Burmese star tortoise price

Hey

A tortoise dealer offered me 3, 5 inch burmese star tortoise for 2,000 USD they are all males and are captive bred.
I would like to know if it is a good deal or should I avoid this because it is too expensive? I also live in Thailand and I am pretty new to this forum so I hoped i got the images in correctly. I want your opinions guys.

Thank you,

That is a reasonable price for one that size. Is the tortoise also in Thailand?

I'd like to see the tail before I'd conclude its male. I assume they think male due to the incubation temperature. This is not reliable. I have 3 males that were intentionally incubated for female.

Do you already have females? If not I would pass.

I agree, if you don't have any females its probably not a good idea to buy a herd of males.

Are you getting them from Chutajuk? I tend to think it is expensive considering the amounts of them which they are captive bred. They always seem to have juvenile stars at the market. Last time I was there (years ago), I saw some star torts and I don't recall them being that expensive. Several friends move through the market more regularly and they often take turtle pics for me, each time they included stars.

Why not try to get a species which is native to Thailand?

Thinking about what I just wrote, I can't be certain if I was looking an Indian Stars or Burmese Stars in the past (I couldn't tell the difference then). I suspect they may of been Indian and I understand Burmese are much rarer. Big commitment to take them and gives you a serious mission of finding some females for them.

I feel Burmese star's price in US is decreasing.

xiaobochu said:

I feel Burmese star's price in US is decreasing.

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I've seen the opposite. 5 years ago I saw some at a show for $800 each. I got mine for $1000 3 years ago, and I saw them last year for $1200 at the same show in Pomona.

Tom, I totally agree with you. Some years more are produced then other years and that can affect price a little. But, I always said, you get what you pay for. If your looking for the best, they will not be cheap. IMO

KenS said:

Tom, I totally agree with you. Some years more are produced then other years and that can affect price a little. But, I always said, you get what you pay for. If your looking for the best, they will not be cheap. IMO

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I wish I could get sulcata buyers to understand that concept. They'll buy a dry started baby that was fed nothing but romaine because its $10-15 cheaper than mine. Then they will pay hundreds of dollars in vet bills trying to save a baby with damaged kidneys that can't be saved…

The stars I bought from you are fantastic animals and are thriving. Hoping for eggs this winter as all females are now right at 3000grams, or a little over.

Tom, your females are at that size to start producing babies. Can't wait to see your babies!!!!

The Burmese market has been flooded more this year than I have ever seen. There has also been a very large number of males on the market as well.
I believe the Burmese market peaked 2 years ago and now they are ultimately going to be at the price of Indians. Their clutch sizes are very large, high fertility hence way too many babies on the market. The price for Burmese will settle in at about 500$ in my opinion. I have them, love having them and don't really care that the market will continue to drop. Indians have held their price point for a long time at about 400-500$. Smaller clutch sizes so not as many on the market at a time.

deadheadvet said:

The Burmese market has been flooded more this year than I have ever seen. There has also been a very large number of males on the market as well.
I believe the Burmese market peaked 2 years ago and now they are ultimately going to be at the price of Indians. Their clutch sizes are very large, high fertility hence way too many babies on the market. The price for Burmese will settle in at about 500$ in my opinion. I have them, love having them and don't really care that the market will continue to drop. Indians have held their price point for a long time at about 400-500$. Smaller clutch sizes so not as many on the market at a time.

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Hi is this in the USA ,I'm in Scotland and would love to have one

Hi is this just in the USA as I'm in Scotland and would love to have for a reasonable price,the prices Iv seen have been very high,I'd pay the high money if I had it,but don't so would be awesome if they came down a bit

Can not comment on other countries. Since these are CITES Appendix 1, can not ship outside the US. Maybe the market is better over there. Here there is a flood of Burmese available.

Ok thank you

I am just glad I can sell my babies directly and demand a higher price for them. Smart buyers don't mind spending a little extra for rock solid animals from REPUTABLE breeders.
I see people selling Burms produced by someone else with the egg tooth attached!. I see so many irresponsible breeders selling fragile babies to unsuspecting buyers. It really aggravates me. The ads are crying desperation and these clowns don't even realize educated buyers stay away from ads priced well below retail, especially when they come back 2 days later and say "make me an offer".
I read tonight online where people are getting baby Burmese with soft bellies, a sure death. The word will catch on quick. These people will go away soon enough..

It's definitely worth seeking out a reputable breeder. I'm ashamed to say I paid way too much on faunaclassifieds for my first burmese star who arrived with the soft plastron described above, and who ultimately died a few months later. It was sold to me as nine months old and weighed only 31 grams upon arrival and never really gained weight. It must have been a hatchling in the first place, or truly one which never grew.

Contrast that with the experience you have with a reputable breeder who might send you well-started hatchlings weighing 50 grams or more and that readily quadruple in weight the first year. The difference is night and day! The assurance of a really nice robust animal of whichever species--and especially one as cool as platynota-- commands a justifiable premium.

If you buy good well established animals from a breeder who is producing them , in the long run you will be much better off. Too many people selling animals that really can't tell you their history and that's just not good.

I don't see a flood of good quality Burmese available. Only brand new hatchings that they should not be offering forsale as they are not established enough and people trying to sell animals that they did not produce and can't really help the buyer with proper info on their history or care.

And it's short-sighted to press ill or premature hatchlings on unsuspecting buyers. Responsible breeders can count on positive word of mouth referrals and repeat business by earning buyers' trust, which shysters miss out on.

If there is a choice between sellers, I assume that the same advice would hold true in Thailand or elsewhere that interested parties may be.

@Gabriel Mattei, what did you end up deciding?