Phoenix Zoo reptile keepers find a surprise baby box turtle
Aug 30, 2020, 5:30 AM
(Phoenix Zoo/Courtesy)
(Phoenix Zoo/Courtesy)
PHOENIX — Phoenix Zoo reptile keepers found something unexpected in an exhibit on Tuesday — an ornate box turtle hatchling.
The Zoo in a press release said the keepers were surprised to find the hatchling, which is about the size of a quarter, as the male turtle had not been with the females in over 18 months.
Female box turtles produce fertile clutches of eggs years after breeding with a male, according to the zoo, and typically egg incubation time is between 50 and 70 days from fertilization.
The zoo says it will take years to tell whether the hatchling is a boy or a girl.
The Phoenix Zoo remains closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, however, individuals can cruise the zoo inside a car during weekends in September.
