Back in 2003 I purchased a baby Galapagos tortoise from Jerry. He told me he bred it. He said He had 1 adult male and 2 females(1 which laid every year and one that usually laid every other year). I had no reason to doubt him at this time. The baby I received from him still had the egg tooth. The following season I asked him if he would be willing to incubate an egg to produce a male. He said sure. When the time came I paid him $2000.00 to incubate the egg that he said was laid the day before. I trusted him at this point because we had the deal from the year before that went so well. When hatching time came he said the egg went bad and he would try again next season. At this point I was concerned, but since he said he would try again I figured it the egg could have actually went bad. Now he will no longer return my emails. When I tried emailing from another address he did respond, but when he discovered it was me he claimed to be his wife. "She" said Jerry was out of town with a band and their breeder male died in the hurricanes. I asked if I could get my money back and "she" said she would talk with Jerry. I even offered to take 50% back because at this point I knew I was being scammed, but that was still too much to ask and she blocked my emails after that. Unfortunately at the time this happened I did not know about this site so I did not keep all of the emails he sent me. The part of the story that gets funny is that I recently discovered Jerry Motta has never produced a Galapagos tortoise in his life. He has no mature animals. This was told to me be a very was respected Herper in central Florida(I would rather not get his name into this), but everyone involved in herps would recognize his name). Since hearing this I have asked others about him and they all agreed that he had not produced any Galapagos. I do not expect to get any money back from him at this point but I wanted to warn anyone thinking of doing business with him. I am hoping he will respond to this post just so I can hear a few more excuses but I doubt it. I have been told he has a table at the Daytona show next month so I am interested to hear what excuses he will come up with when I see him face to face.
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Warning: Jerry Motta in Bushnell FL SCAMMER!
- Thread starter pfan151
- Start date
kenan
New member
motta
hey,
just thought i'd give my 2 cents. i've been to motta's place and have seen the galaps. he has 17 of them. most are over 200lbs. i also recently have purcased a juvie galap from him and the deal was cool. he even let me pay it on time. took me 4 months to pick it up. i thought that was cool also. i've met a few people who have had things to say about jerry. mostly that he doesn't have what he claims he does. i've been there 3 times in the last 2 yrs and his place hasn't dissappointed. is he strange, yes, but so are 90% of us who are into reptiles. i like him and am happy with the tort. i however would never feel comfortable buying an egg, $2000 dollars on a an egg????? silly. oh well, he'll be in daytona, good luck.
hey,
just thought i'd give my 2 cents. i've been to motta's place and have seen the galaps. he has 17 of them. most are over 200lbs. i also recently have purcased a juvie galap from him and the deal was cool. he even let me pay it on time. took me 4 months to pick it up. i thought that was cool also. i've met a few people who have had things to say about jerry. mostly that he doesn't have what he claims he does. i've been there 3 times in the last 2 yrs and his place hasn't dissappointed. is he strange, yes, but so are 90% of us who are into reptiles. i like him and am happy with the tort. i however would never feel comfortable buying an egg, $2000 dollars on a an egg????? silly. oh well, he'll be in daytona, good luck.
The $2000 was payment for the baby galap he claimed to be incubating. I have also been to his house. He has many large galaps and young ones, but he has never produced one. His place looks like a puppy mill/ reptile zoo. Does he still have all the nile crocs in cages along his driveway? I also had a good deal with him before he screwed me. He has quite a collection. He is a good collector, he is just not a breeder. Just be careful dealing with him and never put a deposit down on an animal he says will be hatching. The only thing I actually believe he breeds are redfoots and sulcatas. Ask him in Daytona see what he says. I know I will have a few questions for him.
kenan
New member
i was there last tuesday. the crocs were all in those ponds with some juvies in tubs outside, i can see where you get the puppy mill thing though. when i went there the fist time i was impressed that a pivate collector had that many diff species of crocs. but then i was new to florida at the time. i'm the type that likes to see how diff people keep their animals. some things he does i'm not down with, seems institutionalized, but then i don't have that many animals. his sulcata and galap pens are awesome though. i just assumed if he had that many galaps then he must have breed some of them. thats what he says anyhow. are you in florida? not sure if this is the right place but i've got the galap up on kingsnake. he told me he was bringing one to daytona as well. i wish i was going to the show to get to the bottom of this. he was fair with me, sucks he was lame to you. i did ask him about this when i saw him though. he told me you wanted him to incubate at 92 degrees for a male and that he told you not to do that but you insisted. he said that the temp was way to high and thats what killed the egg. he also said that because of that he didn't refund the money. i guess the best way is to not put that much down on any tort. $2000 is what real estates require for earnest money!! i was tripping at being into him for 800 bucks! like i said, he was cool and held on to the tort and didn't sell it to anyone else. i hope you get it figured out. keep me posted.
HerpMasters Inc.
New member
He also has property up for sale
I dont know if you know this or not but he also has his property up for sale. I dont live too far from Bushnell and go up to that area quite a bit because my parents live in the area. I will be at the Daytona show as well. I hope you get things worked out with him.
I dont know if you know this or not but he also has his property up for sale. I dont live too far from Bushnell and go up to that area quite a bit because my parents live in the area. I will be at the Daytona show as well. I hope you get things worked out with him.
crocodile
New member
Reply to Jerry Motta
Dear Pfan,
I keep a few crocodiles on breeding loan with Jerry, cuban, nile, dwarfs, and some other rare species. In my opinion Jerry is upfront and reputable in his business dealings.
I have known him over ten years. I think if you run into him at the Daytona show he will be reasonable. He does have quite te set up, nice to see animals an a near natural environment.
Hope your situation works out.
Kindest Regards,
Crocodile
Dear Pfan,
I keep a few crocodiles on breeding loan with Jerry, cuban, nile, dwarfs, and some other rare species. In my opinion Jerry is upfront and reputable in his business dealings.
I have known him over ten years. I think if you run into him at the Daytona show he will be reasonable. He does have quite te set up, nice to see animals an a near natural environment.
Hope your situation works out.
Kindest Regards,
Crocodile
rstrack
New member
I got scammed too
Jerry, has owed me money since last August. He won't return my calls. When I emailed him the email said Jerry was on tour with a band. I just want my animals, I think that is reasonable. Ronnie
Jerry, has owed me money since last August. He won't return my calls. When I emailed him the email said Jerry was on tour with a band. I just want my animals, I think that is reasonable. Ronnie
CrazyTrain 69
New member
I have bought some animals from Jerry in the past few years but never met him.So I decided to take a trip there.
I was just at Jerry's Reptile Mansion. Believe it or not Tommy Lee was there with him. His place is the best set up in the country. I have been to many reptile facilities and zoo's. His is number 1. Its like going to Africa !!
I saw about 27 Galapagos Tortoises, one was laying eggs as we all watched. Loads of other kinds around too. There were 59 adult crocodiles that I could count and loads of juveniles in tubs near all the ponds. Probably over 40 ponds that I saw. Countless Macaws even some feeding babies in there cages. Geese everywhere and 3 German Shepherds. I think he has 25 acres or a littlemore hard to tell. We drove around in these golf carts for hours on end. Also saw alot of other rare and endangered species. There was 4 other employes that I was introduced to.
There was 2 Mercedes parked in the garage a Nissan and a BMW in the yard and a beautiful house dedicated to another super rock star. I guess he works for a band inbetween reptile projects. Plus they are building an edition to the house, all solar.
All in all it was a great 3 days I spent there and he was a great person to meet with, lots of knowledge on music, crocodiles and tortoise's also a very private family with no wants to be on TV or a Reality show. Which I think would be an excellent idea. TMZ would love it !!!
I was just at Jerry's Reptile Mansion. Believe it or not Tommy Lee was there with him. His place is the best set up in the country. I have been to many reptile facilities and zoo's. His is number 1. Its like going to Africa !!
I saw about 27 Galapagos Tortoises, one was laying eggs as we all watched. Loads of other kinds around too. There were 59 adult crocodiles that I could count and loads of juveniles in tubs near all the ponds. Probably over 40 ponds that I saw. Countless Macaws even some feeding babies in there cages. Geese everywhere and 3 German Shepherds. I think he has 25 acres or a littlemore hard to tell. We drove around in these golf carts for hours on end. Also saw alot of other rare and endangered species. There was 4 other employes that I was introduced to.
There was 2 Mercedes parked in the garage a Nissan and a BMW in the yard and a beautiful house dedicated to another super rock star. I guess he works for a band inbetween reptile projects. Plus they are building an edition to the house, all solar.
All in all it was a great 3 days I spent there and he was a great person to meet with, lots of knowledge on music, crocodiles and tortoise's also a very private family with no wants to be on TV or a Reality show. Which I think would be an excellent idea. TMZ would love it !!!
Really?
Marks_Balls
New member
no.. not really.
bobtard
Rishadan Geckos
Cool story, bro.
LauraB
CLOSED ACCOUNT
LMAO!
Mr. "Johnson", your 1 and only post here on a thread that's nearly 5 years old, and man-o-man, what accolades! What freakin' good luck you were able to dredge up this old old thread to praise the guy! How ever did you find it?
Tommy Lee, a couple of Mercedes, a BMV, a Nissan, a house addition (not "edition", just so you know for your future postings), a "reptile mansion", a beautiful house, the lake & 40 ponds, the dropping of lame "rock star" names ... not to mention the reality show crap. Too funny!
How ironic that Mr. Motta seems to be an outdated wanna-be rock star himself. An outdated & cloned version of the 80's big-hair "musicians" (and I use the term musicians loosely).
How ironic nothing has been said or written about this man in nearly 5 years .. and here you suddenly are.
Yet somehow, dropping lame names, acreage, cars, a home dedicated to "super rock stars", all the rare and exotic creatures STILL does not instill trust or legitimacy ... only skepticism and doubt.
Money and name-dropping and "things" do not make the man or woman.
Only time and consistent good reviews by the "little people" (like me, who don't believe a big house, multiple cars, Tommy Lee and rare endangered species) make a person credible, honorable and trust worthy.
Dredging up a 5-year old thread and yammering on about what he has, not what you actually purchased or an actual transaction means nothing ...
either that, or that you are actually Jerry Motta incognito dredging up this old thread to dredge up new business (IMO).
Mr. "Johnson", your 1 and only post here on a thread that's nearly 5 years old, and man-o-man, what accolades! What freakin' good luck you were able to dredge up this old old thread to praise the guy! How ever did you find it?
Tommy Lee, a couple of Mercedes, a BMV, a Nissan, a house addition (not "edition", just so you know for your future postings), a "reptile mansion", a beautiful house, the lake & 40 ponds, the dropping of lame "rock star" names ... not to mention the reality show crap. Too funny!
How ironic that Mr. Motta seems to be an outdated wanna-be rock star himself. An outdated & cloned version of the 80's big-hair "musicians" (and I use the term musicians loosely).
How ironic nothing has been said or written about this man in nearly 5 years .. and here you suddenly are.
Yet somehow, dropping lame names, acreage, cars, a home dedicated to "super rock stars", all the rare and exotic creatures STILL does not instill trust or legitimacy ... only skepticism and doubt.
Money and name-dropping and "things" do not make the man or woman.
Only time and consistent good reviews by the "little people" (like me, who don't believe a big house, multiple cars, Tommy Lee and rare endangered species) make a person credible, honorable and trust worthy.
Dredging up a 5-year old thread and yammering on about what he has, not what you actually purchased or an actual transaction means nothing ...
either that, or that you are actually Jerry Motta incognito dredging up this old thread to dredge up new business (IMO).
Amelanistic Orca
Well-known member
BrianC
New member
This is the best thread I've ever read.
brd7666
Well-known member
snakeman101172
New member
Laughable at best. You are a clown Richard if that is your real name. I suppose no one on fauna is from Florida right ? How about you post some pics of your glorious 80's reunion tour.
NIGRO51
New member
An IP check or some other fancy moderator weapon would be clutch right now.