hothouse

Aren't we all!!

I understand what you are saying LA. I certainly don't want her to have a weak or a miss set leg. She is to have a re-visit and another X-ray at the Vets on Monday. She has broken one of the two bones half way up the fore-leg.

Cut down ice-block stick wrapped in bandage strip. I'm still not sure how she injured herself, but suspect the Male had a part in it. Maybe she got her leg caught in the mesh of the cage whilst trying to make a run for it.

One of my Females has a broken fore-leg. Clean break on the X-ray, so we decided to splint it for a week or two. Luckily she's not gravid otherwise I spose I'd have to have a go at helping her dig the nest site. (If she'd let me!!) LOL

Yes you are right, the Soft Shells at the Aquarium in Napier are Florida's and there are none of these thought to be in private hands.

I think you would be wise to walk away, as to my knowledge, what you describe, have never been a known species here in NZ. I could well be wrong, and if anyone wants to put this right.........

E. macquaria is the one at Ivan's. You would need to forward some good pic's for me so they can be identified, or purchase "Australian Freshwater Turtles"by John Cann. If it's not in this book then it's not Australian. The Soft Shell's around in the '90's were Asian ones.

This sounds like an Emydura species. I have seen only E. macquaria here in NZ. For example Ivan has one. I have never seen or heard of the "painted" Emydura, E. subglobosa here in NZ. I would very much doubt that there are Australian Pig nosed Turtles in NZ. These are very rare in Australia, require large ponds and would take your hand off in a flash if it was mistaken for food.

I think that between everyone's replies most species that I have seen here are covered with the following exceptions: 2 x Species of Leaf Turtles: dentata & atripons Australian short necked Australian long necked 3 x species: longicollis, broadshell & oblonga Cumberlands Painted And there are no doubt other odd bods out there still alive that appeared in the Pet Shops many moons ago. Like many animals, some turtles won't lay and/or breed if the conditions are wrong. There are Cyclemys dentata females very old, been with their owner for many years and never laid an egg. Once conditions were changed to their liking they laid. There has never been a male present. What I'm trying to say, is that is not always as simple as throwing a pair togeather and expecting results. What was the species that you saw recently H??

Now that we have sold the Livestock side of our business I only have a few bits and pieces. Nothing too rare and most are family pets, so it would be devastating if any of our Reptiles disappeared!! As for specialized rooms, alarm sensors and curtains or blinds pulled when you're not home.

Rare reptiles include those not readily available but legal as pets ie: Mediterranean Tortoises (females in particular) Box Turtles, Male Eastern Water Dragons, Eastern Beardies, Red beardies, some species of Turtles, Shingle Backs Lizards, Leopard Geckos. And no doubt a few sup species of these as well.

ID Chips vary in cost between vets, and it pays to enquire first. I've found that my vet will reduce the cost per chip if I'm getting a few done at the same time. These are the same used for cats and dogs. Chris

When keeping large collections of Reptiles one is always wary of visitors or those keepers wanting to visit. Who can you trust with your personal address and how much of your collection do you show off??? I fully respect and understand those that have rare Reptiles (or in most cases family pets) in their collection to not allow visitors to view. Most Reptiles are easy picking for thieves as they can't defend themselves and when cold barely move at all. After a couple of recent thefts of Reptiles I thought it appropiate to let others know what we have done over the years to try and protect our collection from being targeted by thieves and hope that those of you with rare Reptiles follow some of what we have done. It could be the difference in getting your Pet back if the unmentionable should happen. If you have a monitored alarm have external sensors installed around your section. Infrared beams are also good and easy to install. If your collection is extra large or rare, ie Tortoises, invest in a CCTV surveilance system. Have your address removed from the phone book and make it an unlisted number with Telecom so your address is unobtainable from directory and the online white pages. Have outside enclosures locked. This will slow down thieves if they have to cut or smash their way in. ID chip your Reptiles. This is an easy thing for your vet to do and it gives you immediate ownership of your Reptile when recovered. Get a dog with a good bark. This will also wake up the neighbours especially if you are away. Get on well with your neighbours and ask them to keep on eye on the place when you are away, or better still get someone to house sit for you. I know all this seems a bit daunting for the sake of a couple of Turtles, think about the possibility of never seeing them again should the unmentionable happen. $30 - $40 for an ID Chip gives you ownership. I would like others to post any other methods that they do to try and keep their collection immune to being ripped off. Chris

TM search tip for the day: If you want search Tortoise and Tortoises in on search, type in: Tortoise*. The star will give you any of the following: Tortoise, tortoises, tortoise's etc. This can be used in saved searches. Cheers Chris

I have found that keeping them cool and not hot, and warm but not cold seems to work, if that makes any sense. To cold and they suffer, to hot and they are uncomfortable. Even temps year round seem to suit them. Cheers Chris

Oops, I've been breeding and selling them for years!! :oops:

I have replyed to this on the Baby Reeves Thread. Cheers Chris

Dougstark. To answer your question posted in the Turtle Hybrid Thread: What computerbabe said about the way in which things are setup here is correct. I have (up until yesterday when I received my new incubator from Germany) only one incubator. This is set at 28 - 30oC, but is influenced by the temperature around it, so fluctuates a couple of degrees each side of the set temps. We have controlled this as best we can with the aid of an air conditioning unit in the incubating / raising room. So depending on the time of the year that we get eggs come depend on the sex ratios. From what we have kept back to grow on ourselves I found the male / female ratio about 50/50. If we were to incubate solely for Males I would have to wait for an extra month for Turtles to hatch, and I don't have the time or patience for this, let alone the space in the incubator. Now getting on the other part of the question: All Turtle species kept in New Zealand are Temperature Sex Determined (TSD) with the Snake-necks being the only exception. They are genetically sexed, so offspring's sex are not effected by temperatures. The Breeding programs of different Asian species (including Reeve's Turtles) between some Containment Facilities in NZ is a complicated subject in itself, and would take many hours of explaining it all. To cut along story short however, there has been success in the past two years with the Reeve's Turtle, the offspring are mixed around amongst the facilities involved to grow on and breed, and these Turtles or offspring will never be made available to purchase. They will remain as an "insurance policy" to make sure that the species never disappears all together, and that the gene pool of the NZ collection is as diverse as we can make it. Cheers Chris

Time will tell. Maybe they should only be sold to someone who wants a different looking Turtle to add to their collection, and to never try breeding from them??? And we have to wait for four-five years to see what happens when I try crossing them together, to see what we come up with.

The offspring from last year are from three separate females and are identical in markings to each other, therefore expect their offspring when they are bred together will resemble themselves. Under no circumstances are I implying that by breeding a male and a female 50/50 cross' offspring to resemble full blooded Eastern River Cooters. I don't know what the exact result will be, which is why I've kept a pair back myself. It will be interesting, and to me this is the exciting part of Reptile Keeping. Nothings as clear as black or white, and as far as Turtles go, they take such long while to mature. (This is certainly nothing new to me.) I have had a clutch laid a few days ago of which four eggs appear fertile and are incubating at the moment for males. Of those four I expect maybe only one (if I'm lucky) to have an embryo form and go full term.

I think that is what has been reveled. I hope you won't hold that against me.

Does this mean to say I've come over to the other side??

Snake-necks are the worst for emitting the odor!!

Reeve's males that I've seen in NZ go jet black, including their eye balls. They also emit an unpleasant odor from scent glands when handled if they aren't used handling or just want to be left alone. Please note that this is my experience only.

I have had many a Red-eared Turtle over the years. Ones with "squiggly" patterns are variations, some that are more prominent than others are what is referred to (in the US) as fancies or sometimes scallop patterned. Some hold this only when indoors under artificial lighting and a small handful that hold this through adulthood in outdoor conditions. The Cooter crosses don't look anything like these Red-eared variations at all.