Too much cuteness is herein contained.
This Wednesday was the best Tortoise Day in the history of such events. Spring is here, and the breeding projects staff have worked for are coming to fruition.
Baby Indian Star tortoise. Notice anything about the neighboring egg?
I got to hold this baby. It was still sticky from the egg. I am in awe of these tiny little creatures.
Too much cuteness! Too much!
The hatching process is called “Pipping,” and it can take days. The babies break through the egg with a little egg tooth on the end of their nose. Once they have broken through, they sit and ponder the universe while absorbing the remains of the yolk sac that has nourished them for months.
Come on out! It's a big, beautiful world out here!
We see you in there!
I like your hat!
Just hatched. Notice how its carapace is flat at the back from being squished up in the egg!
A little bit of tortoise trivia: tortoises have belly buttons as hatchlings.
Baby tortoises have a belly button from being attached to their yolk sac. It will disappear over time.
I went back to the zoo on Thursday to try again for some pics that didn’t work out, and two more babies were ready to meet the world.
Technically still in the egg, right?
And who is this special one? Stay tuned.
Coming soon to a Nearly Wordless Wednesday near you!
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UPDATE: As of now, we have raised $1400 for desks and benches for the school in Madagascar. Only $600 to go! Thank you for your help in spreading the word on this project that will change children’s lives. If you missed the post, you can find it here.
Becoming Cliche 
Madagascar holds a special place in our hearts in this house. My husband is keeper at Duke Lemur Center. He helps care for the largest population of lemurs outside of Madagascar. Our dream is to be able to visit the island and see the lemurs in their natural habitat. If you are ever in our area, let me know, we will take you on a tour!
That sounds great! I may take you up on your offer!
My new saying, “You are cuter than the belly button on a baby tortoise!” Loooooooove this post!! I will be staring at these pics all day long!!!
I knew you’d love them. The baby wearing a piece of its shell on its little head gets me. More pics soon.
They are perfectly adorable!
Aren’t they the cutest things?!
So dear! I love the teeny tiny toenails on them!
I know. Everything about them is so tiny and perfect and precious!
I can not get over how absofreakinglutely adorable these are! omgosh, seriously. Showing oldest son now!
Two of MY kids haven’t seen the pics yet.
Tortoise belly buttons! That’s so freaking adorable. Who knew?
I didn’t know about the belly buttons until a few months ago. So cute! And they shrink over time.
Tortoise belly buttons?! That is the best thing I have heard all day.
It sounds like a children’s book, doesn’t it? Tortoise Belly buttons. Or maybe a band.
So cute! My nick name was Turtle when I was a child because I liked them so much. Now I move like one of them…go figure. 😉
Another cool thing about tortoises is that they live for, like, ever. LOOOONG lifespans.
OK, so you were right about the cuteness factor. I will have to show this to my daughter later on. She wants to geta turtle as a pet.
They can live for 80 years, depending on the species. And they’re expensive to keep and not always legal. They are often more responsive to people than you might think, though.
And heavens, the babies can be so cute!
love it! they’re so cute (plus turtles are my favorite!)
They’re so adorable, and little, and sweet!!
Cant wait to show the kids! ….the belly button !!!!!
How do you resist sneaking them home in your lunchbox ?
It is not easy! I could fit the whole clutch in my jacket pocket.
But I don’t! I have to add this just in case my supervisor ever reads my blog. I don’t steal the tortoises! I don’t!
Oops, sorry, right now you know someone is on the phone “Count the babies !”
I know if I volunteered in a place like that they would have to frisk me on the way out. (& I wouldnt blame them)
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Your user name doesn’t take me to your blog. How weird! It takes me to the topics page.
that is the most adorable thing! love the pics, and am hugely jealous of the experience, of watching and handling baby turtles!
It really is as fun as it looks!
Having cuteness overload from baby tortoise belly buttons…must watch Dr. Phil or something equally grotesque to counter it.
A little Jerry Springer or a presidential primary debate ought to do it.
So adorable! I could just eat ’em up! And I’m practically a vegetarian so believe me that I meant that figuratively. Thanks for sharing this as most people would never witness it otherwise.
Belly button!
Absolutely amazing! Thank you for sharing. I love tortoises.
I love them, too! They are just incredible creatures.
That is the coolest! I’m pretty over baby humans (spit-up and all…) but man, those little guys are just cute as can be.
No spit up with baby tortoises. Although they do poop in their bath nearly every time.
Great pictures. I’ve always wanted to see sea turtles hatching and migrating back to the water.
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Ahh these are adorable!!
So much cuteness in one place may topple the world as we know it!
I am going to show these to my students! They will be completely entranced by tortoise bellybuttons!
That is so COOL! And I’m fascinated by the belly buttons.
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Wow, cute and fascinating! I have to agree that the tortoise bellybuttons win the Best Fact Ever award.
I have always been impressed by the persistence shown by these little creatures in the hatching process…I got to attend a nighttime sea turtle hatching and it was an awe-inspiring experience.
Thanks so much for sharing these!
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