Today, let’s take a look at some turtles that are very cheap in China but surprisingly expensive abroad.
Chinese Pond Turtle
The Chinese Pond Turtle is one of the most common species in China’s flower and bird markets, known as one of the “Three Musketeers of street stalls”(I’ve posted a separate introduction before, feel free to check it out if you’re interested). A healthy Chinese Pond Turtle in perfect condition can sell for $49-$200 in European and American markets, which is equivalent to about 360-1400 RMB.
Chinese Stripe-necked Turtle
Also a frequent sight at domestic street stalls, the Chinese Stripe-necked Turtle has become a great success in European and American markets, turning into a popular pet with a strong exotic appeal.
A Chinese Stripe-necked Turtle, which costs just a few yuan in China, sees its price soar to $39-$129 on the international market, equivalent to about 280 RMB. Its charm comes from its unique appearance and habits. Additionally, not many breeders in Europe and America have successfully bred them. Under the logic that rarity makes things valuable, international shipping tariffs and the supply-demand relationship have further pushed up its price. To own one in Europe or America, you often have to spend much more.
Yellow Pond Turtle
The Yellow Pond Turtle is already quite popular in China, but its status change in the international market is even more astonishing. Costing just a few dozen yuan domestically, it sells for as high as $129-$295 overseas, equivalent to 900 to over 2000 RMB. Its rarity is key—restricted by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and wildlife protection laws, legal import sources are limited. Coupled with stable market demand and its unique ornamental value, its captive-bred (CB) individuals have even led to a situation where it’s “hard to find a single turtle” in Europe and America.
CB individual: Captive Bred, refers to an individual bred in a captive environment.
Black-necked Turtle
The Black-necked Turtle is no longer the exorbitantly priced turtle it once was in China, but in Europe and America, it remains a hot commodity in the reptile pet community. A captive-bred (CB) Black-necked Turtle sells for $129-$995 overseas, equivalent to 900 to over 7000 RMB. What is a “mass-produced type” in China becomes a “niche imported boutique item” in Europe and America. Rarity and restrictions on legal import sources keep its price high overseas.
Yellow-margined Box Turtle
Hailed as the “Oriental Gem” by the overseas reptile pet community, it sells for 2,700 to over 3,500 RMB.
Big-headed Turtle
As a CITES Appendix I species, it has a low survival rate during transport and very few breeders in Europe and America, with prices reaching as high as 20,000 to 65,000 RMB.
What other turtles do you know of that are unremarkable in China but have their value skyrocket overseas? Feel free to add them in the comments section and let’s chat about these cross-border comeback contenders of the turtle world~
Original article by 搬运工, if reproduced, please cite the source: https://www.kaipet.com/en/reversal-chinese-domestic-turtles-abroad-cabbage-price-sky-high-pets
Comments(2)
This value reversal is so interesting! What specific exotic appeal or unique traits make them so sought after overseas?
@CriticX：You’ve hit on a core point! Their exotic appeal stems from unique traits, rarity due to limited breeding and CITES restrictions, plus stable demand and ornamental value abroad.