Earlier this year, the oldest animal at the Houston Zoo became a father for the first time.
Mr. Pickles, a radiated tortoise, has been a zoo resident for 36 years and has lived with the appropriately-named Mrs. Pickles, 53, for around 27 years. The 90-year-old Mr. Pickles had never sired any offspring until a zookeeper discovered the female tortoise digging a hole and laying some eggs last October.
The three eggs were moved to the Reptile & Amphibian House, where they were placed in more hospitable conditions and carefully tended by zoo staff. When they hatched in February, the three adorable hatchlings were named Dill, Gherkin, and Jalapeño.
Once incredibly abundant, radiated tortoises are native to Madagascar, where they live in a variety of habitats, from sand dunes and plateaus to scrubland and dry forests. They have become critically endangered largely because of the illegal pet trade and loss of habitat due to mining and unsustainable agricultural practices. Their very occasional reproductive rate means that their population has little chance to recover in the face of such pressures.
Welcome to the family, little pickles:
- It is estimated that poachers take around 20,000 radiated tortoises from Madagascar each year to become pets or to be used for food.
- Fully-grown radiated tortoises are around 15 inches long and weigh around 23 pounds. They mostly eat grasses, succulents, and fruits.
- Radiated tortoises can live for 150 years, so perhaps Mr. and Mrs. Pickles have some time to grow their little family, though the upper reproductive age limit of a radiated tortoise is unknown.
