Thailand has improved over the years!!!

Gabriel Mattei

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5 Year Member
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Feb 3, 2015
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85
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Thailand
As we all know a lot of things are said about Thailand and their illegal pet trade, most of it is true. What they don't talk about is the improvement in the captive bred programs. This season is the hatching season for the indian star tortoises in captivity in Thailand and they are overflowing the markets pushing the wild caught star tortoises dealers away. Every reptile shop has about 200 hatchlings (captive bred) and one hatchling sales for 60 dollars way cheaper then the wild caught ones! They even have captive bred adults and sub-adults sailing for prices as cheap as 150 dollars for sub adults and 250 for adults! The image i have attached are captive bred sub adult start tortoises sailing for 150 dollars ( the 4,500 is in Baht not dollars). I have gone to almost every reptile shop this year and have seen no wild caught indian star tortoises, all of these come from tortoise farms and private breeders. The only species of tortoises which are still being kidnapped from their habitat and sold in Thailand are: pancake tortoises, Burmese star tortoises and ploughshare tortoise (extremely rare), Elongated tortoises and Forsten tortoises.But don't worry a lot of tortoise farms and private breeders are working on these species!
 

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Tidgy's Dad

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Feb 11, 2015
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48,236
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Fes, Morocco
As we all know a lot of things are said about Thailand and their illegal pet trade, most of it is true. What they don't talk about is the improvement in the captive bred programs. This season is the hatching season for the indian star tortoises in captivity in Thailand and they are overflowing the markets pushing the wild caught star tortoises dealers away. Every reptile shop has about 200 hatchlings (captive bred) and one hatchling sales for 60 dollars way cheaper then the wild caught ones! They even have captive bred adults and sub-adults sailing for prices as cheap as 150 dollars for sub adults and 250 for adults! The image i have attached are captive bred sub adult start tortoises sailing for 150 dollars ( the 4,500 is in Baht not dollars). I have gone to almost every reptile shop this year and have seen no wild caught indian star tortoises, all of these come from tortoise farms and private breeders. The only species of tortoises which are still being kidnapped from their habitat and sold in Thailand are: pancake tortoises, Burmese star tortoises and ploughshare tortoise (extremely rare), Elongated tortoises and Forsten tortoises.But don't worry a lot of tortoise farms and private breeders are working on these species!
That is so good to hear!!!!
I used to live in Thailand and the situation was pretty dire.
It's excellent some progress is being made.:)
 

TerrapinStation

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Oct 6, 2015
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669
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Detroit, Michigan
Great news! glad to hear the breeders are doing their best and causing the market to shift. Hopefully, it will get to a point where the poachers have no incentive to poach, it will not be worth their time to wander the forest hunting our shelled friends.
 

dmmj

The member formerly known as captain awesome
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Aug 15, 2008
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19,695
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CA
it's nice to see change. It may take time but change does happen.financial incentives are always a plus.
 

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