14 replies to this topic

[Noddy65]

My inlaws have a friend who has recently been granted a permit to breed pignosed turtles in captivity. We managed to drop by for a look.
He has built a covered, enormous pond in the back yard.
Its over a metre deep. Its built in the shape of an 'F'.

The covered pond


Looking down the 'back' of the F shaped pond. In the forground is one of the sandy banks the turtles will lay in. In the distance is a heavily planted swampy bit that the young will hide and grow in.


Some random pics of the pond
http://i15.photobuck...ed/IMG_0052.jpg




Despite it being warm in Darwin at certain times of teh year they will heat the water like this.


A huge biological filter using rolled up bits of shadecloth.


A hatchling


The turtles are not small, they around 18" or so across.
And have a nice cute little face.


Mike

[booze]

awesome!

[Den]

Fantastic, one thing is I would have done is created a pitched mound of dirt under the heating so that leaves and other debris cant collect on top of it so easily.

What are their purposes for breeding them? e.g. research, pet trade, for zoos, for re-population into the wild?

Cheers
Den

[DR14GoNF14SH]

Yeh that would be an awesome experience! How much for a baby?? hehe... :wink: Also... hopefully they might get a few albinos pop up someday! Albino turtles are the shizzle! :twisted:

[Noddy65]

Pet trade at the moment but they also help research.
Hatchlings go for around $3000 each.

Mike

[Den]

Can you keep these in WA? I'll probably get a couple in future if you can keep them here. I havent seen them on any reptile/herp lists.

[Noddy65]

Hi Den
Not sure if they can be kept here...theyre pretty rare at the moment hence the $3000 + price tag.

Mike

[Aquatictrader]

Anbody know what this would be worth?

[johniep3e]

those turtles are sick

john

[Leevers]

due to our dodgy reptile keeping system here in W.A, there is only 2 species of turtles that you are legally allowed to keep with the correct licence.

helodina oblonga - Oblong Tortoise
Chelodina steindachneri- Flat-shelled Turtle


The Oblong requires a Cat 3 licence, where the Flat-Shelled requires a Cat 4 licence.


Darwin, Vic, QLD reptile keeping laws are far superior to that of W.A and NSW, but i tend to find our system not so bad given the fact that your only allowed to keep certain W.A native reptiles.

To prove thick headed they are in Vic - You can keep a fresh water croc in Vic and pay no more than $300 for a hatchy.
How do you sell a croc in Vic? you can't, instead you throw it in the river!
thats what alot of people are doing and it's only a matter of time before crocs adapt to the change in water conditions and climate.

Not to deter from the topic though, those turtles are not yet allowed to be kept as pets in W.A

Regards
Chris

[Leevers]

Anbody know what this would be worth?

If the normal ones go for $3000, then i'd hate to think what those little buggers are worth!!

That being said, some people in this strange world of ours pay up to $800,000 for certain albino snakes..... can you smell 'illegal' trading?

[Noddy65]

These are now available (still not sure about WA though?). Send me a pm and Ill put you in contact with the breeder.

Mike

[Flossie]

$3000 WOW 8O 8O 8O thats alot,that albino one is cool so cool i just might "take" one "legally" of course :evil: :evil: :twisted: :twisted: ha only kidding

[Kenshin]

i cant imagin albino pignose turtles would actually go for that much as far as albinos go as the maturity age of these animals is really quiet old ideal breeding animals are in the vacinity of 18-22+ years old

the most expensive reptile in australia at the moment holding a steady price and will hold steady price for years to come is the albino olive python at about 10k per hatchling

[kinh]

my dad had a turtle a while back hence i had the tank for sale a last month or so. bu he only paid $1600-$1700 cant remember the exact amount but this was 1 or 2 years ago i think at pet city balga?

apparently those who keep these fellas, arowanas, kois etc. can benefit from wealth, health etc, some asian myth.

kinh