Chelonian History Part I

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Kapidolo Farms

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I find it amusing that so many posts here seem to communicate, in subtext, that everything is brand new, and tortoises keeping is no older than those who currently do it here as posters to this list-serve.

I hope you all will find some of the past accomplishment of others interesting because, well, they made it easier for you all. Those first breeding(s), those records that seem to have gotten lost by tortoise people who emulate their tortoise captives as they are sorta shy, retiring, and not so boastful are going to get this new voice.

Sulcatas have been bred privately (not a zoo) here in the US, now 25 years ago. Tinkerbell, is the founder of many private breeding groups in the US. Her offspring were sold under many other dealer's banners, and directly by the Jamisons.

Originally published in the Tortuga Gazette 29(4): 4-5, April 1993

http://tortoise.org/archives/sulcint.html

to read what I'm talking about.

Anyone here predate this breeding or know someone with that claim?

Lets get some of this history straight, OK!

Will
 

Yvonne G

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It would be interesting to get a look at those people who actually got us started many years ago. Barbara Jameson was in Porterville, California. I knew many people here in my town who had bought baby sulcatas from her. In fact, I can remember it being quite a status symbol to be able to say, "This is a Tinkerbelle baby!"
 

Baoh

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Good post/thread. Keepers have been having various forms of success calmly, quietly, and privately for years. Some of those means of success just gain greater popularity and people forget the reclusive innovators' contributions along the way.
 

Yellow Turtle

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Actually I don't really care who initiated the breeding, especially that it happened not in my country, but I give my full respect to all breeders who encourage others by sharing their knowledge and as you mention, making it a simple process for others to learn and care for their torts.

Will said:
I find it amusing that so many posts here seem to communicate, in subtext, that everything is brand new, and tortoises keeping is no older than those who currently do it here as posters to this list-serve.
Will

Will, how do you see that people claiming things are brand new? I don't really see those here. The way I see is, that while there might be some new ways, but others are basically sharing those same old knowledge to newbies. That's including myself when I learn many things here and then reply to other people's thread asking for the same things, which I have learnt here. Eventually all the newbies will also learn the same knowledge and hopefully share them as well.

I believe that it's hard for all those old knowledge to be traced back to the original keepers, as there are too many private keepers who share their knowledge in a way that we don't really know and some are too calm to make any noise about their achievement.
 

TortoiseWorld

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I also pay homage to those old timers in this herpetology. Newbies can build on the foundation they laid and perhaps now with more advance science and fresh minds, more accomplishment in the practice of tortoise husbandry will be made.
 

Jacqui

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I can't wait for the second part your doing, because I myself am not sure who the mystery person is whom your your to write about. Do you happen to know, is Tinkerbell still alive?
 

Yvonne G

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Barbara Jameson sold all her tortoises and moved to Northern California several years ago. So I've lost track of Tinkerbelle. It would be interesting to know, though.
 

Kapidolo Farms

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Yellow Turtle said:
I believe that it's hard for all those old knowledge to be traced back to the original keepers, as there are too many private keepers who share their knowledge in a way that we don't really know and some are too calm to make any noise about their achievement.


That, very reason, sir, is why I am posting this kind of thing.

For example, off topic in the tortoise centric sense, the first breeding of Fijian Iguanas was at the Fresno Chaffee zoo. They got a Bean award for it, so it is a well documented event. This accomplishment was achiever by a man who later was the primary elephant keeper at that zoo, Paul Barkman.

He narrated his interest and what he did to me when I worked there. He preceded Ron Tremper and Sean McKeown, both who curated that small high end collection.

Ask anyone today who broke that ground and ten million fingers will point south the SDZ.

This was before the ESA, CITES blah blah blah.

Later today I will post a record for the man who bred more species than ANYONE else, and probably still has that attribute, the most species by an individual.


Will
 

Tom

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Very cool article. I love this sort of thing. Please keep it coming. Show us our history. I wanna know more.
 
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