Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i saw a 22" softshell for sale in chinatown, i want to save this beauty, especially since she was only $10, but i'm going going home on the train tomorrow and need to know how i can carry her, i haven't bought her yet, so i need replies fast - thanx

Are you in NYC? Just wondering. The best way to carry her is to get an appropriate sized box. If you are only going less than 24 hours traveling you can just carry her dry without any problems. If you have time before you leave be sure you hydrate her thoroughly before packing her up. Most of these Chinatown meatmarket animals are very dehydrated. I have gotten a number of them over the years and the first thing I do is get them into water.

If you don't have time be sure to get her into some water as soon as you get to your final destination.

This is a big undertaking so you might as well be prepared for the worst. Many of these animals develop all sorts of healthy problems AFTER they are rescued because they are so abused in these meat market situation. Plus an animal that size is going need to need to be kept in a pond of some sort.

Good luck
Steve

went back to get her (chicago chinatown btw) and there were a couple others with her - all huge, i wanted to buy her SSSOOO bad but they are all so cold and dried out, not very responsive, are these turtles farm raised for this purpose?/ how do these turtles fair after these experiences? i'm definately going back for one when it's warmer out & hopefully will find one in better condition.

They are farmed raised. They are Chinese Softshell turtles.
The males are a bit smaller so you may want to look for one of them (longer thicker tail). They are not cold hardy so they will need to be kept indoors during the Winter months if Chicago is where you will be keeping them.

It's really hard to say how they will do. Sometimes they do just fine -- other times you can have a host of problems. I am currently rehabbing a diamondback terrapin (NOT Farm raised these are harvested from the Chesapeake Bay) that I got in Chinatown (NYC) that I have been working with for over 9 months now. She looked perfectly normal when I got her but within a short period of time she developed, fungus, shellrot and SCUD (an ulcerative condition).

You can always wait until the warmer months to rescue a few. They are always there and so you can pick one up anytime. One taken in as a pet is always one less in the soup pot. There are conflicting views regarding this but I believe that if you understand that this is NOT a cheap way to get a nice pet (you may be in for a long haul of treatment before the animals is sound) and that you will devote the time necessary to give it a good environment you have done a good thing.

The food industry for these farm raise softshells will always be there so your taking one or even 100 will not encourage the flow of them into these food markets.

Steve

There's a great endeavor you're undertaking. I sympathize with you. Some of these turtles are used for medicine too. Turtle meat is also supposed to be good for your health, according to Asian customs.

I'd look into other matters regarding these turtles. A big turtle needs lots of room, so like nonhuman(?) said, you're in it for the long haul.

It eats me up these people transport turtles under these conditions, and perhaps someone should be alerted as to this turtle trade. I think there's now a law being enacted in Asia to prevent turtles from being exploited.

These softshell turtles are under no regulation unfortunately.
They are farm raised for this purpose.

What other kinds of turtles do you find in Chinatown. I guess I always thought that they were just snappers. It really angers me that they harvest dbt like that. I live near the jersey shore and see many ever year it would be ashame to see them killed for food.

Chinese Softshells, Diamondback terrapins, adult redeared sliders, snappers and Northern Redbellies or also eastern painteds.

No way it's a chinese softshell at 22 inches. Females rarely exceed 10-12 inches. If it's an American softshell, it's more than likely a Florida (Apalone ferox). If it was imported from Asia, it's probably Amyda cartilaginea at that size.

You're right. Here in NYC we have the Chinese variety. The biggest I have ever seen are females around that perhaps 14 inches.

I knwo it's hard but DONT buy one. The more sold, creates more of a market for them. THe less bought, the less market. Don't do it.
And believe me I know it's VERY hard to see them like that. THere is a reason I stay OUT of LA Chinatown from now on.

Actually -- the market for the meat animals is not largely affected by people purchasing them for pets. Many folks buy them for soup and many restaurants purchase them in large scale.

The only ones who may cause a larger demand are those that purchase them in bulk to re-sell them as pet animals.

Still buying one of these animals to rescue it should not be taken lightly. Yes, you are going to get an animal considerably cheaper than buying it through the pet trade but it may not be as inexpensive a deal as you think. The time, energy and medical treatment for these animals can be VERY VERY BIG. And still you may lose them. They have been through so very much that by the time they reach the meat markets they are really pushed to limit and their immune system can be shot. Not to mention the parasite load that so many of them have.

Just be prepared for the fact that this "inexpensive act of kindness" can end up costing you way more than buying a captive bred animal.

I know the wholesaler in MD for Terrapins. There is more than enough demand locally, not counting internationally, that not buying them for conservation purpose will not even dent the demand for them. Even, you buy them to save them, or they will be sold to cooking pots. The wild caught ones should be saved. Farmed turtles are a fact of life. Must compromise somewhere.

Mark

Those China town meat markets really piss me off! Sorry, there's no nice way to say it! It makes my blood boil to know what goes on there and nothing is being done about it! If it were Sparky or Fluffy being treated like a piece of meat, you'd have animal activists or the SPCA doing something about it but for some freakin' reason, no-one with any authority will do anything for reptiles! Your doing a good thing by rescuing the softie and I congratulate you for your effort! If I lived close to one of those disgusting 'markets of death', I'd go broke from trying to rescue them all! Something needs to be done about this and soon! I just can't understand why someone would want to torture and kill one of the most amazing species of animal on the face of this earth! Sometimes I really hate my own species! Sorry....just had to get that off of my chest! ~ Christy

Does anyone know where the Chinatown in NYC is located? I may be taking a trip soon.....

You really can't help these turtles because there's either no law, or it's too lax to be obeyed. You must remember to the Chinese, turtles are food. This does not apply to res's though. The softies are considered highly edible and medicinal. This is almost similar to dogs being eaten in Korea, particularly during summer months.

The Orientals are usually the worst for animal, and reptile cruelty, and one thing you can do is contact the authorities to make sure there's no illegal trading going on. If the turtle is coming from Asia, or China, it could have environmental impacts.

Otherwise, take things at their grass roots level. Protest by doing something. I've saved a many in Asia. Problem is, there's too much ignorance in regards to turtles, and they consider these species just fish, not knowing the tender care they take.

I know what you mean though. It's a vicious cycle. Tell us, though, what species of turtles are they selling there? I'd thought baby res's were banned from being sold in the states, so someone should be alerted to this illegal aspect.

re: This does not apply to res's though

they eat RES also. Softies, RES, DBTs...whatever they can get, they will eat.

I have seen bins of sliders and painteds for eating too. Diamond backs and Northern Redbellies.

Good reason to avoid chinatown and NYC at all cost, place is depressing as hell. Just my two sense.

yea, i did some reading up on this the night after i made my purchase, they throw turtles into concrete bins, cut the softshells "out of their shells" alive and saw RES in half while alive and sell them with the heads left on for "freshness"- i guess it's not the fact that they eat them and i devote hours on end to taking care of them, but the fact that they carve them up while alive - someone compared them to chickens once, but at least chickens have their heads cut off before they're plucked and chopped up
btw-i bought a (10.5" by 8" shell) female RES - she's doing great, amazing how she turned from dull and mean to full of life and very exporative of her environment in a week or so with some food

Sliders stand up alot better to the horrible conditions of these meat markets. Just keep an eye out for problems that may arise and get a fecal sample to a vet to see what kind of crawlies she may have inside of her.

unfortunately if you stop them from farming and shipping them they will just take them from the wild,and anybody who wants to make a buck will also catch and sell them. your much better off letting them farm and eat them to keep some of the wild numbers up.

Ok I love reptiles very much but i have an interesting point to make. Now i do not in anyway agree with their methods of slaughter but you have to understand that all the meat that we enjoy everyday(Beef,Pork,chicken) is harvested in the same manner. The only reason i am not upset is this is their culture.