Meet Mr. Pickles, the 90 Year Old Tortoise That Just Welcomed Three Hatchlings Into the World
Typically by the age of 30, it becomes harder for a woman to get pregnant but when it comes to this tortoise, apparently welcoming hatchlings at the age of 90 is completely normal.
A radiated tortoise that goes by the name of Mr. Pickles has recently introduced three small hatchlings to the world, how cute!
Mrs. Pickles, the tortoise who gave birth at the Houston Zoo in Texas and made Mr. Pickles a new father, was lucky a zookeeper was near by which made it possible for her eggs to hatch according to the zoo.
More specifically, a herpetology keeper noticed Mrs. Pickles laying her eggs during closing time which were recovered by the animal care team.
The eggs were then transferred to the Reptile and Amphibian House at the same zoo.
Mr. Pickles, currently the oldest animal at the zoo he resides in is also an endangered species, and has been together with Mrs. Pickles for 27 years.
Radiated tortoises like Mr. Pickles are commonly located in dry brushlands, thorn forests, and woodlands of southern Madagascar according to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo.
Females will typically lay between three to 12 eggs at a time and can live up to 50 years old.
However, illegal pet trades that collect and sell these tortoises have made their species endangered according to the Houston Zoo.
It’s even expected that at least 80% of their population over three generations will decrease because of habitat loss and exploitation according to The International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Mr. Pickles is an important tortoise because he plays a critical part when it comes to the conservation plan for his species in the United States.
Currently, he is considered to be the most genetically valuable radiated tortoise according to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan.
Mr. and Mrs. Pickles three new hatchlings have been named Dill, Gherkin, and Jalapeño!
“These little Pickles are a big ‘dill’ for radiated tortoise genetics as their father is the most genetically valuable radiated tortoise in The Association of Zoos and Aquariums,” Zoo officials said in a statement.
Zoo Officials
