Looking for a female african spur thighed tortoise! would like her to be at least a few years old and raised around people! My Flash needs a mate, and locally I have only found them very young! He is 7 yrs old, and I would like to find him a female!!!!! I am interested in purchasing one !!!
2007-07-13 02:12:08 · 5 answers · asked by gypsyrose8375 4 in Pets ➔ Reptiles
(Minor technical point: It is the African Spurred Tortoise, not Spur-thighed. Spur-thighed is another name for the Greek Tortoise. This is an incredibly common mistake, however.)
Most reptile rescues tend to inheret larger Sulcatas that owners can no longer care for. Google search your state and reptile rescue to see if there is one near you. http://ww.tortoise.org for example, does rescues in California.
Most rescues are happy to find them good homes... but many of them are also pretty picky on what they define as a good home for these giant species.
2007-07-13 08:17:36 · answer #1 · answered by Madkins007 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It is tragic when pet shops sell bad pet animals to people, and worse when they lie about the cares- but it is also tragic when people buy pets 'spur of the moment' instead of doing a little research first. Many animal and reptile rescues are financially stressed and are less able to take 'anything' as they would like to be. In fact, several rescues have stopped taking things they cannot reasonably adopt back out, and this often includes the giant reptiles (such as the African Spurred or Sulcata Tortoises- the 3rd largest living tortoise). At least one agency I know of only takes Sulcatas if you pay a year's upkeep up front. Then, there is the problem of transportation. Most rescues for big tortoises are in warm places, and it costs a chunk of money to transport a big animal. Just FYI- few zoos take abandoned pets anymore. They don't have the room, money, etc. for them in most cases. Some zoos still do, some will refuse right up front (usually with a polite letter), and a few will take the animal and use it 'other' purposes. The most successful options are: - advertise to give it away with flyers in pet shops - ask people in the local herpetological society for advice - ask local universities if they want it for any purpose Before I go to the next option, understand... I LOVE tortoises (I have 4 of my own), and I think it is tragic that the wonderful Sulcata tortoise is being abused across the US like this. They breed well and quickly, so the babies are cheap. They are also cute- so thousands of them every year end up in small, cold habitats and most die within 5 years. I want to scream at people- buyers and sellers- who are part of this problem. However, I also understand your dilemma and the tortoise's situation. If you CANNOT get things worked out for it, consider having your vet euthanize it. It would be better for it to be euthanized than to waste away- which will surely happen of you cannot give it the cares it desperately needs. This is not an easy option to use, and it should not be- but it is sometimes the most humane solution.
2016-04-01 02:16:09 · answer #2 · answered by Jeanne 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Try looking on petfinder.com. Lots of rescues have listings there. Sulcatas are easier to adopt (in the tortoise world) due to its fast growing nature. Many owners do not realize their size and will give them up.
You can also try kingsnake.com's classified too, but it is mostly dealers there.
2007-07-13 14:15:51 · answer #3 · answered by Ceci C 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Have a look at this site for lots for sale.
http://www.slowcoach.org.uk/sloads.html
I own a pet store and my site is
http://www.artsaquaticsandanimals.co.uk
2007-07-13 02:30:40 · answer #4 · answered by stevehart53 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
try looking on ebay
2007-07-13 02:13:55 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋