And Then There Were Three...

• Posted at 3:39 pm on April 09, 2009 by Jungle Jeanne
• In Animals & Exhibits Comments: 5

Three hatchlings, that is. It's that time of year again - time for the announcement of a newly-hatched Northern spider tortoise. It happened in March 2007. It happened in March 2008. And, yes, it happened again this year. Read more about the Zoo's third success (in as many years) in hatching this critically endangered subspecies.

The yearly hatching of Northern spider tortoises is becoming routine for reptile keeper Brad Poynter. In 2007, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo became the second North American zoo to hatch a Northern spider tortoise (Pyxis arachnoids brygooi) and the first to do it under artificial light (read the press release). And in 2008, we had a repeat success with a hatchling on St. Patrick's Day (read that press release). The response was so great that we also produced a short video for The Roar Report to give you a better look at our first two hatchlings and meet their keeper (watch video).

And now, another year has passed, and we're happy to announce the arrival of yet another hatchling. The third baby, hatched in The RainForest on March 22, 2009, adds another member to one the largest populations of Northern spider tortoises in the country. Thanks to keeper Brad Poynter, I had the opportunity to take exclusive photos of this tiny tortoise, along with the 1- and 2-year olds:

New hatchling in keeper's hand:

Next to a quarter:

Three spider tortoises, from left to right: 0, 1 and 2 years old:

A final shot - of our first hatchling from 2007: