Baby tortoises as small as golfballs hatch in Chester Zoo

Look at the little lads there.

Two baby tortoises the size of golfballs have just hatched in Chester Zoo. The endangered radiated tortoises from Madagascar hatched in the zoo after an incubation period of 100 days. They are the first tortoises of their kind to be hatched at the zoo in over seven years. Chester Zoo announced the delightful news on their Twitter page today, saying that there was now "two reasons to shellebrate."

Two reasons to shellebrate! ??

These tiny tortoises have hatched at #TheZoo after an incubation of 100 days. They are radiated tortoises - a species listed as critically endangered in the wild. pic.twitter.com/a74aXvphAd — Chester Zoo (@chesterzoo) February 26, 2019

18 million radiated tortoises are thought to have been lost from Madagascar over a 30 year period. Over time, the tortoises have been poached, hunted, and illegally sold to the point of extinction. Chester Zoo said that they worked to hatch the baby tortoises in a bid to counteract the devastation that has been happening in their homeland. "These babies emerged from eggs laid by mum, Smoothsides," they said. "They're the same size as golf balls but they'll grow to up to half a metre in length!" Ben Baker, Chester Zoo’s team manager of herpetology, said that hatching isn't always so easy for radiated tortoises and that they often have to "battle" their way out of the hard eggshells. "They use a special egg tooth to cut the shell open from inside – it’s a bit like an in-built tin opener," he explained. “Happily, two radiated tortoises have hatched successfully and we’re ever so pleased as this is a seriously threatened species.” https://twitter.com/chesterzoo/status/1100386463257149440 Once they are old enough, the two baby tortoises will join the other adult tortoises in their habitat. Four male and six female tortoises are already living there. “It’s vitally important that we promote the conservation of species in Madagascar by engaging local people," said Baker, "as well as ensuring that there are protected areas of forest where they can be safe."