Madagascar tortoises are so valuable because the rarest species are tiny in number, slow to breed, and highly desired by illegal collectors. The ploughshare tortoise is the best-known example: it lives in a tiny part of Madagascar, has a distinctive shell, and is heavily trafficked for the exotic pet market.
The New Yorker reported that adult ploughshares could fetch up to $100,000 on the black market. Durrell says the species is found only in a small area of Madagascar and that its unique shell makes it desirable to wildlife traffickers. Durrell also says the illegal international pet trade is a key driver of the species’ decline.
So the price is not about usefulness. It is about rarity, collector demand, and the criminal market built around taking animals that reproduce slowly and cannot be replaced quickly.
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