Alex Trelinski
A GIANT Galapagos male turtle called Hermes has arrived as the latest guest at Bioparc Fuengirola.
There are 15 different subspecies of giant turtles and one of them is the chelonoidis niger– like Hermes- which is now sadly extinct in the wild.
He’s transferred from Barcelona Zoo and will live with two females- both aged 26.
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They are all young in turtle years with Hermes aged just 20 and weighing in at over 150 kilos.
Giant turtles can live well beyond the grand old age of 100- plus can hit 400 kilos.
They are 100% vegetarian and very easy to handle and train, as their caregivers make sure they are well and the vets carry out all the necessary check-ups such as blood tests or ultrasounds.
Through exercises, a bond of trust is created with the caregivers, allowing all the medical checks to be done successfully.
Since Hermes’ arrival, the team has made sure he is adapting well to his new surroundings and have monitored how he is blending in with his new lady companions.
Milagros Robledo, head of Herpetology at the Bioparc said: “We are still in the process of adaptation and observing his behaviour with the females.”
“He was separated on the first day, and afterwards it went well and, like all male turtles, he always tries to copulate!”
Bioparc Fuengirola has been working on turtle conservation projects since 2013 with the aim of reintroducing the chelonoidis niger species back into their natural environment.
