Goliath, a Galápagos tortoise living at Zoo Miami, recently marked two significant milestones: his first Father’s Day and his 135th birthday.
His first offspring hatched on June 4 after an incubation period of about four months, making it the first Galápagos tortoise hatchling ever born at Zoo Miami. Although previous breeding attempts with other females were unsuccessful, Goliath successfully mated with Sweet Pea, the mother of the hatchling.
Zoo officials noted that in the wild, tortoise hatchlings are fully independent from birth, and parents do not provide care. The new hatchling has been moved from the incubator to a separate enclosure, where it is reportedly active and healthy.
Weighing nearly 600 pounds, Goliath has lived at Zoo Miami for 43 years, following 52 years at another zoo.
The zoo has submitted applications to the Guinness World Records to recognize Goliath as the “Oldest First-Time Father in History,” and both him and Sweet Pea as the “Oldest First-Time Parents in History.”
This event follows similar milestones elsewhere. In April, four Galápagos tortoise hatchlings were born at another zoo, with both parents also becoming first-timers at nearly 100 years old.
Interesting facts about Galápagos tortoises:
Native to the Galápagos Islands off the coast of Ecuador.
Females can lay up to 20 eggs, roughly the size of billiard balls.
The incubation temperature determines the sex: lower temperatures produce females; higher ones result in males.
Hatching takes between four to eight months.
Adult males can weigh around 500 pounds, while females typically weigh 250 pounds.
They can live between 100 and 200 years in the wild or in captivity.
