In yesterday’s post, I featured photos of two tiny bog turtle babies. They are roughly the size of a June beetle and hide like you wouldn’t believe, so I was delighted to be able to photograph them this young. As promised, I’ve got some other tortoise-y cuteness to start your weekend with.
For starters, here’s our newest hatchling.
That’s a bit of egg shell on its carapace. A brand new hatchling.
It’s a Pyxis arachnoides brygooi, or Northern Spider tortoise, one of the species of dwarf tortoises from Madagascar. The breeding program at our zoo is top notch. This is the ninth brygooi to hatch this year, and the 28th overall. Not too shabby considering that the first successful hatching in the entire country didn’t occur until six years ago. And you guessed it. That first hatching occurred at our zoo.
Because everyone loves a belly button image. Look at that little face!
And now an update on a pair we’ve been following for awhile. It’s Nash and Navi! The link takes you to the day that they hatched, way back in February.
They have really grown, but they’d still fit in my pocket. If I was so inclined. And if they wouldn’t pee on me.
Back in July, the pair weighed 52 grams combined. That’s the equivalent of about 17 American pennies. Nash was the bigger of the two by about 2 grams. Today, they tip the scales at 30 grams each! Navi was the tiniest of all the Indian Star hatchlings, but she has caught up. I wonder if she’ll pass her sister.
She looks like she’s been dining on powdered sugar doughnuts. It’s calcium powder, good for building a strong shell.
To get an idea of her size, that’s a clover bloom on her right.
And one more friend before we go.
Pyxis arachnoides oblonga, the Southern Spider Tortoise. This one is my current favorite in the collection. Because I can play favorites if I want to.
Happy Friday, friends. If you’d like more tortoise updates in the future, be sure to say so in the comments. Someone I know doubts that people enjoy my tortoise posts as much as I do.
Becoming Cliche 
They are ADORABLE….
Aren’t they? I heart them so much!
Careful they don’t find out you play favorites, or one will feel slighted and start hanging out with the salamanders.
And we all know how that ends.
It ends badly. I know. I need to quit playing faves.
GIVE US MORE TORTOISES! Is that a subtle enough hint?
I think…I can discern…what you are saying…You kind of like tortoises a little bit? Right?
YAY! OH, they are SO CUTE!
Seriously. I just want to stick them in my pocket.
I love your turtle posts! Bring ’em on!
Yay! Thank you!
I love me some tortoise posts!
Oh, good! Because I love doing them!
I look forward to all your posts!
Thanks, Buff!
They are adorable!! I can see why they’re your favorite. Yes, please more updates and posts on the tortoises – love seeing them grow!
It’s amazing how much they change as they grow. At least in my eyes!
Amazing! So Cute!!
I’m so glad I’m not the only one who finds them appealing!
To me, what’s even better than the tortoises is your obvious delight in and respect for the critters. Keep ’em coming!
They really are amazing creatures. And it’s such a gift to get to work with them.
I just want to talk babytalk to them because they’re so stinkin’ cute. Would that offend them?
They eat their own poo. I doubt a little baby talk would bug them.
I love your tortoise posts.
❤ I will write them just for you!
Very cute. Three cheers for tortoise updates!
Then updates you shall have!
Who doesn’t think we love tortoises? They are wrong wrong wrong! WE LOVE TORTOISES!!! They are all kinds of awesome!
I told said person that they are badly wrong. He/she rolled eyes at me.
You know what.. it never occured to me that a turtle would PEE on me. i may have to rethink their addition to the farmy .. c
They only pee on you if you pick them up and put them in your pocket. Or pick them up in general, really.
Oh no pocket turtles then! Good oh! c
OMG that is so CUTE. We’ve had several turtles and tortoises. My husband adores them, but isn’t so hot on remembering to take care of them. It’s like having another child. Can I have one mom, pleeeze? Still, they are fun little guys.
And the live for-EVER! Like 50-100 years or more, depending on the species. I’m so grateful I get my tortoise fix at the zoo! Otherwise my house would be more of a zoo than it is!
Maybe I should make my husband work at a zoo.
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First order of business, as a bona fide Maryland Terrapin, I am in favor of tortoise updates.
Second order of business, that post title was so great I would have clicked on the reader link even if there weren’t tortioise pictures.
Third order of business . . .uh. . . that’s it. Good day. 🙂
tortoise, not tortioise (ugh!)
BC: For some reason the formatting of the pics of your adorable torts are so small that they are indiscernable. I think it is WordPress messing with something (happens to me sometimes), but it is definitely causing problems with your wonderful pics on this end. You might have to reinstate your pics. I’ll check back later. ET
Seriously? That’s terrible because I can’t get them any bigger. They’re full size. Let me see what I can do.
Try making them medium instead. That is what I’ve done when mine have discumbobulated and it seems to solve the problem. Good luck!
Who knew baby turtles were so cute?
Thanks for sharing.
They may just be the cutest baby animal in the entire animal kingdom! I love their combination of tiny little bodies and little-old-men faces.
I like the tortoise updates contrary to what your friend is telling you.
Thank you! I will stick my tongue out at him/her.
These are adorable!! And so tiny! I wasn’t familiar with this species before.
They are SO tiny! Growing fast, though.
More turtle updates please! It’s too bad they are so rare – I’d love to have a teeny turtle like that. I’d keep him in my pocket all the time even if he did pee. I might be susceptible to extreme cuteness which is why my kids are still alive. 😀
I am a tortoise lover and I have a couple of question need to ask about Star and Spider tortoise. Could you give me a response to my personal email? Thank you!!!
I love questions! Why not post it here? Other readers may have the same questions. If I don’t know the answer, I’ll ask the guys at the zoo.