Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I don't post here but lately I've seen large lots selling real cheap. Are they imports or farmed animals. Anybody know whats going on?

I'm not sure, but lately a lot of European bred ornates bave been imported at relatively low prices...I'm guessing this is the source of the low cost ornates you're seeing. I bought a European import ornate at a herp show several months ago and it's been FINE...healthy, fat and eating and growing well...

If I were an exporter, I'm not sure I would go through the trouble of acquiring some nice breeding pairs then go through the careful, delicate and very time consuming procedures such as breeding, incubation and caring for the surviving hatchlings only to sell them to some American dealer/importer for such a small profit. It just sounds a little fishy to me when someone claims to have captive breed or even farm raised/kept U. o. ornatus. Think about it ... It's just not logical to have an importer or dealer selling a cb ornate hatchling at a mere $90 (or even as low as $70 ea for a lot of 50) and come out with any kind of profit so as to call it a successful deal. It makes more sense for the exporter/captures to dig up young wc hatchlings from their burrows etc and collect them by the dozens while often destroying their natural habitats in the process. This is the only way I can think of that anyone would export them to the states for such a small cost. Remember that besides the cost of the uros, importers also pay for shipping/tax, inspections, C I T E S and lets not forget the wages that the exporters have to pay the captures for collecting, caging and feeding them till adequate numbers are ready for shipment. I'm not totally against purchasing wild caught animal and have acclimated many quite successfully in the past few years but I have to admit that selling wc ornates while claiming that they're cb sounds much more realistic in this case ... IMHO.

Please keep some of our well known and reputable breeders in mind when purchasing various uromastyx. like Doug, Lindsay, Mark and Audrey to name a few. At least this way you'll get a true guarantee of bloodlines from their exceptional breeding stock. You'll also be assured that they're captive hatched at their facilities and are absolutely guaranteed healthy.

Just my two cents worth on this topic.

John Castellanos
(jpcUromastyx)
'Support Captive Breeding'