What a beautiful turtle. I can see why this species is your favorite. I myself started off with a Reeves 25 years ago. I look forward to seeing more pics. Thanks for sharing.

 

[maroonus]

Here are some fun photos of baby Platysternons from a friend in Hong Kong..(these are not mine..wish they were!)

 

[Tom]

So amazing. Beautiful babies.

 

[Kapidolo Farms]

I don't "currently" have them. I had several purchased at the Northeastern Herp Expo 'Hamburg' still small enough they had their egg tooth.

They grew to about 7 inches in as many years, then I gave them to a friend as I went back to school.

I fed them fidler crabs from the marshes in southern New Jersey once in a great while but for the most part they ate trout chow in abundance.

I built a rack that was several large storage bins tall, the top had a pothos in it as half the filter, the bottom was full of bio-balls. Water was pumper from the bottom bio-ball bin to the the top with pothos. Then through bulkhead fittings it would descend back down via alternating ends of bins (where the turtles were) to the bio-ball bin.

Each bin with a single turtle had several large rocks so the turtle could have something to grad onto, along with smaller rocks to create turbulence. Some small amount of pothos was in each turtle bin as well.

I used no artificial light, the only light was the ambient that came in through a north facing window. No supplemental heat was provided, the temp in the water was the ambient temp of the room, lows to 60F highs to 90F, based on season and how the room was managed for my temp requirements and utility bill.

They are pretty easy to care for, actually about the lowest maintenance water turtles I have ever had. They grow explosively under these conditions I outlined.

I found a few while in Vietnam several years ago. I think the only reason they were found is that it was the time of year some terrestrial crab was walking around and conspicuous. While looking in the water at the crabs mating they moved in a strange way, and upon a closer look, even in clear water, I saw the outline of the big head grabbing the crab. I don't think I would have seen the turtle otherwise. But once the search image was made, a few others in the general area were found.

The ones we saw in the markets there were all very large, taken with baited hook. The healing power belief was that they could cure bone ailments. I asked one woman (with an interpreter) why she was buying one, and she said she had pain in her knees, and a soup from the turtle would cure it.

I don't "currently" have any. Those I gave to the friend are lost to follow-up.

Will

 

[Anthony P]

How about you, Anthony?

No sir, not me. Never worked with them. By the time I really got into the exotics, these guys were already too rich for my blood.

Nothing against Mark, or any others who love this species enough to give them a try, but I try to stick to small, cold tolerant species that are EASY enough to breed. These guys obviously don't fit the latter at all.

As much as I would love Chelus, Carettochelys, Platysternon, Acanthochelys, Platemys, etc., I just hate the idea of spending so much to maybe have breeding success. It's always a crapshoot, but I'd rather try to pay a lot for projects that will probably give me breeding success.

You have to respect those that try it though. It's a high reward thing. I doubt the few people who are breeding rare animals like Chelonoidis, Chelus, or Podocnemis erythrocephala are regretting their decision to do so.

I'm just a chicken Not tough like Mark..

Lots of things that are available today were thought of the same way years ago. The reward factor of trying to figure out species lie this is what drives me, today. I have been drooling over this thread none stop, it's not good for me affliction. Such an amazing species.

I totally understand. It's important that people like you do think that way. You can corner the market on a species that is otherwise unavailable in the country. It doesn't get much better than that. And it's great for the animals obviously to reproduce in any capacity, in any country, on some level.

 

[maroonus]

Well good luck to those who want to buy them now. I've never thought I'd see the day when they would be more expensive than Carettochelys

 

[harris]

Do you hear that sound? That's me punching myself in the face for letting go of the 3 I had many years ago.

 

[Anthony P]

1800 dollars for one at the Hamburg Show in August! Too rich for my blood.

 

[guille24]

Maroonus , my friend send me one of the pictures u have many months ago and I asked people in this forum what kind of turtle it was , my friend told me it was his turtle and he bought it because it was pretty [POUTING FACE] no wonder when I asked him to send me more pictures of the turtle he never did , I hate when people lie to me ! May be he was just playing or who knows , he's done that same thing to me before he lives in Texas and one time he send me a picture of a tortoise I immediately thought It was a desert tortoise and then he was like its a fake tortoise it's made of plastic I just wanted to know how you will react people know how much I like tortoises/ turtles may be that's the reason the mess with me all the time .

 

[maroonus]

Maroonus , my friend send me one of the pictures u have many months ago and I asked people in this forum what kind of turtle it was , my friend told me it was his turtle and he bought it because it was pretty [POUTING FACE] no wonder when I asked him to send me more pictures of the turtle he never did , I hate when people lie to me ! May be he was just playing or who knows , he's done that same thing to me before he lives in Texas and one time he send me a picture of a tortoise I immediately thought It was a desert tortoise and then he was like its a fake tortoise it's made of plastic I just wanted to know how you will react 😑 people know how much I like tortoises/ turtles may be that's the reason the mess with me all the time .

That happens all the time. I had somebody try to sell me a Black Palm Cockatoo once that sent me pictures of another friends bird!
Lots of con-artists out there.

 

[guille24]

Maroonus u are totally right ! That's one if the reasons I don't trust that many people .

 

[maroonus]

1800 dollars for one at the Hamburg Show in August! Too rich for my blood.

Oh man! Anthony was it male or female? Did you take any pictures?
Do you normally see platy's at Hamburg?

 

[Anthony P]

I couldn't discern the sex. I was just happy they let me film it. It is on my hamburg video on YouTube. There is a 8-10 second clip of it on there. You can view it here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-gFGVLEurw

 

[maroonus]

I couldn't discern the sex. I was just happy they let me film it. It is on my hamburg video on YouTube. There is a 8-10 second clip of it on there. You can view it here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-gFGVLEurw

Thanks for posting Anthony..Cool video..Looked like a male, thick tail , etc..

 

[reatrocity]

I'm not really a turtle person but... WOW! Those turtles are beautiful! So interesting reading about them from you guys.

Yvonne I've never even heard of the species you mentioned, I did look them up and they too look incredible. Almost cartoonish!