Zdravstvujte,
I am from Czech Republic and I am looking for somebody who is breeding Pelodiscus sinensis, subspecie from far east of Russia. Amur or Ussuri.
I would like to buy some of them, here in Czech republic its possible to buy just the subspecies from southern area of distribution, but I would like to breed and hibernate them outside. I know this turtles are in Red book of Russia, I would like to get them legally.
Thanks in advance for all replies,
Jakub :помогите!: :помогите!:
Дитя природы
10.03.2005, 17:41
Jacub,
frankly - I don't think you'll succed in finding them LEGALLY in Russia. I tried to find the northern subspecies (formally it is now named Trionys chinensis as far as I know) myself - in vain. No zoo collections here are interested in this tutle cuz it's not "excotic" enough, and no breeder reproduce them in more or less sufficient numbers.
Probably there are some experienced keepers who may occasionally breed the norhtern subspecies - but definetely not as a majour goal.
Recently, a programm of captive breeding for these tutles was announced in SPb Zoo, but all they have by to-day is underfunding, administrative problems and three adult specimens of this subspecies two of which are males.
I personally finally found two little nothern trionyxes from a keeper in Ukraine who previous had bought them from a poacher in the Far East.
Sometimes, they can be found in the local zoo market in the Russian Far East being sold illegally at a price of about US$70-100 per a turtle.
What are your aims with this regrard? - To introduce this subspecies into zoo-culture and thus reduce illegal poaching in the wild? To re-introduce them into the wild after successful reproduction? Something diffrent from the two?
NB - remember, this is a highly aggressive sub-species capable of inflicting serious injures in humans and killing each other when being kept in the same enclosure. Of my two little one one eventually killed the other when I was at work in the office.... What kind of conditions are you going to create for your would-be breeding group?
O`Neil
14.03.2005, 03:06
Are You ready to keep them separately and loose Your nerves while connecting a pair?
St.-Peterserg Zoo breed them for 5 years. Find a friend with good Russian and try to speak with them.
Jakub
04.04.2005, 17:58
Originally posted by O`Neil@Mar 14 2005, 02:06 AM
Are You ready to keep them separately and loose Your nerves while connecting a pair?
St.-Peterserg Zoo breed them for 5 years. Find a friend with good Russian and try to speak with them.
I got idea of keeping them outside in a pond....
Trachemys and Emys orbicularis are able survive mid european winter, why pelodiscus from siberia would not?
Do you got some experiences with them?
Дитя природы
05.04.2005, 21:18
O"Neil
I am not sure you are right as for the St.-Petersburg Zoo - they do not breed them. They keep the turtles ut no breeding occures cuz conditions are bad for this task in the Zoo and for the reasons I've mentioned above.
Surely this trionix will be able to establish itself in the wild in the Central Europe and maybe that would be the only chance of survical for this turtle, becouse in Asia they devour all the wild-caught turtles they can get regardless of the highly endangered status this subspecies has.