Keepers at West Midland Safari Park welcomed a tiny new addition earlier this month — a baby pancake tortoise.
The little one, who hatched on 3rd July and is a first for the park, has been named Finn and is about the size of a 50 pence coin.
The pancake tortoise is known for being slow to reproduce and has a very lengthy incubation period. Finn’s mum and dad arrived from Amsterdam a few years ago and the new hatchling has been eagerly anticipated ever since.
The new arrival will play a big part in the conservation of the species as the reptiles are currently classified as vulnerable due to habitat loss and over-harvesting for the pet trade.
In the wild, pancake tortoises inhabit dry areas with rocky outcrops in the mountains of Kenya and Tanzania. Their diet would usually offer grass and the occasional treat of fallen fruit, although Finn can expect vegetation from courgettes to dandelions at the park.
Steve Slater, Deputy Head of the Discovery Trail said, “The keepers excitedly opened the incubator after waiting many weeks and were completely shell shocked to discover this little but very important find — the very first baby of this species at West Midland Safari Park.
“The pancake tortoise is a species of flat-shelled tortoise, in the family ‘Testudinidae’. Its common name refers to the flat shape of its shell. Unlike other tortoises, the shell on a pancake tortoise is actually flexible making them lighter and speedier than other tortoises. The biggest threat to pancake tortoises is habitat destruction and being taken for the pet trade. Due to its vulnerable status, they are now the subject of a breeding programme in European zoos, which ours are a part of.”
For further information and to visit West Midland Safari Park go to www.wmsp.co.uk
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