Meet our new radiated tortoise pair

Meet our new radiated tortoises!

You might’ve noticed these fresh occupants of our ring-tailed lemur exhibit during a recent visit. The two radiated tortoises are sisters and both 18 years old. They came to Buffalo from the John L. Behler Chelonian Conservation Center in Ojai, California, where they were hatched.

Radiated tortoises are considered critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature due to habitat loss in their native Madagascar, poaching for their meat and the black market pet trade. The threat is to such a severe degree that the estimated numbers change by the day and the potential for a rapid decline and eventual extinction in the wild is at a critical point.

The Buffalo Zoo is proud to be a part of and support conservation efforts for these incredible animals, and we will continue to work to ensure the species can thrive well into the future.

The most noticeable feature on radiated tortoises is their brilliantly marked shell, featuring intricate star-type patterns of yellow and darker colors. Like many other tortoise species, they can live well beyond a century, with the oldest recorded radiated tortoise surviving to 188 years old.

While the tortoises will spend their time during warmer weather out with our ring-tailed lemurs, as the temperatures dip, they will then move back to our Amphibian and Reptile Center.

Make sure to say hello to our radiated tortoise sisters during your next Buffalo Zoo visit!