Who is
Testudoalbino?
Testudoalbino
is an Italian CITES-recognized breeding centre of Mediterranean
tortoises with over 30 years’ experience. It sells only in-house
bred animals equipped with any required documentation.
I do not
live in Italy and I would like to buy the tortoises. How can I do
that?
First of
all I recommend you to read and understand our sales terms and
conditions, then contact me via contact form. Testudoalbino can sell
its animals throughout the world.
Can I
visit the breeding farm?
No, our
breeding centre is not open to the public.
How can
I purchase a tortoise?
You will
find all the necessary information in our sales conditions.
I would
like to buy a tortoise, but I do not know which would be most suited
to me...
We need
first to ask you another question: what I can guarantee to the
tortoise that I would like to buy? First you need to learn as much as
you can about the biology and the needs of these animals. Athough
extremely long-lived and robust, they easily fall ill if something
does not properly fit their needs. Theorethically speaking, just a
nice and sunny garden is enought to keep them safe, ie almost
everywhere in the Mediterranean area. In this case, the main rule is
to let the tortoises do what they want to: in fact, the climate is
usually suitable and instinct tells the animals how to behave in any
natural situation. However, instinct cannot provide any kind of aid
in unnatural conditions. The choice of the species and/or subspecies
should be made based on all these variables and certainly
Testudoalbino can best advise you.
I
already own some tortoises and I would buy a new
species/subspecies...
Although
this is a recurrent question, it hides many pitfalls. First of all,
it must be understood that the coexistence between species and/or
different subspecies, even though feasible on paper, is extremely
risky. "But I have been breeding many different species together
for many years and nothing has ever happened!" Often this is the
most frequently given response. Well, you have been lucky, for the
moment at least. Some diseases may remain occult even for decades but
once they break out there is no way out. There are proven evidences
that the combination of multiple agents, maybe individually harmless,
for a given species may be lethal: once they come into contact with
each other, they act synergistically causing serious damage and
epidemics of deadly diseases. This is a rare occurrence but when it
happens there is no solution at all! Thankfully, these extreme
situations are not the rule, but you can have an increase in
mortality and fairly debilitated and suffering specimens. In
principle, we must ensure a proper separation between species and/or
different subspecies or animals of different origin. If this is not
possible, we should dedicate ourselves to a single
species/subspecies.
Can I
vaccinate my animals against major tortoises’ diseases?
No. There
are no studies on this subject, let alone vaccines. You can only
prevent their outbreak by implemeneting the highest breeding hygiene
and management standards. It is acknowledged that we are the main
cause for diseases spread. We should then mistrust anyone who does
not follow strictly these simple rules and cannot guarantee the
animal’s healthy conditions because he/she does not know its
origins and history.
Both
unicellular and vermiform intestinal parasites may be dangerous. How
can we cope with them?
Given that
a proper evaluation of each case lies with our trusted
tortoise-expert veterinary, it depends on the type of organism, its
numerical presence, the animal’s health conditions and whether the
intestinal microbiota is balanced or not. As a rule, every animal
intestines may be regarded as a habitat where thousands of different
species live and which, under normal conditions, are in a state of
mutual, physiological balance. Each plays an important role and there
is always an exchange of "favors" between guests and host
that normally makes this cohabitation profitable. Problems arise when
these balances crash and one species prevails over another due to
environmental stress, diseases, incorrect feeding etc. - not
necessarily considered as patogenous. Even pharmacological treatments
may seriously alter this balance: as a consequence, any intervention
will be carefully assessed for costs and benefits, including that in
the case of parasites. Some believe that we should intervene in every
case, some on the basis of the infestation level. Given that even the
most radical contrast action will be rendered immediately vain and
useless by the fact that these organisms are present and resistant in
the environment in dormant forms that can be activated even after
decades, it is probably appropriate to intervene only in the event of
obvious alterations to this balance.
I know
all about tortoises breeding, I have read many books and I can count
on advice that I find on the web... Google knows everything!
Testudoalbino
guarantees free and professional after-sale service: thanks to our 30
years’ experience and our scientific specific background, we know
the animals very and know how to breed and reproduce them properly.
However, there are still many things that we do not know and remain
unknown also to the most expert insiders. If you think you know
anything about tortoises then I wish you good luck. I congratulate
you because I am jealous of your self-assureness. But please, do not
call me in case of troubles you caused to your animals.
Hibernation
should be done or it can be skipped? They told me that it is better
to do it because skipping it is too risky...
As
hibernation is a physiological condition of most Mediterranean
Testudo, it is essential to the animals. Tortoises are perfectly
capable of go into hibernation, while it has not evolved to skip it.
Preventing the natural period of winter latency not only is dangerous
but seriously alters the biological cycle of the animal. On the other
hand, this does not absolutely guarantee the survival as they want us
to believe. It must be done by respecting the physiological
characteristics of the same, without resorting to dangerous
artifices.
Are the
animals sold guaranteed?
Yes, the
Italian law provides for one-year warranty that covers any occult
health problems, present and demonstrable as such at the time of sale
and even at a later time. Testudoalbino implements the highest
hygiene standards and the strictest management rules, besides
performing random tests against the main diseases in various pens,
whose results are freely available for consultation on our site. We
undertake to deliver only healthy animals. If a health problem arises
due to this case, it should be ascertained and certified by an
experienced veterinarian. More information can be found in the Sales’
Terms and Conditions section.
What is
the difference between a normal-colored animal and an albino
specimen?
Given that
more information can be found in the section concerning color
variants, we can say that albinism usually is not a pathological
condition and, from a biological standpoint, the only difference lies
in the absent or reduced ability to produce melanin, ie black color.
However, it must be stated clear that the pattern in reptiles has not
only ornamental /mimetic purpose, but facilitates and promotes
thermoregulation process: therefore, the absence or lack of color
makes this process less efficient in a wider range of situations. As
a result, it is appropriate to put the albino specimen in always
optimal conditions in order to facilitate this process.
They say
that albino tortoises have troubles with the sunlight. Is it true?
If we speak
of reptiles, where the physiology and the structure of the skin
adnexa are quite different from those of mammals, the answer is no.
In herbivore tortoises the need to expose themselves to the sun to
promote the production of vitamin D so that the calcium they need can
be fixed is the same as that of a normal colored specimen. Obviously,
a higher sensitivity to unfiltered bright light by a de-pigmented
iris remains but this phenomenon is essentially comparable to what
light eyed people experience compared to those who have dark eyes.
An
albino speciment mating with a normal one will yield albino babies?
No, the
newborns are invariably normal colored, even though carriers of a
copy of the mutated gene. For an in-depth insight, please, consult
the color variants section.
Why
tortoises must be equipped with a CITES certificate and a microchip?
The
European legislation recognizes a serious vulnerability state for all
species of Mediterranean Testudo and therefore requires a unique
marking by a micro transponder. The number will be included in the
certificate and microchip reading may be implemeneted by common
microchip readers according to standards prescribed by law.
CITES
Certificates are all the same?
No, there
are different types of certificates depending on animals’
source/origin and purpose. A CITES animal can only be sold if the
purpose and source of the certificate is commercial. In any other
cases, there can be no trade, exchange, gift or other alienation
forms. Commercial source is also released to private individuals,
provided that they comply with certain rules of law. The certificate
always comes with the animal and it must always be released upon
transfer. Important:
It may not be required by the Purchaser, but only by the seller.
I have
other questions that are not included in this FAQ. What am I supposed
to do now?
I will be
happy to answer any questions that you may send through our dedicated
contact section.