Experience with Ploughshare Tortoises?

[Radiated]

Does anyone here have experience with breeding ploughshare? About what size? The ones i have seen are all around 60cm in carapace length, what is the minimum size for breeding? Can ploughshares be found in North America, are there any breeders in North America?

 

[tortadise]

they are rather difficult to breed. the methods are not traditional like other tortoises. their are a few zoos and private individuals that have them here. im curious as to where yours are coming from. im currently in the process of my institution being allowed a special permit to aquire captive adults or sub adults for a SSP breeding group. they are extremely rare in the U.S. and very rare in the world. if you have information on breeders where you are if you could give me some of their info so i can contact them. i would appreciate it. also i can send you a contact here in the U.S that has some yniphoras and he can tell you whatever you need to know. there a lot like radiated tortoises, but come from a much more arid and dry sheltered area. they naturally hide alot in low succulent cactus like trees. i saw your bamboo thread. that would be a good suitable plant to allow them to stay sheltered as close to their wild habitate as possible.

 

[Tom]

Very few people in the US have any experience with these. They are very rare here.

 

[JacksonR]

Where did you get your ploughshare? Are there more being sold at whatever location you got it from?

 

[Radiated]

They are still hatching, the first 5 clutches of yniphoras didn't hatch in his incubator, but now he is getting better. The babies are sooo cute, but toooo vulnerable
He asked me to help him but i have to got to school so i can't, on the weekends i do go and play with the adults and juveniles while the hatchlings i stay away from. Could you pls send me some info on the yniphora keepers in America?

 

[JacksonR]

Guy named Bill Zovickian...not sure on spelling...has an adult ploughshare. He had a mate in the past. I saw he had a wanted ad for a suitable mate. Don't know if he ever found one...

 

[Radiated]

Can u purchase ploughshares in the US if you really wanted to?

 

[tortadise]

You can purchase them if offered for sale. You have to have a permit if the selling is not in your same state that you reside. Their never offered because institutions like zoos and private breeding facilities like mine keep them within the SSP run through AZA to keep the bloodline stock pure and record of breeding stock and offspring. Ounce the numbers climb with more facilities being allowed to possess them like mine if and or when approved we should see more numbers here in the us. Right now just small institutions and large zoos have them. I am a firm believer that zoos should not be the only people allowed to posses with out obvious inspections and monitoring by the USFW. It's skilled hobbyist that can make a HUGE difference in detrimental species I believe. As long as its moderated and overseen that the goal is being met. I can forward you bill zovickian contact if you'd like. You can also contact the Honolulu zoo and speak with the herpetologist their. They have a big group.

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Confiscated animals that are cites I like the ploughshare, geometric,parrot beak,Pyxis plaunacauda, Pyxis oblonga, are not sent back to where we're imported they are placed in accredited facilities and Put into stub book registry and strictly monitored. I housed a few that we're smuggled in a few years ago from Houston but they transferred them after 6 months to another zoo. They are here just not in the commercial market. Which is a very good thing, your very lucky. They have a wild population less than the mountain gorilla. Cherish them.

 

[Radiated]

I would be interested to contact Bill Zovickian, maybe he could send a more complete care sheet just for yniphoras. Can u also pls take a look at the other thread about the health of a yniphora?
Thanks

 

[tortadise]

Sure can.

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[email protected]

His name is bill he has much more experience than I especially with ploughshare

 

[Radiated]

thanks

 

[l0velesly]

I would like to see a hatchling plougshare.. aww!!

 

[Radiated]

They are very cute, i will try to take a few pics if i can.

 

[Laura]

are the animals in China.. pure? smuggled originally or there before all the laws? and why dont they work together to get more of those out and into acredited facilities there?

 

[Radiated]

I am sure they are pure, how can u tell if they aren't pure? Can u breed ploughshare with sulcatas?

 

[tortoises101]

Can u breed ploughshare with sulcatas?

No. Never.

 

[Tom]

I am sure they are pure, how can u tell if they aren't pure? Can u breed ploughshare with sulcatas?

If it is physically possible, it should never be allowed to happen. Plough shares are too precious and rare. We need all we can get from as many adult parents as we can get...

They should never be anywhere near a sulcata, or any other species for that matter.

 

[Radiated]

Is it possible to ship a baby ploughshare from China to the US? LEGALLY?

 

[tortoises101]

Is it possible to ship a baby ploughshare from China to the US? LEGALLY?

They're a CITES 1 species which means no international trade allowed.