Tortoise hatchlings make their debut at the Philadelphia Zoo, and you can help name them
Their mother, Mommy, is now considered the oldest known first-time mother Galapagos tortoise in the world.
The Philadelphia Zoo’s newest residents are officially accepting visitors.
The zoo on Wednesday debuted its four female Western Santa Cruz Galapagos tortoise hatchlings, moving them to their public habitat for all to see for the first time. The occasion is something of a monumental one for the Philadelphia Zoo, which bred and hatched the baby tortoises in-house — a first in its 150-year history.
And in addition to being able to catch a glimpse of the hatchlings, Philadelphians can also help name them. Their forthcoming monikers have been put up to a vote on the zoo’s website, where you can choose among themed batches.
Among the options are the Philadelphia-themed names Liberty, Independence (or Indy for short), Betsy, and Belle. There’s also the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air package with Aunt Viv, Willie, Jazz, and Avery. And there’s the Golden Girls-themed set of Dorothy, Rose, Blanche, and Sophia. A fourth option includes Mary, Joan, Grace, and Hellen, after four notable female herpetologists.
While the still-unnamed hatchlings are not yet familiar to locals, their parents — Mommy and Abrazzo, the zoo’s oldest residents at around 100 years old — likely are. In fact, Mommy on Wednesday celebrated her 93rd anniversary at the zoo, having arrived in Philly way back in 1932. Abrazzo arrived in town in 2020, coming here from the Riverbanks Zoo and Garden in South Carolina on a breeding recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan program.
That program is designed to help ensure the survival of the Galapagos tortoise species, which is critically endangered. As a result, the zoo in a statement called its hatchlings “some of the most genetically valuable of their species” in the world.
In addition to being a first for the zoo, the hatchlings also marked a milestone for Mommy, who is now considered the oldest known first-time mother Galapagos tortoise in the world.
» READ MORE: Galapagos tortoise hatchlings arrive at the Philadelphia Zoo, and their mom sets a record
The hatchlings began to emerge in February, and came from Mommy’s fourth clutch of eggs since 2023, which she laid in November. That clutch included 16 eggs, and the zoo’s reptile and amphibian team incubated half of them as females and half as males (the sex of the babies is determined by the temperature at which they incubate).
The zoo’s animal care team continues to monitor other eggs from that clutch, and more hatchlings could arrive in the coming weeks, the zoo said in a statement.
The hatchlings will remain at the zoo for at least five years. But we won’t have to wait that long to find out their names — voting closes at 11:59 p.m. Sunday, and an announcement is expected via the zoo’s social media channels Monday.