Giant tortoise

Shellshocked! Giant tortoise sets the pace for her 45 babies... but who's the daddy?

It is hard enough looking after one child, but this giant tortoise has to keep up with a mammoth brood of 45. The African Sulcata - one of the largest species of tortoise in the world - laid the eggs in two clutches at Linton Zoo in Cambridgeshire. Mother Kali, an African name meaning 'energetic', had her children in March and April and they are now about four inches long. But adult Sulcatas are the largest species of mainland tortoise and can grow to between 24 and 36 inches (60-90cm), weighing up to 14-and-a-half stone. They are the third largest species of tortoise in the world, second only to the Galapagos and the Aldabra. But the mystery of who fathered the crowd of children is an even weightier problem, as there are four adult males at the 18 acre wildlife park they call home. Zoo spokeswomen Dawny Greenwood has simply been battling to get the tiny tortoises to look at the camera at the same time - a problem many parents will find familiar. She said: 'Getting these newly hatched all looking the same way proved to be an impossible task.  'Babies are not normally kept loose in the paddock with the adults, but enjoy the comfort and safety of nice warm vivariums with UV and Infra-red lamps, but we wanted to try to get a nice family portrait. 'The Sulcata giant tortoises have always featured highly with us, our herd of six breeding adults average around 40 years old and they are all ex-pets.  'One has travelled the world with its former owner having been rescued as a hatchling from children using him as قa football in Mauritania, Africa.

بالصـــــور ... السحلفاة كالي تنجب 45 صغيرا

من الصعب بما فيه الكفاية حضانة  طفل واحد ، فما بالكم بتلك السلحفاة التي تحتضن 45 سلحفاة صغيرة حيث وضعت السلحفاة كالي بيضها في حديقة لينتون الإفريقية للحيوانات في كامبريدجشاير  . كالي إسم السلحفاة الإفريقي الذي يعني الحيوية والنشاط , فقد وضعت صغارها في شهري  مارس وإبريل الماضيين حيث بلغ طول صغارها حينذاك حوالي 4 إنشات , وتعد هذه النوعيات من أكبر السلاحف البرية ندرة في العالم حيث يصل طولها عند البلوغ من 24 إلى 36 إنش ويصل وزنها إلى 14 كيلو جرام كما تعتبر هذة النوعية ثالث أكبر السلاحف تعميراً في العالم .