Turtle hybrids

[Dougstark]

Wondering if anyone has opinion on hybrid turtles. I see them offered for sale. Not sure I like the idea personally. Especially if some of the breeds are rare in NZ. River Cooter X red ear turtle.

[repto]

I guess thats what happens when you only have one half of the required pair and money making is your prime concern,not that hard to figure out?

[broms2]

from what I understand there is only one cooter left in NZ thus the crossbred, thought it was odd he is selling them so early.

Also would have thought if any hope of getting near to being something like cooters again they would have to be breed back to the cooter.

they will probably end up looking like weird coloured red ears.

[livingart]

probably the only option in the circumstances

ideally you would keep females and as said breed back to cooter

and repeat process again to ensure as much cooter as possible in genetics

[Insect Direct]

there was a cooter on tm within past 3-4years - I wunder if hot house got tht 1

shame theres no pure cooters been bred for nz

[Iszac]

Surely MAF could allow someone to import one or two for breeding, if they were properly quarantined and everything . Doubt it though

[repto]

what planet is this "christchurch" place on?

[livingart]

what planet is this "christchurch" place on?

the mainland planet

beam me up scotty

[dennis]

hot house do have River Cooters on there list but with no price

http://www.hothouseturtles.co.nz/river_cooter.htm

[Dougstark]

Sounds like the breeder has made some progress in that he has been able to get a river Cooter to breed even if it is a cross breed. According to Hothouse turtles they have not been bred in this country. If there is still one alive it is possible there are more. At least we can hope.

[dennis]

but are they breeding them they did have them on there sale list last year

[hothouse]

I have five River Cooter Females and have never found a male here in NZ. As you are aware we have sold our commercial breeding business and I have retained a handful of Reptiles for my hobby. Breeding these has been a goal that I've been trying to achieve for many years. Last year we got the first step along the long road to breeding River Cooters and keeping another species alive in NZ. I incubated every egg laid that was fertile and incubated them at a variety of temps. Out of 40 eggs only four had growing embryos, and these hatched. Three female and one male. I have retained a pair to grow up and breed back with the females in five years time. Then eggs will be incubated for males and grown up and bred back Etc. Etc. until I hope one day there will be pure River Cooters available in NZ. By the time this project is complete I will be a very old man, but it keeps the passion of the Hobby alive!! As far as me selling them for huge money, well I can't keep everything that I breed, that's why I sold the commercial side, so I can give the family back the yard. I have no idea what they are worth, but you will never see a 50/50 cross made available after any breeding success this year as I'm under contractual obligations which prevents me from holding Red-eared Turtles.

I hope this clears things up for those that have often wondered what I'm up to and think that I'm money driven. Now the commercial breeding has gone, the hobby passion is back, and I'm liking that feeling.

Cheers

Chris

[livingart]

Now the commercial breeding has gone, the hobby passion is back, and I'm liking that feeling.

[mumzy50]

I have one with squiggly Patten on its shell which i found unusual.And one with olive colouring like Livingart showed on one of his post.I think it was one of his babys he was showing.I have not seen this colour before.

[Dougstark]

Thanks for that Hothouse. Goodluck with your breeding project. As to price that comes down to demand and supply. Have no problem with that. Sorry to hear that there seems to be any males in country. Because of Maf restrictions we must make the most of what is available.

[Dimsum]

I have one with squiggly Patten on its shell which i found unusual.And one with olive colouring like Livingart showed on one of his post.I think it was one of his babys he was showing.I have not seen this colour before.

Have hybrid turtles been released into the public before? I also have a red eared with strange pattening. I got it as an adult so not sure of it's origins

[broms2]

good to hear the passion is back Chris, good luck!

[hothouse]

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.

[Computerbabe]

Nice to see you here hot house About time

[Gannet]

are you the same person selling them on -auction site-

[hothouse]

Nice to see you here hot house About time

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

[hothouse]

are you the same person selling them on -auction site

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

[DonnaM]

Really interesting to hear about the cooters hothouse. I have a 13 yr old female I was "told" had been bred from a red ear/ Reeves mix, but I don't even know if we had Reeves 13 yrs ago? She is small with bright red ears and very red areas on edges of her shell. Never seen another like her. The 'fancies' are interesting to see on line too. Unfortunately the one beautiful 'rescue' one I got with scalloped edges and amazing yellow coloured shell was too full of infection to save.... She really was beautiful. Nice to hear about the cooter history. There's a shop here in ChCh that still has an advertising picture of a Cooter on its window... doubt they'll ever have one for sale tho. Good on you for what are are doing with them.

[Gannet]

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

[BK]

It’s sad to think that because of a few people in position within Government department that we can't keep genetic line pure. There is a Macaw (parrot) called the Lear’s Macaw, which is extinct in the wild and is only alive in the world today due to private owners gifting them back to the Brazilian Government. There will come a time when the Amazon will be big Soya farms producing milk for Vegetarian Greenies and they will think its even worst to keep rare wild life and blame those that keep these animals for killing them out in the wild. They must have a very green hole to stick their heads in. With the Kea numbers reducing you would think that DOC would be keen on people breeding them but no they want to stop people doing this. Good luck with your breeding program. No one does this for the money, as there just isn’t any in it as the market is so small. This has been done with Green wing Macaws and is about 90% pure but at some stage will have to cross back out for new blood. One thing that is noticeable is the reduced size of animals from small gene pools. Do you have any photos you can post.