Uroplatus offer real?

[AshtonBrads]

Just curious..did anyone see a boat load of 6 species of "freshly imported" Uroplatus offered for sale on the Kingsnake.com Classifieds? Dated 12/17/10 by First Choice Reptiles. I contacted them but it seemed to be a front..The ad is now gone. Did anyone get anything from him? Or is this what it takes to get someone's attention?

 

[Kirby56]

i just saw the add about two minutes ago

 

[uroplatus99]

Ad is there, just now posted on the 19th, so he resubmitted the ad. Don't think its a front as several folks have gotten things in from a large importation of Madagascar geckos this past week. I know of 4 other guys who have gotten in from this larger shipment...

 

[AshtonBrads]

Thanks all, still trying to contact him...

 

[uroplatus99]

Its down now... starting to look iffy.

 

[rhacoboy]

I've e-mailed him three times and called him, no response.

Hope this helps,
-Armen

 

[uroplatus99]

Well I actually sent paypal to him for some pieties, and he refunded my money stating he oversold them... I had been in contact with him since about an hour posting his first ad on the 17th.

 

[DDReptiles]

Why wouldn't it be real? There are a number of people getting in Uroplatus now and in the very near future.

 

[AshtonBrads]

Don't wanna step on anyone's toes..

Unless a very wealthy person bought him out on two separate days within a few hours of his postings, this seller is not being honest.

I hate to seeing more imports, and all that it implies, but being a poor man I jumped on it to start a small group of sikorae again. Guilty.

It's just sad that so many of those breeding Uroplatus are hoarding them and selling them by the weight of gold. It only hurts the wild populations more. In my experience, the 5 species I have worked/work with, were extremely prolific and almost as easy to breed as a crested gecko. I have never sold any cb Uroplatus for more than $120. Sorry, just a bit disappointing.

Herpers losing their virtue because of their great passions, so often uncontrolled.. And the trade's need to evolve.. USARK? looks like NRA. There used to be a great reverence..Not an artificial concern.
Best to all!

Ashton
Vivarium Essentials

 

[gekkocorner]

Recent imports are real. And people buying all within minutes are real as well ( I actually purchased all pietschmanni from one source and many others.

Ashton, Quotas have been cut down over 90% so that's why everybody is trying to get breeding stock, and people are selling out in minutes. You might want to consider selling your CB for a bit more

 

[AshtonBrads]

No fun. :yawn:

 

[Protean]

between now and the end of the year all exports on the 2009 quotas need to be shipped. once those are finalized malama, phantasticus, and pietschmanni will have 0 export quotas and the remaining species will be cut down to 10% of what they were except sikorae which still stand at 2000 heads on the 2010 quotas.

Pietschmanni hold their weight given how low their numbers are for export overall. if people actually succeed with breeding them consistently, they will be just like guentheri in Europe in following years to come.

my shipment due to arrive on 12/28 through los angeles.

 

[NigelMoses]

Don't wanna step on anyone's toes..

Unless a very wealthy person bought him out on two separate days within a few hours of his postings, this seller is not being honest.

I hate to seeing more imports, and all that it implies, but being a poor man I jumped on it to start a small group of sikorae again. Guilty.

It's just sad that so many of those breeding Uroplatus are hoarding them and selling them by the weight of gold. It only hurts the wild populations more. In my experience, the 5 species I have worked/work with, were extremely prolific and almost as easy to breed as a crested gecko. I have never sold any cb Uroplatus for more than $120. Sorry, just a bit disappointing.

Herpers losing their virtue because of their great passions, so often uncontrolled.. And the trade's need to evolve.. USARK? looks like NRA. There used to be a great reverence..Not an artificial concern.
Best to all!

Ashton
Vivarium Essentials

I personally think prices should be a bit higher, considering the difficulty of the species. This will prevent needless dying and force those working with them to be serious about it. I say sell your animal for whatever you feel it is worth. To compare any uroplatus species to ciliatus is a joke and it angers me. There is a lot of hard work that goes into breeding any gecko especially uroplatus species. I personally would never sell any CB uroplatus for $120 but to each their own.

 

[uroplatus99]

It's just sad that so many of those breeding Uroplatus are hoarding them and selling them by the weight of gold. It only hurts the wild populations more. In my experience, the 5 species I have worked/work with, were extremely prolific and almost as easy to breed as a crested gecko. I have never sold any cb Uroplatus for more than $120. Sorry, just a bit disappointing.Vivarium Essentials

I think that the majority of those "hoarding" are really doing it for the good of the genus. You have to establish a good population in the trade first before you can start selling or handing them off. Look at the different morphs of leopard geckos... 8-10 years ago when I paid 400 dollars for a Trempor albino now you get them for regular morph price everywhere. It was rumored that he had discovered this many years before selling them as he needed to create a solid base to begin.

Even 10 years ago with the Uroplatus, we where hearing rumors that Madagascar will be shutting down... well after these few shipments coming are done, as Jason pointed out, they are shutting down 3 species. Its actually coming ture now... Doesn't actually sad'n me as much as it makes me upset I didn't react faster to aid in developing a solid pet trade base for these or a CB conservation effort to keep from plucking the wild.

Comparing these to Cresteds is a little over the top. Not saying you didn't have just as easy success, but if they where as prolific as cresteds, we would see a lot more CBs forsale then we do. I agree with Bruce on the pricing, its not easy work to keep these. I know that some have a knack for breeding these geckos, and thats great, but not everyone has great success with them.

I don't think the CB pricing is out of scope... I have seen CB guentheri for 150... 10 years ago... 800-1000 dollars. 400 to 500 a pair of CB phantasticus, seems par in pricing. I am on a tight gecko budget, so I am not trying to get in big... these prices are understandable, and in my opinion well worth it. With years to come, we will see these numbers drop a little as more and more are produced, but its a snails pace with Uroplatus in my eyes.

I think the key here is to be patient, save while waiting, and keep your eyes open. I have found a few things worth buying already, purchased a few from folks that have posted in this thread as their ads went up.

And I feel your Dissappointment... just a little on a different angle in this same situation.

 

[AshtonBrads]

It's okay, this all went off topic. Guess i've just had a knack for breeding them..To me it's unnervingly simple. A good understanding of their psyche and relationship with their environment is a great part of it. The psyche of a camouflage artist. Temps, and humidity control all of which are easy stabilised and most found here now (World Weather Information Service - Madagascar). In my experience. Certain species of plants and their placement in a vivarium of good habi-tectural design and size, are very important. Also where you keep them in regards to natural sun, air-flow, low human activity, and the right kind and placed egg-laying spots have a lot to do with it. This really doesn't take much effort, just some preliminary research (as with anything under your care), some experience and intuition (common sense). But yes, I have empathy for/with the keepers who have had them die, and for the precious animals that died in their hands. PX

I myself have paid up to 270 American$ for single animals. However, I know a long time group of friends and some newer ones, who I know are able keepers who I prefer to sell to and they have watched Madagascar for the past 10 years as well. I'd rather know how the gecko is going to be cared for, than sell to the 14 year old at the show who's mom can dole out 400$. Alot are people I have traded with, seen their collections, and even eaten a meal with.
ciao guys,
Ash

 

[uroplatus99]

In my experience they are almost as easy to breed as ciliatus. I don't know your situation or what is up with my crested geckos (which seem normal to me). A good understanding of their psyche and relationship with their environment is a great part of it. The psyche of a camouflage artist. Temps, and humidity control all of which are easy stabilised and most found here now (World Weather Information Service - Madagascar). In my experience. Certain species of plants and their placement in a vivarium of good habi-tectural design and size, are very important. Also where you keep them in regards to natural sun, air-flow, low human activity, and the right kind and placed egg-laying spots have a lot to do with it. This really doesn't take much effort, just some preliminary research (as with anything under your care), some experience and intuition (common sense). But yes, I have empathy for/with the keepers who have had them die, and for the precious animals that died in their hands. PX

I have had countless offers to buy higher from me. I myself have paid up to 270 American$ for single animals. However, I know a long time group of friends and some newer ones, who I know are able keepers who I prefer to sell to. I'd rather know how the gecko is going to be cared for, than sell to the 14 year old at the show who's mom can dole out 400$. Alot are people I have traded with, seen their collections, and even eaten a meal with.
ciao guys,
Ash

I completely agree with all you said... And this is key for successful husbandry of them. But for some still not an easy task. 10 years ago, there wasn't an easy tool to use to gain such information, other than talking to those who travel there a lot (spoke to Bill Love a few times on this very thing back at Daytona sometime around 2000-2002). And I should say, as this info can now be applied in my own collection (as it grows) I may grow a slightly different opinion on keeping them. I have found that a lot more info is collected on the internet, through other publications, then what was available a decade ago.

 

[rhacoboy]

He got back to me today, told me he was sold out and he's getting another shipment in January.

And yes, people are selling out very quickly. Pietschmanni and Phants are going to become VERY difficult to find in the coming years.

Thanks,
-Armen

 

[rhacoboy]

It's okay, this all went off topic. Guess i've just had a knack for breeding them..To me it's unnervingly simple. A good understanding of their psyche and relationship with their environment is a great part of it. The psyche of a camouflage artist. Temps, and humidity control all of which are easy stabilised and most found here now (World Weather Information Service - Madagascar). In my experience. Certain species of plants and their placement in a vivarium of good habi-tectural design and size, are very important. Also where you keep them in regards to natural sun, air-flow, low human activity, and the right kind and placed egg-laying spots have a lot to do with it. This really doesn't take much effort, just some preliminary research (as with anything under your care), some experience and intuition (common sense). But yes, I have empathy for/with the keepers who have had them die, and for the precious animals that died in their hands. PX


I myself have paid up to 270 American$ for single animals. However, I know a long time group of friends and some newer ones, who I know are able keepers who I prefer to sell to and they have watched Madagascar for the past 10 years as well. I'd rather know how the gecko is going to be cared for, than sell to the 14 year old at the show who's mom can dole out 400$. Alot are people I have traded with, seen their collections, and even eaten a meal with.
ciao guys,
Ash

I'd be very interested to hear about your care tactics and methods when breeding these guys, because for myself and many other breedes we have found it difficult to reproduce these delicate animals.

$120 for a captive bred specimen is quite cheap IMO. Many WC Uroplatus now are going for well over $120 a piece. If I were you, I would start raising your prices a bit, because I have seen CBB animals go for as much as $450 a piece, and I can imagine as the import numbers are cut, and cut some more, the prices will continue to elevate.

I agree about knowing how the gecko is going to be cared for, which is why on this forum we try to stear newbies away from purchasing such animals because these are not exactly a "beginner" specie. And for the most part, your new gecko keeper is not going to be spending hundreads of dollars on the animal that they are purchasing, however that is just my opinion and I'm sure I can be proven wrong by several examples. Also, I'm 15, and have been keeping Uroplatus since I was 14 so not all teen's are irresponsible and incapible of keeping such animals .

Thanks!
-Armen

 

[swxe]

Most if not all will pass away

:-x

 

[AshtonBrads]

So it has been in the past. Let's hope those who get their hands on the new arrivals will greet them with the best they can offer.

May I humbly say to all: With respect to these animals, let us do everything in our power to continue establishing solid, well-documented, breeding programs of Uroplatus here in the United States. please..:idea:

Ash
Vivarium Essentials/GekkoTerra