Box Turtle and Tortoise Discussion :: does this look right to you?

[octpusgirl8]

I've been looking everyday on craig's list for a cheap big aquarium for my RES, and i've been seeing this listing posted a bunch of times, always the same pictures and wording: http://baltimore.craigslist.org/pet/325109121.html
I'm no expert but i don't think these tortises look too hot. Especially the bottom-most one in the picture on the lower left. If these guys look fine, please tell me so i don't feel so bad everytime i see this ad. If they look as bad as i think they do, what can i do about it? Any input would be greatly appreciated, this has been bugging me for a while now.

[jenaero]

They've definetly got pyramiding problems, but I've seen much worse. Woah...I just took another look at that. The bottom left looks horrible. Not sure what you could do about it unless you or someone you know is willing to adopt those monsters.

I prefer to assume that they were in the care of someone else before this person got them and the damage was already done. It happens.

[octpusgirl8]

I have a feeling something bad is going on because it gets posted at least weekly. If they were a rescue you would think it would say something about it. I'm assuming they are trying to profit from them (rehoming fee?). Nobody ever flags the posts, i could do that, or i could call and pretend to be interested and when i get some info i could call the SPCA maybe. It makes me so angry to think that this person is trying to make a profit off of these poor guys rather than just trying to find them a good home if they aren't able to care for them properly. I wouldn't be able to take them, and there's no way i would pay this person for them anyway, that would just encourage this kind of behavior.

[DavidY]

Well they have a nice big outdoor pen which is better than most people provide for these giant tortoises. The really scraggly looking one in the lower left picture might have suffered from an illness or malnourishment at some point. I've seen adult sulcattas with pyramiding a lot worse than that before. I'll bet that person rescued some of those guys.

[octpusgirl8]

Well as far as the outside pen goes, it couldn't be a year round thing (hopefully anyway) because it get cold here in the winter. Not like NH i know, but freezing for most of the winter. I would like to think that whoever's posting this is doing the right thing, but i have a bad feeling about it...maybe i just watch too much Animal Cops. Maybe i'll email them and just ask about how they got them, why they're getting rid of them, and how much the "rehoming fee" is. Maybe that'll make me feel better. I'm assuming there is something the SPCA could do if they are being neglected or mistreated.

[Blue Flamingo]

I would say go for it. You could even go look at them if you want to assess the situation rather then just rely on the pics. Then you can call the animal control people and describe the situation with a better description of all the problems. They might head over there more quickly.

[Andrew7769]

i think they should try and find out if they were like that when they got them before u go sticking the animal control ppl on them