Radiated in Madagascar

[fbolzicco]

In sept 2011 I've been to Madagascar, I took over 2000 pictures and I think over 1600 about tortoises and other reptiles
It was Just like a dream, every corner of that land carry on small treasures of biodiversity.. but tortoises are breeded all over the country.

here are the first pics, taken in a park inside the resort on an Island on the north of Madagascar.
the breeding group was composed by 2 or 3 males and 4 adult females
(i'm sorry for the watermarks of my website but unfortunately I forgot my hard drive with the original pictures in Italy)

this Is the first female

it was a hot day and all the torts were chilling under a bush

this is a male, I have many pics of him, you will see

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this two large females are staring each other, typical behavior for A. radiata

 

[Millerlite]

Very nice! It's a place I one day want to visit... And 4 pictures down 1996 to go... Lol can't be holding out on pictures!

Kyle

 

[wellington]

I agree, more pics. What a great trip that must have been.

 

[AZtortMom]

Absolutely more pics! That place is on my bucket list

 

[fbolzicco]

It has been a very expensive trip, but do it as soon as you can, I have a contact there with a guy who organize Madagascar trips.. just let me know and I will put in touch with him

so.. you want more pics?

here is the male, my favorite one

 

[diamondbp]

Mind blowing , you lucky dog

 

[AnnV]

Wow! Did you take pics of Ploughshares? !

 

[N2TORTS]

Awsome! .... looks like a wonderful trip and photo gold mine ! ..
Thanks for sharing .........

 

[sibi]

I just love the male. He's so magnificent! I'm just gonna steal those pics w/watermarks and all

 

[Yellow Turtle]

Thank you for sharing your treasured pictures.

I love reading the fact that they are bred all over the country. Have you seen any ploughshare being bred anywhere there outside the chelonian center?

 

[Tom]

Those are fantastic pictures. Thanks for sharing.

So are you saying they have a lot of captive breeding populations there? That is new info to me. What do they do with the babies?

 

[EricIvins]

Those are fantastic pictures. Thanks for sharing.

So are you saying they have a lot of captive breeding populations there? That is new info to me. What do they do with the babies?

There are MANY Adults scattered throughout the Island, and many people are captive breeding or farming them. However you want to look at it. The offspring are the 1000's you see going to Asia yearly. Smuggled, but captive bred none the less. Many Tourist traps utilize them as attention grabbers. I'm sure some of the same places may have had Ploughshares, but theft more than likely would have taken its toll on any captive populations...

 

[Yellow Turtle]

Those are fantastic pictures. Thanks for sharing.

So are you saying they have a lot of captive breeding populations there? That is new info to me. What do they do with the babies?

There are MANY Adults scattered throughout the Island, and many people are captive breeding or farming them. However you want to look at it. The offspring are the 1000's you see going to Asia yearly. Smuggled, but captive bred none the less. Many Tourist traps utilize them as attention grabbers. I'm sure some of the same places may have had Ploughshares, but theft more than likely would have taken its toll on any captive populations...

I trust this is how it works there. We have so many radiata hatchlings and juveniles coming this year. I actually see 1 hatchling ploughshare under sell also, and I don't think it is wild catch either.

Maybe all the chelonian funds should go to this home breeding facilities. Looks like it will serve better to improve this 'not seem so rarely tortoise species anymore' population.

 

[Tom]

Those are fantastic pictures. Thanks for sharing.

So are you saying they have a lot of captive breeding populations there? That is new info to me. What do they do with the babies?

There are MANY Adults scattered throughout the Island, and many people are captive breeding or farming them. However you want to look at it. The offspring are the 1000's you see going to Asia yearly. Smuggled, but captive bred none the less. Many Tourist traps utilize them as attention grabbers. I'm sure some of the same places may have had Ploughshares, but theft more than likely would have taken its toll on any captive populations...

Thanks Eric. I didn't know that.

On a related note: According to a couple of presenters at last years TTPG, the "wild" population of radiata in Madagascar is estimated at 6.5 million. This doesn't sound all that endangered to me. They also seem to be doing just fine in an around human habitations.

 

[EricIvins]

The problem with Madagascar Tortoises is the fact that populations can disappear for 6 months. Many Madagascar animals do this, so it makes it hard to assess a population when the animals can be below your feet without even knowing it...

They are very adaptable animals that can reproduce very quickly. While the resource should be protected, there is no way things should be as tight as they are when it comes to Radiata...

 

[fbolzicco]

Those are fantastic pictures. Thanks for sharing.

So are you saying they have a lot of captive breeding populations there? That is new info to me. What do they do with the babies?

Those are fantastic pictures. Thanks for sharing.

So are you saying they have a lot of captive breeding populations there? That is new info to me. What do they do with the babies?

There are MANY Adults scattered throughout the Island, and many people are captive breeding or farming them. However you want to look at it. The offspring are the 1000's you see going to Asia yearly. Smuggled, but captive bred none the less. Many Tourist traps utilize them as attention grabbers. I'm sure some of the same places may have had Ploughshares, but theft more than likely would have taken its toll on any captive populations...

Those are fantastic pictures. Thanks for sharing.

So are you saying they have a lot of captive breeding populations there? That is new info to me. What do they do with the babies?

There are MANY Adults scattered throughout the Island, and many people are captive breeding or farming them. However you want to look at it. The offspring are the 1000's you see going to Asia yearly. Smuggled, but captive bred none the less. Many Tourist traps utilize them as attention grabbers. I'm sure some of the same places may have had Ploughshares, but theft more than likely would have taken its toll on any captive populations...

I trust this is how it works there. We have so many radiata hatchlings and juveniles coming this year. I actually see 1 hatchling ploughshare under sell also, and I don't think it is wild catch either.

Maybe all the chelonian funds should go to this home breeding facilities. Looks like it will serve better to improve this 'not seem so rarely tortoise species anymore' population.

The problem with Madagascar Tortoises is the fact that populations can disappear for 6 months. Many Madagascar animals do this, so it makes it hard to assess a population when the animals can be below your feet without even knowing it...

They are very adaptable animals that can reproduce very quickly. While the resource should be protected, there is no way things should be as tight as they are when it comes to Radiata...

wow how many interesting answers..

People in Madagascar actually collect from the wild many old radiata specimens for many reasons (the same reasons why in Italy people use to collect wild animals from the wild until 40 yars ago), they just keep as pet, as we all do, they also sell to tourists, they also keep some animals under the bed during the night because of folk custom, and they also use to eat as prey as well.

I unfortunately never saw a plougshare tortoise during that trip, just because the protected site in the north east where was too far for our trip plan, but I have many friend of the tartaclubitalia who ave been there as you can see in this and others article in my website http://www.tartarugando.it/content/302-progetto-tci-angonoka-2010.html (unfortunately for you was written in italian language)

it is not so true, in my opinion, that A. radiata can reproduce very quickly, just because specimens needs almost 15/20 years to reach the adult age, and the continue collecting by poachers of adult specimens together with the distruction of the natural habitat of this amazing animals decrease the possibility to preserve naturally this species.

 

[EricIvins]

In a captive setting maturity can be reached by 5 years ( If not earlier ), with 3-5 clutches a year....

Tell me that isn't quickly....No different than a Redfoot...

 

[fbolzicco]

In a captive setting maturity can be reached by 5 years ( If not earlier ), with 3-5 clutches a year....

Tell me that isn't quickly....No different than a Redfoot...

this is the very first time I read something like this..
It would be a pleasure to read something written by someone who can do this..

---

Generation time is considered as 42 years; the assessment is carried out by considering documented impacts over a period encompassing less than two past generations (67 years) and anticipated impacts on the next generation (next 33 years) for a maximum assessment period of 100 years. Available information indicates that the species has disappeared entirely from about 40% of its past range through a combination of habitat loss and exploitation, and that remaining populations have been severely depleted by recent and ongoing exploitation predominantly for domestic consumption; an overall population reduction of 80% over two past and one future generation is a conservative estimate, thus qualifying as Critically Endangered under criterion A4d. Population modelling indicates collapse and extinction in a period of on average 45 years into the future, thus meeting Critically Endangered under criterion E. Habitat loss rates approach or exceed 80% over the three generation period, thus A4c may also be met.

if you want to read something more http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/9014/0

 

[Yellow Turtle]

In a captive setting maturity can be reached by 5 years ( If not earlier ), with 3-5 clutches a year....

Tell me that isn't quickly....No different than a Redfoot...

this is the very first time I read something like this..
It would be a pleasure to read something written by someone who can do this..

---

Generation time is considered as 42 years; the assessment is carried out by considering documented impacts over a period encompassing less than two past generations (67 years) and anticipated impacts on the next generation (next 33 years) for a maximum assessment period of 100 years. Available information indicates that the species has disappeared entirely from about 40% of its past range through a combination of habitat loss and exploitation, and that remaining populations have been severely depleted by recent and ongoing exploitation predominantly for domestic consumption; an overall population reduction of 80% over two past and one future generation is a conservative estimate, thus qualifying as Critically Endangered under criterion A4d. Population modelling indicates collapse and extinction in a period of on average 45 years into the future, thus meeting Critically Endangered under criterion E. Habitat loss rates approach or exceed 80% over the three generation period, thus A4c may also be met.

if you want to read something more http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/9014/0

---

This is actually similar to what one of the members who has successfully bred ploughshare shares. F2 reached maturity so fast that is almost ready to breed now, if I remember correctly. Those 20 years of maturity is certainly not needed in captivity.

Unfortunately I don't trust all those IUCN created articles nor any other articles created by those chelonian centers regarding how rare those tortoises in the world now. Fact of all those hatchlings and juveniles imported to my country is the reason I don't trust any of those articles anymore.

 

[fbolzicco]

In a captive setting maturity can be reached by 5 years ( If not earlier ), with 3-5 clutches a year....

Tell me that isn't quickly....No different than a Redfoot...

this is the very first time I read something like this..
It would be a pleasure to read something written by someone who can do this..

---

Generation time is considered as 42 years; the assessment is carried out by considering documented impacts over a period encompassing less than two past generations (67 years) and anticipated impacts on the next generation (next 33 years) for a maximum assessment period of 100 years. Available information indicates that the species has disappeared entirely from about 40% of its past range through a combination of habitat loss and exploitation, and that remaining populations have been severely depleted by recent and ongoing exploitation predominantly for domestic consumption; an overall population reduction of 80% over two past and one future generation is a conservative estimate, thus qualifying as Critically Endangered under criterion A4d. Population modelling indicates collapse and extinction in a period of on average 45 years into the future, thus meeting Critically Endangered under criterion E. Habitat loss rates approach or exceed 80% over the three generation period, thus A4c may also be met.

if you want to read something more http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/9014/0

---

This is actually similar to what one of the members who has successfully bred ploughshare shares. F2 reached maturity so fast that is almost ready to breed now, if I remember correctly. Those 20 years of maturity is certainly not needed in captivity.

Unfortunately I don't trust all those IUCN created articles nor any other articles created by those chelonian centers regarding how rare those tortoises in the world now. Fact of all those hatchlings and juveniles imported to my country is the reason I don't trust any of those articles anymore.

---

I was talking about radiated tortoises in the wild, however I know for sure that a radiata female need to reach more than 31 cm both in captivity and in the wild to breed successfully (may be can appen that a female breed smaller but the averages doesn't work this way), and this is not possible in 5 years or less as someone wrote here.
unfortunately I found IUCN articles very close to reality, those species are endangered beacuse of the poachers who steal the hatchlings from the center, and unfortunately this is a truth about plougshares (I know personally people who worked in the Ampijoroa center).
For the radiated it is true that babies hatch on the floor, and beacuse of the major number of adult specimens who can breed successfully it is quietly easier to get big numbers of hatchlings.

however this is not what the topic was created for, I don't want to discuss about the status of a tortoise endangerment, I am not the authority who protect those animals, my only duty is to buy regular animals, not smuggled inside luggage or something else.

I will post some other pics soon about this amazing animals taken in the red ground.