Don't you think it's weird? We can put a man on the moon, but we can't sex a young Aldabra.

kingsley

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You would think they could be sexed through the cloaca .
This is a debatable subject, some claim it can be done , but all experts that I have talked to say that surgical is the sure thing!!! DNA testing is not possible in Chelonia, but is routinely done on birds with 100% accuracy.
 

TortyDxb

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Hi Bill , Tom is referring to a group of young Aldabra that I got in 2014 from a dealer/ importer/broker in Florida, they were supposed to be surgically sexed 2males and a larger female microchipped etc etc with the best warranty in the business!! The so called female died within 4 weeks of arrival, finicky appetite and aloof. Upon necropsy , the entire body cavity was full of peritonitis!! I still have the CD from the Necropsy. The Vet involved (well known Herp Vet in phoenix) suspected the surgical procedure done over seas as cause. The advanced infection would have taken every bit of 4 weeks or more to reach its stage. I gave the dealer every opportunity to correct the situation but he never did. He wanted more money for the replacement than the original purchase price , that didnt make any sense!! Further to add insult to injury , he accused me of wrong doing as far as husbandry, and when i questioned his warranty, evasive, and full of excuses!! The other two Aldabra are still under my care and they are thriving ,well over 100 lbs each (they were just 7 lbs each when i got them in April 2014 )and under the best of care!! And they are supposed to be surgically sexed males!!! But from the look of things one looks FEMALE!!! Go figure!!
I will never do business with this person / outfit ever again!! Its a small world out there !! and the US Tortoise community is even smaller and close knit.

Please note the sexing of the Aldabra group purchased by me was done over seas!!! We have the Best Vets here in the USA and I have the utmost confidence in them. I will be taking my Young Galapagos group that I got a few weeks ago to one in El Paso Texas shortly.


What a dreadful story, thank you for sharing.
 

WithLisa

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Wait they can eat cat food? What other food can they eat lol never know that
Well, of course they CAN eat cat food, they'll even love it, but that doesn't mean it's healthy for them. Large amounts of animal protein will let them grow at an amazing speed, but they will soon suffer from organ failure and MBD.
 

William Lee Kohler

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This is a debatable subject, some claim it can be done , but all experts that I have talked to say that surgical is the sure thing!!! DNA testing is not possible in Chelonia, but is routinely done on birds with 100% accuracy.

DNA not possible? That makes no sense at all. They are M or F out of the egg so why not possible? I would never have a tortoise cut into just for my curiosity:eek:! When not absolutely necessary for their medical health that is nothing short of cruelty and abuse!:mad:!!
 
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William Lee Kohler

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Well, of course they CAN eat cat food, they'll even love it, but that doesn't mean it's healthy for them. Large amounts of animal protein will let them grow at an amazing speed, but they will soon suffer from organ failure and MBD.

I heartily second this. I tried this years ago with one of my Redfoots and he has had a frozen elbow ever since:(. I do still give a small bit but not a lot with other food once or twice a week:<3:.
 

WithLisa

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DNA not possible? That makes no sense at all. They are M or F out of the egg so why not possible?
They are male or female when they are hatching but not right from the start as a zygote (like mammals) because their sex is not determined by DNA but temperature and other outside influences. They don't have any sex chromosomes. ;)
 
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