Latest news with #WesternSantaCruzGiant
New York Times
05-04-2025
- Science
- New York Times
An Endangered Galápagos Tortoise Is a First-Time Mother at 100
Congratulations are in order for Mommy, a Galápagos tortoise and a longtime resident of the Philadelphia Zoo, who recently became a first-time mother at the estimated age of 100. Mommy, who has lived at the zoo since 1932, laid 16 eggs in November. Four of them have since hatched — the first successful hatching for her species at the zoo, which opened in 1874. She had help, of course — from Abrazzo, a male tortoise who is also estimated to be about a century old. Mommy and Abrazzo, both members of the Western Santa Cruz subspecies, are the oldest animals at the Philadelphia Zoo. But Galápagos tortoises can live as long as 200 years, the zoo said, putting them squarely in middle age. The first hatchling emerged on Feb. 27, the zoo announced on Thursday. The others followed within days, with the last one hatching on March 6. The hatchlings, none of which have been named, are expected to be on view to the public starting on April 23, the zoo said. They are doing 'fantastic,' according to the zoo's director of herpetology, Lauren Augustine. (Herpetology refers to the study of reptiles and amphibians.) 'They are about the size of a tennis ball and they are pretty feisty, actually,' Ms. Augustine said. The arrival of the hatchlings is significant because Western Santa Cruz Galápagos tortoises are considered critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Before the new arrivals, there were only 44 Western Santa Cruz Giant tortoises in all of the zoos in the United States, according to the Philadelphia Zoo. The baby tortoises will likely never share the same physical space as their parents. Their imposing size — Abrazzo is 410 pounds and Mommy is around 280 pounds — poses a risk that the hatchlings could be crushed. Unlike his mate, Abrazzo is not a first-time parent. In 2011, he was part of a successful pairing that led to the unexpected discovery of five hatchlings at his previous home, the Riverbanks Zoo and Garden in Columbia, S.C. Abrazzo came to the Philadelphia Zoo on the recommendation of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, which identified him as a potential genetic match for Mommy. Abrazzo and Mommy were introduced in 2022, and Mommy began laying eggs in 2023. She has now laid four rounds of eggs. The first three rounds were not viable. The fourth, however, was. Once she laid the eggs, members of the zoo's staff weighed and measured them, and set them up to be artificially incubated at two different temperatures: one known to produce female offspring and a higher temperature known to produce males. The four hatchlings born this year are all female, but Ms. Augustine said that three additional eggs were still being incubated. 'It's sort of a testimony through the excellent care that she must be receiving at that institution,' Stephen Divers, a professor of zoological medicine at the University of Georgia, said of Mommy. 'It's not easy keeping a giant tropical tortoise appropriately in the northern hemisphere.' The hatchlings will be kept in captivity for at least five years. After that, the zoo will determine what to do with them, in consultation with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. They could end up at another zoo if they are a genetic match for other tortoises, or they could live out their days in the wild on the Galápagos Islands, off the coast of Ecuador. But that would carry risk, said Rachel Metz, the Philadelphia Zoo's vice president of animal well-being. 'They're at extreme risk from natural disasters, disease potentially, climate change and invasive species,' she said. Centuries ago, the Galápagos tortoise population numbered in the hundreds of thousands, but it declined over time as they were hunted for human consumption. In the last half-century, however, the population has rebounded to around 17,000 because of conservation and breeding programs. Population estimates for the Western Santa Cruz tortoise vary widely, but Stephen Blake, an assistant professor of biology at St. Louis University who has worked extensively with Galápagos tortoises, says it is likely in the thousands. The population appears to be stable and growing, he said. Because the population is small and reproduction in captivity is so uncommon, the hatchlings will give researchers a rare chance to study the tortoises from a young age in captivity, said Juan Manuel Vazquez, a biologist who has studied aging in long-living animals, including Galápagos tortoises. 'Every additional tortoise counts,' he said. Dr. Blake said it wasn't uncommon for Galápagos tortoises to reproduce at 100 in the wild. Given that, the hatchlings at the Philadelphia Zoo are not likely to have a significant effect on conservation efforts, but they could help raise awareness about giant tortoises generally. 'This one reproducing tortoise, in my opinion, isn't going to do much for what's going on in the wild in direct terms,' he said. 'But in indirect terms, if the zoo can promote the wonder of a 100-year-old reptile producing babies for the first time and use that as a vehicle to promote wonder among people and a conservation ethic, then so much the better.'
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
100-year-old tortoise gives birth to critically endangered hatchlings at Philly Zoo
(WPHL) — For the first time in over 150 years, the Philadelphia Zoo has new additions to the Western Santa Cruz Galapagos tortoise family. The zoo announced the hatching of four critically endangered hatchlings born to the zoo's oldest residents: Female Mommy and male Abrazzo, both of whom are estimated to be around 100 years old. According to the zoo, Mommy is also the oldest first-time mom of her species. The first baby tortoise hatched on Feb. 27, and the animal care team is still monitoring eggs that could hatch in the coming weeks, said the Zoo. The hatchlings are set to make their public debut on April 23, which is the 93rd anniversary of Mommy's arrival at the Zoo. 'This is a significant milestone in the history of Philadelphia Zoo, and we couldn't be more excited to share this news with our city, region, and the world,' said Philadelphia Zoo President and CEO Dr. Jo-Elle Mogerman. 'Mommy arrived at the Zoo in 1932, meaning anyone that has visited the Zoo for the last 92 years has likely seen her. 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.' 'Emotional support' tigers seized from Nevada home 'At one point, each of the Galapagos Islands had its own unique subspecies of tortoise, but sadly, several of them are now extinct. These hatchlings not only protect the species from extinction but serve as important ambassadors to inspire guests to save wildlife and wild places,' said Philadelphia Zoo Vice President of Animal Well-Being and Conservation Rachel Metz. 'This is a monumental achievement for our animal care team that worked diligently to provide the right conditions for Mommy to lay her eggs and for the eggs to incubate and successfully hatch,' said Philadelphia Zoo Director of Herpetology and Birds Lauren Augustine. 'This feat is even more incredible considering that Mommy is the oldest first-time-producing female of her species in any U.S. zoo. Prior to the hatchlings, there were only 44 individual Western Santa Cruz Giant tortoises in all U.S. zoos combined, so these newest additions represent a new genetic lineage and some much-needed help to the species' population. We are excited to learn more about how we can replicate this success at other accredited zoos since the team in Philly has accomplished something that was seemingly impossible.' said Galapagos Tortoise SSP Coordinator and Studbook Keeper Ashley Ortega at Gladys Porter Zoo in Texas. Galapagos tortoises come from the Galapagos Islands off the coast of Ecuador. As the largest living species of tortoise, males can grow to be 500 pounds, while females average around 250 pounds. They are estimated to live from 100 to 200 years old. The Philadelphia Zoo is home to three adult Galapagos tortoises, Abrazzo, Mommy, Little Girl, and four hatchlings. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
97-year-old Galápagos tortoise becomes first-time mom
At 97 years old, Mommy is the Philadelphia Zoo's oldest resident. But despite her name, the critically endangered Galápagos tortoise has only just become a mother—and set a world record in the process. According to the Zoo's April 3 announcement, Mommy and her nonagenarian partner Abrazzo recently welcomed four new hatchlings into the world. Prior to their new tiny tortoises, Mommy and Abrazzo were two of only 44 Western Santa Cruz Giant tortoises in US zoos. Mommy is now one of the most genetically valuable tortoises in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' (AZA) Species Survival Plan and the oldest first-time mother of her kind. 'Mommy arrived at the Zoo in 1932, meaning anyone that has visited the Zoo for the last 92 years has likely seen her,' said Philadelphia Zoo President and CEO Jo-Elle Mogerman. '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.' The Galápagos once hosted 15 unique tortoise species across seven of its islands. After centuries of human exploitation, two of the 15 species are now extinct, while the rest range from critically endangered to vulnerable. Galápagos tortoises are the largest tortoises in the world, with males regularly weighing 500 pounds and the females averaging about half that. The cold-blooded reptiles spend a couple hours each day sunbathing and another 8 to 9 hours either snacking or shuffling around at their famously slow pace. Their laidback lifestyle and genetics (as well as a lack of native predators) allow Galápagos tortoises to regularly reach 100 to 200 years of age. It took multiple attempts for Mommy to reach the milestone moment. She has laid three clutches since 2023, none of which resulted in viable eggs. In November 2024, she laid 16 billiard ball-sized eggs that she then buried in the sand. Galápagos tortoise sex is determined by the temperature at which they incubate—anything below 82.4 degrees Fahrenheit results in males, while anything above 85.1 degrees Fahrenheit produces females. To help guide the chances for increased genetic diversity, the Zoo's reptile and amphibian team made sure to resituate Mommy's clutch so that half would be male and half female if they all hatched. Individual eggs can take anywhere from four to eight months to hatch, and the first of the new quartet arrived on February 27. 'This is a monumental achievement for our animal care team that worked diligently to provide the right conditions for Mommy to lay her eggs and for the eggs to incubate and successfully hatch,' said Lauren Augustine, the Philadelphia Zoo's director of herpetology and birds. 'Until now, Mommy's genes were not represented in the AZA population, making these offspring extremely important in the protection of this species.' The four hatchlings will spend the next few weeks under the care and observation of the Zoo's team of experts before making their public debut on April 23. Visitors will have at least five years to swing by and say hello before they potentially move to different facilities, where they will hopefully help usher in more generations of the critically endangered animal.
