Turtle Hatchlings Welcomed At OKC Zoo

The Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden has welcomed five Yucatan box turtle hatchlings and a female Mang Mountain pit viper to the Herpetarium.

Only discovered in 1989, Mang Mountain pit vipers are incredibly rare, among the largest vipers in the world, and masters of disguise. The species’ brown and green coloring makes the perfect camouflage for moving around the forest; even their eyes are skillfully hidden almost to the point of being indistinguishable from the rest of their body. 

Five Yucatan box turtle hatchlings (two arrived in July, three in August) are currently viewable in the Herpetarium’s “Nur-SSS-ery”. Turtles are the most endangered group of vertebrates in the world, with populations across the globe declining as a result of harvesting by humans for pet and food markets. Yucatan box turtles are native to a small area of the Yucatan Peninsula with total population numbers thought to be less than 10,000. That number decreases every year due to habitat loss and illegal collection for the pet trade worldwide.

Slither, crawl, walk or run to the Herpetarium at the OKC Zoo to see what’s new!