NEWS103
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Adult ChineseStriped-NeckTurtle, ,
Ocadia sinensis
All Photos:FrankSchäfer
ne of the few exceptions is the
Chinese Striped-Neck Turtle,
Ocadia
sinensis
. It isbred in largenumberson farms
andsomeofthehatchlingsendup inthepet
trade.
Prosandconsofcaptive-bredspecimens
Whether youprefer to keepwild-caught or
captive-bred specimens is fundamentally a
philosophical decision. The frequently cited
argument that captive-bred specimens are
easier to keep, because they are already
O
The outlook isn’t good for thewild turtle populations of East and South-
East Asia. In China these animals are regarded as a delicacy and hence
there are anachronistic depredations on their populations. As a result of
thisonlya few species areavailable for the terrariumhobby,although the
pet tradehasnoappreciableeffect onwildpopulations
TheChineseStriped
-NeckTurtle
byChristophFritz,www.reptilia24.com
accustomed to conditions in captivity, is
nonsense.Aturtle isawildanimalandhasno
insights into itscircumstances.Thetransferof
a turtle from one terrarium to the next is,
from the subjective viewpoint of the turtle,
nodifferentto thetransfer fromthewildtoa
terrarium. It is true that the parents of
captive-bred specimens apparently do very
well under the conditions provided by the
breeder and proceed to breed. Hence the
requirements for the arrangement of the
terrarium and the climate for this special
strainareknown,whichmakesmaintenance
considerably easier if thesedata arepassed
on precisely. On the other hand, wild
specimens,once settled in,areusuallymore
robust and less susceptible to disease,
especiallywhen theyaresomewhatolder,as
wemustn’t forget that in thewild70-90%of
youngsters die before reaching sexual
maturity (disease, starvation, negative
environmental influences, predators). Those
that survive this selection are already very
robust.
Fundamentally, wild-caught specimens are
more suitable for experienced terrarium
keepers than for beginners, as the
unavoidable negative stress resulting from
capture, transportation, change of diet, etc
Schildkröten
