Auckland Zoo is celebrating the arrival of a baby Galapagos tortoise, a first for New Zealand.
The tiny tortoise weighed in at just 60 grams when it hatched out of a billiard ball-sized egg on December 30, and its hatching was captured on video by the zoo.
The tortoise is the offspring of first-time parents, mum Chippie aged 47, and dad Smiley, 46 - still youngsters themselves in Galapagos tortoise years.
Auckland Zoo has now become only the second zoo in Australasia to breed this species.
As the world's largest tortoise, if this hatchling is a male, he will grow up to 4000 times in body-mass to reach more than 250kg - a quarter of a tonne - and if female to over 2,500 times and could live for over 150 years.
When the eggs were laid in the ground by female Chippie over four months ago, the zoo's ectotherms team excavated them for incubation in a controlled environment to ensure their best chance of survival.
“We hope to see increasing success with higher rates of fertility among future clutches
While the sex of the new arrival won't be known for quite a few years, its incubation at 30 degrees Celsius is likely to mean it will be female.
Curator Richard Gibson has observed these tortoises in their native Galapagos Islands and at Auckland Zoo.
"These island giants are extraordinary creatures whose story of tragic plunder and decimation, followed by modern understanding of their plight and gradual recovery, has much in common with many New Zealand species," Mr Gibson said.
"The redevelopment of our tortoise enclosure two years ago provided us with a fantastic and much larger climate-controlled indoor area and the capacity to hold two males separately, enabling us to welcome back our second male Willy from Ti Point Reptile Park," he said.
"Willy's return has most certainly been a great stimulant to Smiley as a male competitor, and we hope to see increasing success with higher rates of fertility among future clutches."
While Zoo visitors are not yet able to see New Zealand's first baby Galapagos tortoise, in the next few weeks the zoo's ectotherms team will be looking to move it from its off-display facility and into a viewable enclosure at the zoo's Galapagos tortoise house.
Meanwhile, Auckland Zoo will be soon be giving the public the opportunity to name its treasured first Galapagos tortoise hatchling through an online voting competition.
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