The college says the species has rarely been bred in captivity.
Dalton State College in Georgia announced that its Dalton State Turtle Assurance Colony has successful bred serrated hinge-back tortoises (Kinixys erosa) in captivity.
“We are very excited about these new hatchlings,” Dr. Randall Griffus, dean of the School of Science, Technology, and Mathematics said in a news item released by Dalton State College. “We are proud of our students who work with the tortoises, as well as Chris Manis, and Dr. John Lugthart, who assists with the colony. These tortoises are a testament to their knowledge and dedication.”
The colony was established two years ago as part of the Turtle Survival Alliance, which works to ensure the conservation of turtle species around the world.
“This is rarely done with this species,” said Chris Manis, a part-time instructor in natural sciences and a research associate at the college. “I only know of one or two successes prior to this.”
The eggs of the reptile were incubated for five months, and the breeding pair came from Africa.
“The parent tortoises were originally from the Democratic Republic of the Congo so they’re a rainforest species that prefers a dim canopy cover,” Manis said in a news item put out by the college. “We are among the first to successfully breed these.”
Not a lot is known about the serrated hinge-back tortoise. It is not yet listed under the IUCN due to data deficiency on the species. It is said to have a natural range that includes northern Angola throughout the Congo basin and as far west as Senegal.
