A rare albino Galapagos tortoise has been born at the zoo in Servion, Switzerland.
This is the first time an albino Galapagos tortoise has been born in captivity. The albino tortoise is one of two hatchlings at the Tropiquarium zoo in Servion, Switzerland. The other tortoise has a dark color, and both were born as part of an effort by experts in Switzerland’s endangered species conservation program.
Close-up of the rare albino Galapagos tortoise recently born.
The Tropiquarium zoo has placed the albino tortoise in an area where visitors can admire it.
In a social media post sharing images of the newly hatched albino tortoise, a zoo representative noted that the small tortoise has pink-red eyes and a white-yellow shell, making it a new mascot for Switzerland. The sex of the hatchling has not yet been determined.
The albino tortoise hatched after nearly four months, following the mother tortoise laying five eggs on February 11. According to the zoo, this species has a low successful reproduction rate, and they are still waiting for the remaining eggs to hatch.
The Galapagos tortoise is an endangered species, with fewer than 15,000 individuals remaining in the world.
Conservation experts have conducted numerous breeding programs to increase the tortoise population. However, this is the first time they have recorded the birth of an albino tortoise.
The zoo representative stated: “This is the first time in the world that an albino Galapagos tortoise has been born in captivity. There have been no recorded sightings of albino Galapagos tortoises in the wild.”
Galapagos tortoises are very small at birth but can grow to weigh up to 400 kg as adults.
It is known that albino tortoises are much rarer compared to humans and many other species. One in every 20,000 people has albinism, while the ratio for tortoises is one in every 100,000.
At birth, tortoises typically weigh around 90 grams to less than 450 grams. As adults, Galapagos tortoises can weigh about 400 kg, have a shell length of approximately 1.8 meters, and can live up to 100 years in the wild. In captivity, Galapagos tortoises can live up to 177 years.
The Galapagos tortoise is one of the heaviest living reptiles in the world, originating from seven islands of the Galapagos archipelago, a volcanic archipelago located about 1,000 km west of the mainland of Ecuador.
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