Most expensive turtles and tortoises?

[Moozillion]

A non-pet keeping friend asked me today which are the most expensive turtles/tortoises. I wasn't sure what to tell them other than maybe Aldabra.
Any ideas and price ranges? This is ENTIRELY idle curiosity on my friend's part, but hey- any time anyone wants to talk about turtles I feel duty-bound to tell them far more than they probably wanted to hear!!!!! ?

 

[TeamZissou]

Legal or illegal?

Yes, some large Aldabras and Galapagos can easily go for $25k+. It's highly dependent on size.

Illegal trade in species like plowshares/yniphora have supposedly been in the $30-50k+ range, particularly to rich people in Asia.

Maybe a better question would be what price per pound of tortoise?

 

[S2G]

I was looking at the radiated/star pattern & they go from $700 - thousands. I'm not a fan of the designer animals, but these are the most expensive I've seen

 

[Moozillion]

Legal or illegal?

Yes, some large Aldabras and Galapagos can easily go for $25k+. It's highly dependent on size.

Illegal trade in species like plowshares/yniphora have supposedly been in the $30-50k+ range, particularly to rich people in Asia.

Maybe a better question would be what price per pound of tortoise?

Thanks!

 

[Moozillion]

I was looking at the radiated/star pattern & they go from $700 - thousands. I'm not a fan of the designer animals, but these are the most expensive I've seenView attachment 319374

Thanks!!!

 

[Gillian M]

Let's ask the experts here:

@Yvonne G
@Tom

please give us your opinions. Thank you.

 

[Maggie3fan]

Let's ask the experts here:

@Yvonne G
@Tom

please give us your opinions. Thank you.

speckled padloper?

 

[Sterant]

You'll likely find large Galaps would generally take the prize. A ploughshare might go for more if anyone could actually buy one. There have been some $30k Radiata in past years.

 

[Tom]

When I think of acquiring a new animal, I usually think of hatchlings. Those would break down like this:
Galapagos torotise $5000, if you can find one in your state.
Radiata $1200, if you can find one in your state.
Aldabra $1000, last I heard, but maybe more now?
Platynota $800.

Morphs and albinos are uncommon and don't interest me much, so I don't know where those would fall.

There are others that are unusual and seldom seen for sale or bred like Chersina, or the spiders, but the above listed four are the most expensive of the commonly available and regularly bred ones.

 

[Toddrickfl1]

I would consider selling you my redfoot for 1 million.

 

[Ink]

All of them are expensive! The tortoise, lighting, enclosure, hides, food, and vet. ? LOL (not really).

 

[NorCal tortoise guy]

When I think of acquiring a new animal, I usually think of hatchlings. Those would break down like this:
Galapagos torotise $5000, if you can find one in your state.
Radiata $1200, if you can find one in your state.
Aldabra $1000, last I heard, but maybe more now?
Platynota $800.

Morphs and albinos are uncommon and don't interest me much, so I don't know where those would fall.

There are others that are unusual and seldom seen for sale or bred like Chersina, or the spiders, but the above listed four are the most expensive of the commonly available and regularly bred ones.

Aldabras are about $2000 now days

 

[Tom]

Aldabras are about $2000 now days

For hatchlings? Wow. They have gone up in price then. Thank you for the info.

 

[Maggie3fan]

All of them are expensive! The tortoise, lighting, enclosure, hides, food, and vet. ? LOL (not really).

That's exactly what I was thinking!

 

[pacific chelonians]

If we’re talking about hatchlings I would say the most expensive hatchlings would probably be a plowshare I’ve I’ve seen go for 25,000 or an albino fly river turtle at 15,000 for a baby

 

[ZEROPILOT]

That's easy!
A SICK one.

 

[Moozillion]

Thanks for all the replies! My friend is gonna be SHOCKED when he hears some of these prices!!!????

 

[Farcryjj]

You haven't heard the price of babies in Canada yet. $2000 for an Egyptian tortoise, and they are sold out quickly. Any tortoise babies, including Russians, are $500+

 

[ZenHerper]

Search Fauna Classifieds for any threatened/endangered/extinct Cuora...depending on the species, they go for $2000-$10,000.

McCord's, forex, hovers in the $6000-$8000 range. Interesting, since they are one of the wee-est turtles around. (You can pay as much for a car as for something that will always fit on the flat of your palm.)

Small clutch size as well as specificity of husbandry drives rare turtle prices, IMO.

 

[queen koopa]

You haven't heard the price of babies in Canada yet. $2000 for an Egyptian tortoise, and they are sold out quickly. Any tortoise babies, including Russians, are $500+

$500 for a Russian!!? Wth.