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For tortoise, terrapin and turtle care and conservation

A Rare Event

On the 16th September 2015 we had a great surprise, A Hermann's hatchling (Testudo hermanni boettgeri) emerged from the egg and turned out to be albino. This is, in fact, a very rare event. Albinisme occurs in one in 20,000 humans, but in animals only one in a million. Every care is taken of the hatchling to make sure it can survive". The The Valley of the Tortoises Park management has promised a follow up on this event. See also the photograph with the albino baby below.

Albino Tortoise

(Editors note: In 1993 a BCG member in the Herts. region hatched an entire clutch of albino babies. There were four of them and the owner brought them along to our AGM to show us all. They were amazing and looked rather delicate. The matter was reported by our then "Testudo" Editor Dr June Chatfield: (Testudo Vol.3 No.5 (1993) with further notes in Vol.4 No.1 (1994) p.54) This archive material will be passed on to the Park for their information, together with another article: Vol.5 No.3 (2001) p.35 Martinez-Sylvestre, A & Soler. J "An amelanistic Hermann's Tortoise, Testudo hermanni from the Baleric islands (Spain).)

To view the article in The Times click here