The three radiated tortoises at the Zoo were hatched in 1994 at the Bronx Zoo before they came to the Seneca Park Zoo. Since they came from the Bronx, the largest is named Yankee, the smallest is Jeter and the one with the flattened back part of his shell is A-Rod. The Zoo’s radiated tortoises are taken outside at least once a week in the summer. They love to eat the grass, especially the clovers, and enjoy being in the sun.
Status in the Wild
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List status: Endangered. These tortoises are in trouble due to loss of habitat, poaching for food and exploitation in the pet trade. The Seneca Park Zoo is part of the Species Survival Plan to aid the recovery of the radiated tortoise.
Radiated tortoises make their home in Southern Madagascar in dry scrub forests and woodlands.
These tortoises are herbivores, eating grasses, fruit and succulent plants such as cacti.