Five Burmese star tortoises hatched two months ago at the Knoxville Zoo in Tennessee.  They are due to be displayed this spring.

Burmese star tortoises are classified as critically endangered, nearing extinction in the wild due to deforestation and poaching.

The zoo worked in conjunction with the Turtle Survival Alliance to develop successful incubation periods for the tortoises. As one of only four AZA zoos to hatch these endangered tortoises, the Knoxville Zoo will share their successful incubation techniques with other AZA organizations in order to propogate the species.

For more info:
WBIR.com
Knoxville Zoo

Tags: Baby Animals, burmese star tortoise, endangered animals

This entry was posted on Thursday, January 29th, 2009 at 12:26 pm and is filed under Animal News, Animal Photos, Baby Animals, Conservation, Endangered Species, Zoos and Aquariums. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.