Chico Chaco

Krista S

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He/She is beautiful! How old is this tortoise? I’d love to see some more pictures. This is one species that I don’t know much about.
 

turtlesteve

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Beautiful! Such small tortoises, but loaded with personality.

Are you breeding these right now? If so, shoot me a PM, I’d love to chat.
 

tortadise

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Beautiful! Such small tortoises, but loaded with personality.

Are you breeding these right now? If so, shoot me a PM, I’d love to chat.
Use to. Still have only males. All the females perished from poor previous care. Very unfortunate
 

turtlesteve

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Use to. Still have only males. All the females perished from poor previous care. Very unfortunate

That sucks. I think I remember you mentioned losing the females a few years back, was hoping you had found another. Seems like a common situation, several other breeders have lost mature females for various reasons.
 

tortadise

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That sucks. I think I remember you mentioned losing the females a few years back, was hoping you had found another. Seems like a common situation, several other breeders have lost mature females for various reasons.
Yep. They were both in renal failure. Salvaged the shells. Carapace on both specimens are paper thin. Very very sad. For such a difficult species to obtain they seem to be goners when I finally acquire them. All the captive ones I’ve found as young end up males too, go figure. Haha. However I have a couple colleagues down south. Should be hopeful to have a decent assurance breeding group imported in. Also working on Argentina subspecies of donorborossi as well. Those are most excellent and exciting. Will leave them outside year around since they winter over differently than Chilensis or Petersi.
 

turtlesteve

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Yep. They were both in renal failure. Salvaged the shells. Carapace on both specimens are paper thin. Very very sad. For such a difficult species to obtain they seem to be goners when I finally acquire them. All the captive ones I’ve found as young end up males too, go figure. Haha. However I have a couple colleagues down south. Should be hopeful to have a decent assurance breeding group imported in. Also working on Argentina subspecies of donorborossi as well. Those are most excellent and exciting. Will leave them outside year around since they winter over differently than Chilensis or Petersi.

Well, keep me posted, I’d love to collaborate on these. So are you of the opinion that the subspecies are valid? I thought that they had been genetically disproven, even in this modern era where tiny differences are enough to delineate species or subspecies.
 

TeamZissou

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Yep. They were both in renal failure. Salvaged the shells. Carapace on both specimens are paper thin. Very very sad. For such a difficult species to obtain they seem to be goners when I finally acquire them. All the captive ones I’ve found as young end up males too, go figure. Haha. However I have a couple colleagues down south. Should be hopeful to have a decent assurance breeding group imported in. Also working on Argentina subspecies of donorborossi as well. Those are most excellent and exciting. Will leave them outside year around since they winter over differently than Chilensis or Petersi.

I was actually thinking about importation of Chacos today. I wondered why no one has imported a group, given their rarity in the US. I wouldn't think it would be impossible since they are only CITES II. And, since people are keeping them successfully these days as opposed to the large number that perished in the early days, the risk seems low.
 

turtlesteve

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I was actually thinking about importation of Chacos today. I wondered why no one has imported a group, given their rarity in the US. I wouldn't think it would be impossible since they are only CITES II. And, since people are keeping them successfully these days as opposed to the large number that perished in the early days, the risk seems low.

I heard that some were imported about 6 years ago. I suspect they all died, but I never heard this confirmed. I can’t prove it but I suspect they stress really bad.
 

tortadise

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Yea those all perished. Last one sent to me In hopes of surviving. It was too late. The problem is they’re Southern Hemisphere. So when they come here during our summer is their winter. Which is completely different than North American winters. They are hard to adapt.
 

MPRC

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I'd love to see more images as well.
 
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