The Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden has announced the birth of five new Volcán Alcedo giant tortoises. The OKC Zoo is the only AZA-accredited zoo in the U.S. to breed this Galápagos tortoise species.
"We have five hatchlings out of the incubator," said Katie Porth, the zoo's Senior Herpetology Caretaker. "There are eleven extant species of Galápagos tortoises, and we're the only AZA-accredited zoo in the U.S. with a breeding group of Volcán Alcedo giant tortoises."
Volcán Alcedo giant tortoises (Chelonoidis vandenburghi) are native to the Alcedo Volcano area in the central part of Isabela Island, the largest of the Galápagos Islands.
The zoo cares for four adult Volcán Alcedo giant tortoises, aged 80 to 120 years—females Miss B, Isabela (Isa), and Ellie, and male Max—ensuring the hatchlings are from the same subspecies. The Zoo is part of the AZA’s Species Survival Plan® program, which recommended breeding Max with the females.
"Welcoming these hatchlings is monumental considering Max, at 80, is a 'late bloomer,'" Porth said. "Max showed interest but didn’t know what he was doing. We were getting good unfertilized eggs but no fertilized ones."
Porth and her team trained Max using positive reinforcement to ensure proper fertilization.
"The next issue was properly burying the eggs," Porth noted. "As birds build nests, Volcán Alcedo giant tortoises dig holes to lay and cover their eggs. We adjusted the substrate in the enclosure to help with this. Once laid, the eggs were moved to an incubator where they hatch in four to eight months."
The hatchlings will live in a new habitat inside the Zoo’s Herpetarium, visible to guests. Currently palm-sized, they will take 10 to 15 years to grow to football size, Porth mentioned.
Galápagos tortoises do not parent their young, so the hatchlings are kept separate from the adults to ensure proper development. Their sex will not be known for 10 to 15 years, as they mature sexually between 20 and 25 years old. In captivity, these tortoises can live up to 200 years. Miss B, the zoo’s oldest tortoise, is estimated to be between 115 and 140 years old.
2024 marks Max's 50th year at the Zoo. Visitors can see Max and the other adults at the Galápagos tortoise habitat in the Children’s Zoo.
Wildlife enthusiasts can participate in a Galápagos tortoise Wild Encounter for $50 per person ($45 for ZOOfriends members). Visit okczoo.org/plan_your_visit#WE for details.
The new hatchlings can be seen in the Zoo’s Herpetarium. The Oklahoma City Zoo is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with the last entry at 4 p.m. Through Labor Day, the Zoo opens at 8:30 a.m. for ZOOfriends with current memberships.
Buy advance tickets at okczoo.org/tickets to avoid lines. Admission is $16 for adults and $13 for children ages 3-11 and seniors 65+. Children two and under are free.
