Inquiries / Reservations

Requests and reservations can be accepted and considered only under the following conditions:

1. proof of a species-appropriate husbandry situation
Send us a view of your housing situation for Astrochelys radiata with your inquiry or reservation request (a view of the indoor and outdoor enclosure is sufficient). Reservation requests for uncertain, suboptimal or not species-appropriate housing situations are not possible! Do not send us pictures from the internet or zoos. We know most of the online publications about Astrochelys radiata and have developed strategies to check the authenticity of the picture material. If you comply with our terms and conditions, we will be happy to send you additional photographic material or views of the specimens you have requested.

2. deposit
After verification of the species-appropriate housing basis, you will receive by e-mail the deposit amount and our bank details. After receipt of payment, a reservation is valid for 2 months. If the animals are not picked up within this period and without consultation, the deposit will be retained and the animals will be offered for sale again. The circumstances and costs for missed deadlines will be borne exclusively by the buyer. Therefore, please inform us early about the desired pick-up date or reservation extensions!

3. reservations and deposits from abroad
Deposits for reservations from abroad are binding, because for the application of the CITES export permit writing and stamp fees are incurred, which must be paid in advance! Please inform us immediately when you have made the payment so that we can apply for the CITES export permit without delay to the Swiss authorities. A later change of the reservation is impossible, because the export and import permit must be applied for with a photo documentation of the animals at the appropriate authorities. Both export and import permits are usually limited in time. Start thinking about the export/import date early. Read also about the export/import procedure in the section Import/Export.

We reserve the right to cancel the reservation without consultation in case of intentional deception or misuse.

Due to the high demand, unpredictable availability and limited administration, usually no binding orders can be accepted on RADIATA.CH. However, if no desired specimens are available at the moment, interested parties who have a species-appropriate husbandry situation will be noted in advance and given priority when they become available again. Repeated e-mail inquiries from briefly offered, non-binding pseudo-interested parties and price checkers without an apparent husbandry basis will not be considered.

Pick up / delivery / transportation

Within Switzerland and from neighboring countries, our animals for sale can be collected by the buyer directly from our private breeding station in Muotathal, Canton Schwyz, Switzerland. Appointments by arrangement.

Shipping abroad or overseas is possible, but must be organized, paid for in advance and carried out at the buyer's own risk. We have had very good experiences with the following Swiss forwarding companies, which specialize in the export/import of exotic animals:  Moving Animals, Global Pet Mover Switzerland. All steps, from animal-friendly packaging to handling all customs formalities, are offered and reliably carried out by these professional animal shipping companies. Offers can be obtained directly from the buyer by e-mail. Transportation and handover to supervised contact points, e.g. animal station at Zurich airport or other forwarding companies within Switzerland, is possible. Travel expenses depending on distance and effort.

The buyer or the selected animal transportation company is responsible for ensuring that the transport is suitable for the animal (e.g. padded, heated transport box in the cold season, etc.). We cannot provide transport media and materials for long journeys. For a species-appropriate animal transport is always the buyer responsible! Once sold, transported and placed animals cannot be replaced, exchanged or taken back at any time due to epidemic safety reasons.

For ethical and animal welfare reasons, we do not attend reptile fairs or pet shows with our tortoises. We are not interested in buying, exchanging or brokering other tortoise species or other reptiles.

Proof of origin

All hatchlings to be sold on RADIATA.CH are verifiably Swiss offsprings. The parents are also offsprings from the European Union and were properly imported into Switzerland with all necessary documents. According to the Federal Veterinary Office, Swiss offsprings may be sold within Switzerland with a certificate of origin issued by the breeder and photo documentation, on which the original CITES import numbers of the parents are noted. An export application for Swiss offsprings abroad must be submitted in writing by the breeder to the Federal Veterinary Office in Bern with the original CITES information of the parent animals. We ask foreign interested parties to inform themselves about a CITES import permit at the respective national authorities before making a purchase request (see section Import/Export). The buyer is responsible for all import formalities and forwarding at customs.

General information about the animals for sale

We specialize exclusively in the research, husbandry and breeding of Astrochelys radiata. All our efforts and resources are exclusively dedicated to this one species of tortoise. Our animals have a spacious and species-appropriate indoor and outdoor enclosure at their disposal, which are completely oriented and adapted to the natural needs of the animals. Our stock is immaculate, clean and absolutely free of pathogens.

All offered animals are feed resistant, smooth grown and are in best health condition.

Due to the acute female shortage in European populations and the generally high demand for females, all clutches are incubated at very high temperatures on females (+34°C).

Please note that the ray markings on hatchlings do not become visible until after about 1 1/2 years, with the appearance of the first growth rings.

Distribution of sexed, subadult or adult breeding pairs, single females or High Yellow specimens only on request with proof of husbandry.

All offsprings and their housing situation may be visited without obligation and also without purchase interest in our private breeding station in Muotathal, Canton Schwyz, Switzerland. Viewing appointments by appointment only!

Levy to zoos

Zoological and botanical gardens, museums, universities or other official and public institutions with an educational or research mission have the possibility to purchase specimens from our breeding at special conditions or to take them as a loan with a hiring contract. A delivery takes place only after detailed examination and consultation with the respective institution.