Under 4inches torts sold in stores (like 2/2.5 inch not 3.5/3.8 inch)

GGboy17

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Really? I bought my Sulcata from a pet store (it was a nice independently owned one) that was 2.3 inches. Would have beeen nice if he were to all ready be 4 inches Lol.
 

Big Charlie

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Really? I bought my Sulcata from a pet store (it was a nice independently owned one) that was 2.3 inches. Would have beeen nice if he were to all ready be 4 inches Lol.
That was about the size of my sulcata when I bought him from an independent pet store. I'm glad he was that little and I'm glad I have pictures of him from that time.
 

Tom

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Really? I bought my Sulcata from a pet store (it was a nice independently owned one) that was 2.3 inches. Would have beeen nice if he were to all ready be 4 inches Lol.

In a humid closed chamber with a good diet and daily soaks, it would take about 6-8 months to grow one to 4".

How much money would you be willing to pay for a sulcata tortoise that size? You bought one soon after it hatched and paid whatever it cost at your store. How much should a breeder be paid for investing 6-8 months of their time raising a baby?
 

Tom

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For a healthy 6-8 inch Sulcata I would say $150-$200

That is what most retail stores charge for a hatchling.

This is why there is no incentive for anyone to put in the time and work to raise them to 4" before sale. I'd do it if we started talking somewhere in the $500-600 range, but no one will pay that much.

Think about it though... To get them to 6-8 inches is going to be about 14-18 months of daily work. That is 540 days of feeding, heating, cleaning, chaining waters, soaking, etc… $150 divided by 540 days comes to .28 cents a day. You'd have to sell 100 per day to make $28, and that doesn't count any of your expenses for food, supplements, bulbs, housing, substrate, electricity, etc. If I sold 1000, every single day, I could make $280/day, but how could anyone care for 1000 babies in a day every day. But it would 1000 babies for each day so you'd be constantly rotating through 100s of thousands of babies. No way to make money there. It would cost money to sell them at that size and price. A lot of money.

Anyhow, there is the issue with making people sell them at a larger size. Its a lot of time and expense to get them that big, but there is no reward for it at the end.
 

Yvonne G

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For a healthy 6-8 inch Sulcata I would say $150-$200

Yes, maybe for you, the buyer, but it's not worth the breeder's time and energy to feed and house and pay electricity to raise one up to 4" then take a loss to sell it at $150 to $200.
 

Loni

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The FDA is responsible for enforcing the 4" rule. Have you ever seen a FDA employee in any pet store in any city in any state in the U.S. Just sayin'

Pet stores are in business to sell things and make a profit. It is up the the purchaser to beware and do their homework prior to buying.
I thought the 4" limitation was for imports only?
 

daniellenc

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You act as though woman with children can’t handle raising a hatchling. It seems ironic since all 4 of hers were hatchlings at one point and still alive! Pet stores should have to provide better care sheets and information but ultimately it was your friends responsibility to research prior to choosing where to purchase her Leo. Obviously this animal wasn’t healthy at purchase but again a little research would have tipped her off. Hopefully she joins here and purchases one from a reputable breeder soon. The whole situation is sad but ultimately it wasn’t the torts size that lead to death but rather poor care and untreated illness.
 

Toddrickfl1

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The 4" law is a joke. I've never met or ever even heard of someone contacting salmonella from a turtle or tortoise, but I see people contracting it from lettuce, poultry, and prepackaged foods on the news all the time.
 

Yvonne G

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I thought the 4" limitation was for imports only?
The 4" rule pertains to businesses selling turtles and tortoises. Any BUSINESS , not hobbyists.
 
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