Five Tortoises Make Beardsley Zoo Their Summer Home

BRIDGEPORT, CT — The Beardsely Zoo is getting some new summer tenants. Five new Spur-Thigh Tortoises are making their way to the zoo for the summer this year. The tortoises are the largest of all mainland tortoises and are the third largest species in the world.

“Attendance at the Zoo soars each summer, so it’s a great time to bring such special animals here as our temporary guests,” said Zoo Director Gregg Dancho in a statement. “Tortoises also love summer heat, and the spur thigh tortoise is particularly well-adapted to hot temperatures. Also there is the educational message that these wonderful animals do not make good pets! Make wise not wild choices!"

The new visitors will be at the zoo until Aug. 1.

The tortoises will ram each other and are known to push and knock over very heavy objects. They move slow to conserve energy and dig burrows in the ground for shelter.

They are able to go weeks without food, and mainly eat grasses and leaves of desert scrub. They are listed as vulnerable, due to habitat loss and over collection for the pet trade.

Images via the Beardsley Zoo