AP News: Four baby tortoises debut at Philadelphia Zoo, home to their nearly 100-year-old parents

AP PHOTOS: Four baby tortoises debut at Philadelphia Zoo, home to their nearly 100-year-old parents


Four baby Galapagos tortoises made their public debut Wednesday at the Philadelphia Zoo.

They are the offspring of the zoo’s oldest residents, a female named Mommy and a male named Abrazzo, a pair of critically endangered Galapagos tortoises who have become first-time parents at the age of roughly 100.

Mommy has been at the zoo since 1932 and is considered one of the most genetically valuable Galapagos tortoises in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ species survival plan. The zoo says she is also the oldest first-time mom of the Western Santa Cruz Galapagos species.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Interesting Facts: 5 Inventions That Started Out as Something Else

Image
  5 Inventions That Started Out as Something Else  Innovation doesn’t always follow a straight line. Some of history’s most famous inventions, including the microwave, were  born from accidents . Others, though not strictly accidental, ended up serving a completely different purpose than originally intended — such as the blood pressure medication that ended up becoming a famous hair loss remedy.  Silly String Silly String may be a nostalgic party staple now, but it was originally a medical product. In the 1960s, chemist Robert P. Cox and inventor Leonard A. Fish set out to create an instant spray-on cast for broken bones. During their experiments, which included testing upward of  500  different spraying vessels, they discovered the material could be sprayed in long, sticky strands from a certain pressurized can.  Play-Doh Anyone who’s cleaned Play-Doh out of carpet or picked up all its little crumbs knows how messy it can be, so it may come as a surpr...
Read more

Interesting Engineering: Self-repairing buildings? Engineers make living concrete in construction breakthrough

Image
  Self-repairing buildings? Engineers make living concrete in construction breakthrough The fungus species Neurospora shows potential in creating building materials with intricate internal structures and diverse architectural forms. A team of researchers has developed a living building material composed of fungal mycelium and bacterial cells capable of self-repairing and surviving for extended periods. Unlike conventional construction materials, this bio-based composite remains viable for weeks, opening up new possibilities for regenerative architecture. The scientists behind the project, based at Montana State University in the USA, say the material is produced at low temperatures and relies on living cells, making it a potentially groundbreaking solution for reducing the environmental impact of the construction industry. Note:  The above comes directly from their website.  Click here to read more.
Read more

HistoryFacts: 5 Surprising Facts About St. Patrick’s Day

Image
5 Surprising Facts About St. Patrick’s Day St. Patrick’s Day, celebrated on March 17 each year, is known for its parades, shamrocks, and a whole lot of green. It’s a day when people around the world embrace Irish culture — whether they have Irish heritage or not. But behind all the revelry, St. Patrick’s Day has a deep and fascinating history that goes far beyond the modern celebrations. Some of the traditions we associate with March 17th aren’t as old as you’d think, while others have surprising historical roots. Here are five intriguing facts about St. Patrick’s Day that might just change the way you see this beloved holiday. Credit: traveler1116/ DigitalVision Vectors via Getty Images Pubs Were Closed on St. Patrick’s Day Long before it became a worldwide celebration filled with traditional food, music, and pints of Guinness, St. Patrick’s Day was a quiet and solemn religious feast day in Ireland. For centuries, March 17 was dedicated to honoring St. Patrick’s role in bringing Chris...
Read more