Which Endangered Animal Recently Became a Father at 90?

Earlier this year, the oldest animal at the Houston Zoo became a father for the first time.

Mr. Pickles, a radiated tortoise, has been a zoo resident for 36 years and has lived with the appropriately-named Mrs. Pickles, 53, for around 27 years. The 90-year-old Mr. Pickles had never sired any offspring until a zookeeper discovered the female tortoise digging a hole and laying some eggs last October.

The three eggs were moved to the Reptile & Amphibian House, where they were placed in more hospitable conditions and carefully tended by zoo staff. When they hatched in February, the three adorable hatchlings were named Dill, Gherkin, and Jalapeño.

Once incredibly abundant, radiated tortoises are native to Madagascar, where they live in a variety of habitats, from sand dunes and plateaus to scrubland and dry forests. They have become critically endangered largely because of the illegal pet trade and loss of habitat due to mining and unsustainable agricultural practices. Their very occasional reproductive rate means that their population has little chance to recover in the face of such pressures.

Welcome to the family, little pickles: