Philadelphia Zoo welcomes 3 baby Galapagos tortoises to join the "Golden Girls"
The Philadelphia Zoo welcomed three new additions to its animal family this week after a group of male Western Santa Cruz Galapagos tortoises hatched.
The boys join the Golden Girls — four female tortoises hatched earlier this year who were named Dorothy, Rose, Blanche and Sophia after a community vote.
The first of the boys began to hatch on April 14.
Philadelphia Zoo
All seven babies are the offspring of female Mommy and male Abrazzo, the zoo's two oldest residents. Mommy is also considered the oldest first-time mom of her species. She's been at the zoo for more than nine decades.
The sex of these tortoises is determined by the temperature during incubation, which the zoo can influence. Temperatures below 82.4 degrees produce males, and conditions above 85.1 degrees produce females. The eggs hatch after four to eight months.
Mommy laid the eggs that have hatched so far in November 2024, and staff at the zoo chose to incubate some at a temperature that would produce males and some at a temperature that would produce females.
All of the babies are staying in the Reptile and Amphibian House for now.
Philadelphia Zoo
Nine more eggs that Mommy laid in January are still developing and could hatch soon, according to the zoo.
"Mommy arrived at the Zoo in 1932, meaning anyone that has visited the Zoo for the last 92 years has likely seen her," President and CEO Jo-Elle Mogerman said in a statement in April. "Philadelphia Zoo's vision is that those hatchlings will be a part of a thriving population of Galapagos tortoises on our healthy planet 100 years from now."
Philadelphia Zoo
Western Santa Cruz Galapagos tortoises are critically endangered, and these babies are part of a program by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums that is working to keep species like this alive.
"This success has been a years-long process from bringing Abrazzo to the Zoo in 2020, to fundraising for nesting materials in 2021 and introducing Mommy and Abrazzo in 2022," Vice President of Animal Well-Being Rachel Metz said in a statement. "Our sincerest gratitude for this success goes to the passionate and diligent work by experts in the AZA community and the entire Philadelphia Zoo team, including the countless keepers that kept Mommy healthy and thriving over the last 93 years."
The zoo is selling merch to celebrate the tortoises and raise money for its animal care fund.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBS News
37 minutes ago
- CBS News
Wildfire smoke continues into the Pittsburgh region along with multiple storm chances
Thursday begins on a very warm and smoky note across most of Western Pennsylvania and Northern West Virginia. Wildfire smoke and haze have mixed down to this surface, resulting in code yellow to code orange air quality, meaning that the condition of the air is unhealthy for those with any underlying health conditions. WEATHER LINKS: Current Conditions | School Closings & Delays | Submit Your Weather Photos This wildfire smoke and haze will continue to be in place across our area through 2-3 p.m. this afternoon before thunderstorms develop. The outflow winds from these thunderstorms should finally help to stir up the atmosphere a bit and mix out the smoke. Severe weather chances over the next three days KDKA Weather Center Ahead of the storms, high temperatures will easily reach the low to mid-80s, which is a few degrees above normal for this time of year. Speaking of storms, the SPC has most of our area in a level 1 out of 5 severe risk for today and tomorrow. Storms should form in the increasingly moist air ahead of a cold front and a weak disturbance moving in from the northwest. We should see development around 3 p.m. Thursday, with the highest coverage generally in our northwest zones, although some models suggest there could be simultaneous development in the Laurel Highlands and Ridges as well. Initially, coverage will be isolated, but as storm tops collapse and weaken, this may spawn new development in different areas. Low temperatures and rain chances on Thursday evening KDKA Weather Center Storm coverage should diminish after 8-9 p.m. with only scattered showers overnight, but another disturbance moving in during the mid-morning hours of Friday will likely re-ignite storms during the midday and afternoon hours. There will not be a ton of wind shear today and tomorrow, so these will be more pulse-like, disorganized storms with a localized "microburst" wind threat along with hail. Winds could gust upwards of 60-70mph in isolated spots along with pea to quarter-sized hail. Rain chances over the next week KDKA Weather Center The cold front will eventually sag south into the region by early Saturday with a chance of early morning showers. Most of Saturday into Saturday night is trending drier as we will be in between systems. On Sunday, moisture will return north ahead of a strong low system and cold front poised to arrive on Monday. We could see storm chances increase as early as Sunday afternoon, with the higher chances moving in on Monday. This system will have much stronger winds aloft accompanied by sufficient moisture and some instability, so we will need to keep an eye on the severe weather threat with next Monday's system. Lingering showers and storms will continue on Tuesday, before a cold front moves in, resulting in drier conditions by the following Wednesday. 7-day forecast: June 5, 2025 KDKA Weather Center Stay up to date with the KDKA Mobile App – which you can download here!
CBS News
39 minutes ago
- CBS News
Multiple SEPTA buses catch fire at bus yard in Nicetown section of Philadelphia
Several SEPTA buses are on fire at a yard in the Nicetown section of Philadelphia, images from Chopper 3 show. This location is SEPTA's Midvale depot, off Roberts Avenue. A spokesperson says these are decommissioned buses. Chopper 3/CBS News Philadelphia The Philadelphia Fire Department is on scene responding. There is a large plume of smoke visible from across the city. We're working to learn more about the cause of the fire and if anyone was injured. This is a developing story and will be updated.
CBS News
an hour ago
- CBS News
Man fatally stabbed by group on Chicago's Southwest Side
A man was stabbed to death by a group in Chicago's Brighton Park neighborhood on Wednesday night, according to Chicago police. According to the Chicago Department, a 23-year-old man got into a fight with a woman he knew in the 4300 block of South California Avenue just after 11:15 p.m. Chicago police said that's when the group the man was with started attacking him. During the attack, someone in the group stabbed the man with a sharp object. The 23-year-old was pronounced dead on the scene. The victim's identity is unknown at this time. No arrests have been made. Police are investigating.
