Hello From the Arizona Desert

[SweetGreekTorts]

Good Morning! I'm new to this Forum and wanted to introduce myself.

My name is Kitty (yes, real first name) and I live in Arizona. I've had various species of tortoises and turtles for most of my life. After many years of raising my personal ones as pets, I have moved forward to include rescuing tortoises in need, and have now advanced toward breeding tortoises.

My personal favorites are the Testudo graeca, which are the species I want to specialize in with my breeding program. I've been acquiring hatchlings that I am raising to adulthood and will then breed. I am also working on my own website that will provide information and pictures of each Greek subspecies so I can teach others and provide the guidance needed to take the best care.

Here is a handful of my graeca hatchlings!

(pictured: Testudo graeca ibera - Northern Turkey, Testudo graeca ibera - Ankara Turkey, Testudo graeca terrestris -Mesopotamian/Jordan, and Testudo graeca marokkensis).

This morning I am receiving Testudo graeca cyrenaica hatchlings.

I will be adding five more subspecies next season (Testudo graeca graeca - Moorish, Testudo graeca terrestris - Lebanon, Testudo graeca terrestris - Bodenheimer's Floweri/Gaza, Testudo graeca soussensis, and Testudo graeca nabeulensis). Still a few more after all this to "complete the collection."

All of my unrelated Greek hatchlings come from pure bloodlines, from adults that were imported directly from the site of natural origin and then raised and bred in the United States. Most of my stock is from Chris Leone at Garden State Tortoise.

I am also breeding the Russian Tortoise - my effort to provide more captive-breds and reduce the market need for "wild caught."

I look forward to getting to know other members, learning from them, and also sharing what I have learned from my own experiences and research.

Thank you!

Kitty
"Sweet Greek Torts"