Reptile & Amphibian Forums

...do people really buy these in china town? If so, where do i look exactly? (a resteraunt?)

...and this might sound odd, but why do they have them? for looks? to eat? =)

Thanx

Depends on which Chinatown you're talking about...I got mine on Canal Street, in New York. They had them out on the street, or under a sheet on tables in the street. A word of advice: I absoluetly adore my turtle, but buying him was an impulse decision. I did not realize how much of an expenditure this would be - so far, I've spent about $120 dollars on a 2-inch turtle (in about 10 days!), and of course as he keeps growing, I'll be spending more.
I'm not trying to preach, just advising you to give this some thought. If I had to do it all over again, I would have still gotten Crumpet, but I just would have waited until I was home for the summer as I'm now in a TEENY dorm room (I think it's about 10 feet by 10 feet, if that) with an illegal turtle in a 4 gallon tank. That's a small tank, apparently, even for a baby, but it takes up a ton of space in the room, and it's the biggest I can fit and most I can afford at the moment. So maybe think about this if, or before, you buy a turtle...
BTW, I don't think the baby RES you see in Chinatown are actually sold for eating, although I could be wrong. I think they're sold, as, well, impulse purchases for the impulsive. Good luck.
~Amanda

No the babies are sold as novelty pets. If you go to the fish markets there you can see really nice chinese softshell turtles that are sold for meat. (I periodically run down there and rescue a few) Also you can see DBT's and even large sliders on occaision. Bull frogs too!! (boy do I get yelled at when I come home with lots of moving boxes at the end of the day!!)

PLEASE PLEASE do not buy the baby turtles from Chinatown. They are kept soooo cruelly and when you buy them they just replenish them and more and more of them die (just so people can have a souvenir of their trip to Chinatown.

If these vendors kept them nicely then I would not be sooo up in arms about it (eventhough they violate the federal 4 inch rule by selling them and NO ONE ever does anything about it). I have put in several complaints.

Instead look at Turtlehomes.org. You can get sliders of all shapes and sizes there. Just fill out an application and have a picture of the environment you have for the turtle and if it is a suitable environment you will not be turned down.

I know it is heart wrenching to see these little guys sitting there so cute and tiny but if you save one you condemning one that will replace it. My first two where gotten this very same way AND once I found out all this info. I felt kinda guilty. Happy that I have two nice turtles but sad that I helped this cruel practice to continue.

I now have many sliders, cooters, painted turtles (I have a large pond in my yard) and even three tortoises all of them needed homes and NONE of them cost me a dime (except for vet expenses of course).

The meat market animals are another matter -- To save one of them is a good thing. (though chinese softshell turtles are not the sweetest pet you will ever have and require alot of space).
Whether you save one or not tons and tons will keep coming in (they are raised like chicken) to Chinatown to meet the demand for turtle meat. So saving one will not encourage larger amounts to be brought in.

They are not a novelty (souvenir) type purchase --they are just considered part of the grocery list in that area.

Steve