Come on, now. That's not funny.

[shellysmom]

Look at the title and the photos. Doesn't this person know there are dummies out there who will actually believe this?

http://market.kingsnake.com/detail.php?cat=50&de=931155[hr]
I don't get it. Is he selling a dead one???????

---

It must be dead. That's a lovely thing to sell.

 

[Neal]

Yes, it looks like it's a dead one for display purposes.

I'm not into purchasing that type of thing, but a lot of people are. I do think it's kind of cool, I just wouldn't want to have it on my desk.

 

[Laura]

its in a jar... so yes,, its dead.. its a specimen...

 

[Tom]

I think the ad is in poor taste.

 

[StudentoftheReptile]

I was initially miffed by the ad, but can see the potential for education behind it. If I was a breeder and if it was on MY table, in my typical cynical fashion, I would casually explain to any passerby that most baby tortoises are going to end-up dead anyway, and most people impulsively-buying a tortoise want one that stays cute and small as well. Its a win-win; the dummies can have the cheap, easy-to-keep "pet rock" and I can reserve my higher priced "live" tortoises for the crowd more likely to do the research for it.

A little abrupt, but it definitely has the potential to educate folks about proper tortoise husbandry so that hatchlings do not end up in a jar like that one!

---

Of course, I can't speak for the seller or his intentions. Looking at his ad, it does appear he is just attempting to make a quick buck. I'm not so upset about the preserved tortoise in the jar (as long as he didn't intentionally kill it for that purpose) so much as the wording in the ad itself.

 

[shellysmom]

I was initially miffed by the ad, but can see the potential for education behind it. If I was a breeder and if it was on MY table, in my typical cynical fashion, I would casually explain to any passerby that most baby tortoises are going to end-up dead anyway, and most people impulsively-buying a tortoise want one that stays cute and small as well. Its a win-win; the dummies can have the cheap, easy-to-keep "pet rock" and I can reserve my higher priced "live" tortoises for the crowd more likely to do the research for it.

A little abrupt, but it definitely has the potential to educate folks about proper tortoise husbandry so that hatchlings do not end up in a jar like that one!

---

Of course, I can't speak for the seller or his intentions. Looking at his ad, it does appear he is just attempting to make a quick buck. I'm not so upset about the preserved tortoise in the jar (as long as he didn't intentionally kill it for that purpose) so much as the wording in the ad itself.

---

Actually, I like your idea of selling these preserved ones to dummies in order to keep the other ones alive. But, the ad is in poor taste indeed.

 

[StudentoftheReptile]

Yeah, in actuality I would probably never really sell one. It would just be more of a prop to educate. But hey...after I gave my little speech, and someone still wanted to have the preserved specimen (after all, some people are into that), I'm not going to deny them!

Now that I think about it...I'm surprised more breeders and dealers have not employed this practice to make a little extra coin. I mean, there's always occasional death; if one had the right jars and preserving supplies, you could offer very nice-looking preserved specimens. I dunno...just the economical side of me thinking...

 

[mctlong]

I generally have a dark sense of humor, but this one was over the line.

The ad shocked me the first time I saw it too. I assumed they were selling a live animal and didn't expect to click on it and see a dead baby sully. So sad. I have no moral objections to selling jarred specimens, assuming the animal died by natural causes and was not killed explicitly to jar. However, Kingsnake is not the place to sell them. People are on that site looking for pets, not dead animals. Its creepy seeing it advertised there.

 

[CourtneyAndCarl]

It is not weird to sell this kind of thing, it's just incredibly odd for him to joke about it in such a way.

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

I think the ad is in poor taste.

VERY poor taste!

 

[Julius25]

I generally have a dark sense of humor, but this one was over the line.

The ad shocked me the first time I saw it too. I assumed they were selling a live animal and didn't expect to click on it and see a dead baby sully. So sad. I have no moral objections to selling jarred specimens, assuming the animal died by natural causes and was not killed explicitly to jar. However, Kingsnake is not the place to sell them. People are on that site looking for pets, not dead animals. Its creepy seeing it advertised there.

I'm totally agree with you

 

[Trueturtlelover]

Guys a ****** not FUNNY AT ALL .....jerk

 

[cemmons12]

I sent a not so friendly email to the contact listed on the website. I dont care if it wasnt the proper thing to do, I just find it disgusting and in very poor taste, so I let them know so.

 

[Trueturtlelover]

I sent a not so friendly email to the contact listed on the website. I dont care if it wasnt the proper thing to do, I just find it disgusting and in very poor taste, so I let them know so.

They jacked up ur doin the right thing

 

[chase thorn]

I honestly like seeing these things for educational purpose for sure... But this was like stated above, not such a good way of trying to sell this...

But If I were to see this maybe at an expo with a little tortoise anatomy booklet, I may be interested in the case of a natural death and to educate people. I do like to collect tortoise things and this may be something odd and unusual for such a collection.

 

[TortoiseBoy1999]

It makes me want to cry because it reminds me of my baby Leo that died. It looks so awful! I could never look at it in real life :'(

 

[mattgrizzlybear]

 

[l0velesly]

The ad shocked me the first time I saw it too. I assumed they were selling a live animal and didn't expect to click on it and see a dead baby sully. So sad. I have no moral objections to selling jarred specimens, assuming the animal died by natural causes and was not killed explicitly to jar. However, Kingsnake is not the place to sell them. People are on that site looking for pets, not dead animals. Its creepy seeing it advertised there.

My thoughts exactly..
That just breaks my heart. That poor sulcata.. it looks like its kinda alive in that jar..................... I'm just out of words...
What do they even use to preserve it? It's my first time seeing such a thing..

 

[LuckysGirl007]

VERY poor taste!

DITTO!

 

[wellington]

I actually contacted them a few months ago. I wanted to know,how they got them. Wanted to be sure they weren't purposely killing sulcata babies for this. With the over load of sulcata hatchlings. At that time they only had the one. Looks like they aren't selling. It is in bad taste, I'm just glad they aren't killing them to make these.