About this episode

In this episode, host Wendy Montroy interviews tortoise keeper Paul Rattay about Radiated Tortoises, their conservation status, and husbandry practices.

Ask any tortoise keeper what their dream species is - and chances are their answer will be "Radiated Tortoises". In this episode of Turtle Tea with TTPG, host Wendy Montroy sits down with longtime keeper and recent breeder Paul Rattay to talk about Astrochelys radiata, one of the most strikingly patterned and critically endangered tortoises on the planet.Paul got his start with Radiateds nearly 20 years ago, sourcing young animals from Bill Zovickian and waiting patiently for them to mature into the breeding group he keeps today. From there, the conversation covers the tortoise's narrow native range along southwestern Madagascar, the mild climate they evolved in (no brumation required), and the mounting pressures - poaching, the pet trade, habitat loss, and tourism-driven development - pushing wild populations toward collapse.The episode also digs into a topic most care guides skip entirely: the regulatory limbo Radiated tortoises live in here in the US. Import for the pet trade stopped years ago, and once Fish & Wildlife stopped issuing new permits, captive-bred offspring could no longer be added to the official stud books. The result is an estimated 5,000 to…

More episodes of Turtle Tea with TTPG

• Russian Tortoise Care and Keeping with Katie Bradley · September 6, 2026 · 33 min
• The Long Game: Breeding Radiated Tortoises with Paul Rattay · August 23, 2026 · 50 min
• Evolution of the Turtle Room with Steve Enders: For the Love of Turtles · August 9, 2026 · 42 min
• Saving the Egyptian Tortoise with Ralph Till and KAP: For the Love of Turtles · August 2, 2026 · 46 min
• Mother of Tortoises: Tara Troxell’s Journey with Arctic Reptile Ranch · July 12, 2026 · 39 min
• Greek Tortoise Deep Dive with Chris Leone · June 28, 2026 · 1h 12m

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