Washington, DC - The Smithsonian's National Zoo is showing
off the rare spider tortoise that hatched in the Reptile Discovery Center. The spider
tortoise was born on May 10 and staff have been watching it closely since then.
The birth marks the first time a spider tortoise has
hatched at the center. Zoo officials say spider tortoise eggs can be difficult
to hatch in human care "in part because they must be incubated, cooled,
and incubated again during the embryo's development."
The tortoise "appears to be thriving," according
to zoo officials, and they hope to have it on exhibit this summer. Right now,
zoo visitors can see a family group of adult male spider tortoises.
The sex of the two-week-old tortoise is unknown at this
time.
Spider tortoises are listed as critically endangered on the
International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened
Species, according to zoo officials. They are native to the forests and sandy
coastlines of Madagascar. Their populations have "declined by 80 percent
since 1970 and populations continue to dwindle due to habitat loss and wildlife
trafficking for the food and pet trade," according to zoo officials.
