radiated X redfoot

[mark1]

if these are viable hybrids? i expect there'll be some new "morphs" coming out down the road.......... radiated X sulcata's, leopard X sulcatata's ........my opinion is this should never happen...... makes buying some aberrant turtle or tortoise morph for a lot of money kinda questionable.......

 

[Tom]

I agree with your opinion. This should never happen.

 

[mark1]

guy says it was an accident and wants 1700-2000$ each........ horrible for the hobby

 

[zovick]

guy says it was an accident and wants 1700-2000$ each........ horrible for the hobby

IMHO, these grotesque things don't look like they have any Radiated Tortoise blood in them at all. I would be more inclined to think they have Sri Lankan Star blood than Radiated Tortoise blood.

Could possibly be a scam, like buying "het" snakes which never produce the gene for which they were supposedly "het". This has happened many times to over-eager snake buyers looking to get a certain morph on the cheap.

Finally, breeding hybrid tortoises is disgusting, especially if it is being done with a beautiful endangered species like the Radiated Tortoise. In the days when people owning Radiated Tortoises (and other ESA animals requiring CBW permits) could get CBW Permits, one of the things to which the permit holder had to agree was NOT to hybridize the species for which the permit was issued. That is one thing that the USFWS Management Authority got right.

 

[Megatron's Mom]

guy says it was an accident and wants 1700-2000$ each........ horrible for the hobby

An accident he's trying to cash in on. Sure.

 

[mark1]

disgusting

that is exactly the right word.....

 

[mark1]

An accident he's trying to cash in on. Sure.

someone buying one of those for 2 grand is gonna have a plan.....

 

[zovick]

someone buying one of those for 2 grand is gonna have a plan.....

Yes, get a pair, breed them together, and get a Radiated Tortoise without needing a CBW Permit or spending a higher dollar amount for it.

I don't think a pair of these little buggers will ever produce a Radiated Tortoise no matter how many times they are bred to each other. The head and leg scalation look nothing like those of a Radiated Tortoise, and neither do the patterns on the central scutes. All of those do, however, look like Star Tortoise characteristics to me.

 

[DoubleD1996!]

They've been breeding "leopcatas" for a while now.
Some people claim they're a natural hybrid because their territory overlaps.

 

[mark1]

All of those do, however, look like Star Tortoise

i don't doubt someone that would do this wouldn't know the difference between a star and a radiated tortoise, or as you said is just looking to scam.....