PLOUGHSHARE TORTS - DRASTIC ACTION

[Tidgy's Dad]

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-33096261

Rather sad.
What do you think guys? Good or bad?
I say bad, but necessary.
At least worth a try.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Seems like a logical step.
Too bad it comes down to something like that.

 

[CanadianTestudo]

Have these guys been bred in captivity?

 

[Yvonne G]

This was covered in the TSA magazine a couple years ago. I'm all for it. I only wish TSA would follow up and let us know if it worked.

 

[Yvonne G]

Have these guys been bred in captivity?

If I'm remembering correctly, the Behler Institute has a breeding colony of them.

http://www.turtleconservancy.org/bcc/

 

[wellington]

I think it's a great idea. The tortoises don't care what they look like. Hopefully it works.

 

[G-stars]

They also did this to the Burmese star tortoise. I also wonder how effective it is?

 

[Yvonne G]

I looked back to find the article. This started in 2011. Here's a link to a very interesting article with good pictures:

http://www.turtleconservancy.org/projects/ploughshare-tortoise-report-web.pdf

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

BBC a bit slow on the uptake it seems.
Thanks, Yvonne, a great article.
Nice it's on the BBC Homepage now though.

 

[mrscruffy]

Hi,

I watched this report and thought I should link it to the forum. I am a bit skeptical of some of the price claims, but clearly most reporters will use the highest figures to sensationalise the issue. However, the depressing reality that humans are destroying so much should not be avoided.

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-33096261

Cheers
Tort

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Hi,

I watched this report and thought I should link it to the forum. I am a bit skeptical of some of the price claims, but clearly most reporters will use the highest figures to sensationalise the issue. However, the depressing reality that humans are destroying so much should not be avoided.

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-33096261

Cheers
Tort

Er, that's the link i started this thread with.
But i agree with your comment.

 

[Yvonne G]

Er, that's the link i started this thread with.
But i agree with your comment.

She had started a new thread and I merged them to keep it contained.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Hi,

I watched this report and thought I should link it to the forum. I am a bit skeptical of some of the price claims, but clearly most reporters will use the highest figures to sensationalise the issue. However, the depressing reality that humans are destroying so much should not be avoided.

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-33096261

Cheers
Tort

Sorry, the threads got merged.
Great minds think alike!

 

[Kapidolo Farms]

Have these guys been bred in captivity?

Seriously(?), it has been reported here on TFO by members who have them privately. With photo documentation that is pretty solid. There is much false hype with this species to help tug $$ from widows who read the trite of news sources such as the BBC. They are not 'sulcata abundant' for sure as captives, but then again they have been bred in-situ and ex-situ for several decades now. There have been at least three importations into the US in the past few years, so there are now founder animals here. I do not know if there are any 'legitimate' animals in Europe's studbook.

There are those three groups out of the closet in the USA, the breeding center in Madagascar that was burnt (shame, not fire) a few times, and then all the private private (double use of private with intent) breeders.

I have read several texts of field research on these tortoises including a few dissertations. Those researchers who hire locals spend dozens of search hours of effort to find one adult. ONE ADULT. Finding neonates to sub-adults is all the more rare. So riddle me this, how do poachers come up with 50 or so same size neonates all perfect and uniform in size to illegally smuggle out of Madagascar? Fifty neonates represents thousands of search hours based on the in-situ studies of people who hire locals to help find adults. How could those same locals implement searches for those thousands of hours in the range looking and finding tortoises, undetected by all those machine gun toting guards such as depicted on the cover of the first issue of "The Tortoise"?

I don't doubt they are endangered for a minute, I also don't believe in any way shape or form they are some mystery animal that is rarely bred in captivity any more rare than those who actually seek to breed them. Some of these clandestine breeders have actually said they wish radiated were as 'easy' as the ploughshares, to breed.

Their rarity is real, the 'protection' is over implemented, and they are indeed bred in captivity no more rarely than those who try to breed them, not just covet the rare tortoise for that sake of rareness. Sometime conservation hype actually makes it worse for the animals.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Perhaps, if breeding isn't that difficult, someone or several someones are breeding them in Madagascar and shipping the young illegally to Thailand?
I don't think it said they were wild caught, just from Madagascar.

 

[mrscruffy]

Er, that's the link i started this thread with.
But i agree with your comment.

Hi, I missed this thread and started another one which got merged. Nice to see torts predicament getting some recognition.

 

[emystiong]

Maybe may deter those who keep this sp as a bragging right !! But if these are offered to me , even three legged ( that's a if ) if in good condition ( of I think I can turn it around ) I will get it to add to my group !!

So deface of not won't deter a breeder but will to a certain extent a keeper or collector .

 

[emystiong]

I too believe that there's some sort of ranch or farm breeding this sp for " export " . Most likely in-situ - ease of getting breeder , ease of providing diet and living condition .

But where is this " paradise " that can produce so many per season !!

 

[emystiong]

Don't even need to engrave !!

 

[emystiong]

But is it feasible for a farm to grow a hatchling to say 4" (12-18mths) , 5" (24mths min) , 6" or larger than offer out for sale at a higher price ( is the extra time of a few years worth the extra few $$$ )

If there's no farm breeding them , are those " caught in transit " angonoka really from the wild ?