An adult Galapagos tortoise can cost up to USD 60 000 in the USA.

Ecuadornews:

After the disappearance of the 123 baby turtles of the Centro de Crianza Alfonso Tupiza, on Isabela Island (Galapagos), and that the National Assembly ratified the request for greater protection of the fauna of this institution, in social networks, images circulated about the cost of this type of animals in the US market.

The price of copies of a few weeks would be approximately USD 7 000. Indeed, when reviewing the website The Turtle Source, a small specimen of the species Chelonoidis nigra has a value of USD 6 995.

According to the owners of this company, the specimen would have been obtained through captive breeding. In an article published in Scientific American, scientific disseminator Erica Cirino reveals that the sale of Galápagos turtles is a problematic reality in the United States.

According to her research, there are gaps in Federal law that allow these animals to be sold without major controls. According to the United States Federal Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), in 2017, 77 people were authorized to market Galapagos tortoises reared in captivity.

The author emphasizes that these turtles and other exotic reptiles are not covered by the Animal Welfare Act of the USA, so their owners would not be obliged to offer appropriate treatment to the species. To the problematic of the habitat of the turtles the cost of the animals is added.

In the article, Cirino points out that the cost of an adult female would be around USD 20 000, while an adult male, due to its shortage, would be USD 60 000.

Cirino also points out that many of the people who buy these turtles do not take in account the dimensions of the animals, for which they come to suffer diseases and injuries due to poor management of their habitat. (I)

Source:https://www.elcomercio.com/tendencias/costo-tortuga-adulta-galapagos-eeuu.html