Zoo Finally Welcomes 41 Hatchlings After Two Decades of Waiting for Endangered Rare Turtles to Breed —San Diego

San Diego Zoo now has 41 hatchlings of the rare endangered turtles after a two-decade wait for their captive reptiles to be old enough to breed.

The rare and endangered turtle species has finally laid eggs at the San Diego Zoo after only twenty years. The arrival of 41 hatchling Indian narrow-headed softshell turtles was announced by zoo officials on Monday.

For 20 years, the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance's conservationists kept a close eye on three adult turtles for any signs of breeding.

Zoo officials said that given that the turtles can take up to ten years to even reach sexual maturity, this is a very drawn-out process.

Additionally, it can be challenging to locate a nest because reptiles are known to choose nighttime when laying their eggs and later cover them with soil or sand.

Two Nests, 41 Eggs

Over the course of the summer, two nests containing 41 eggs were discovered.

According to officials, the alliance is now the first recognized conservation organization throughout North America to successfully hatch the critically endangered Indian narrow-headed softshell turtles.

Kim Gray, the San Diego Zoo curator, said that They are experiencing an exhilarating moment at the San Diego Zoo, and this is a huge step toward the conservation of this species, FOX News reports.

Narrow-Headed Softshell Turtle

The turtles are a sizable species that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent and are also known as narrow-headed softshell turtles or Chitra indica. In the northern parts of India, Bangladesh, and Nepal, they are discovered at the bottom part of deep rivers and streams.

South Asia is home to a sizable population of Chitra indica. It is present in the river systems of Bangladesh, Malaysia, Pakistan, Nepal, and Myanmar. Although widespread, distribution can also be erratic and constrained. This could be a result of both its particular habitat needs and its large body size.

Rivers of average to large size, with low turbidity, and preferably with sandy bottoms, are the ideal habitat for Chitra indica. In these rivers' sandy sediment, Chitra indica will burrow itself, spending the majority of the day immersed. Sand or sandy loam beaches are necessary for females to build nests and lay eggs.

Laying Eggs

The growth of Chitra indica has not received much research. Following the laying of a clutch of eggs, incubation typically lasts 40-70 days at 25.5-36 degrees Celsius before emergence. Juveniles grow at an unpredictable rate from the moment they emerge until the end of their lives. The prospect of a temperature-dependent determination of sex in this species has not been studied. But according to earlier research, other soft-shell turtles are not affected by temperature when determining their sexes.

Little is known about Chitra indica's reproductive habits because of its reclusive nature. However, to dig cavities and lay clutches of eggs, females must travel to sandy beaches.