Galapagos tortoises Mommy and Abrazzo become parents 16 times over, Philadelphia Zoo announces

Maggie Prosser, The Philadelphia Inquirer on Aug 21, 2025

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PHILADELPHIA — Beloved nonagenarians Mommy and Abrazzo are parents once again.

Nine more western Santa Cruz Galapagos tortoises have hatched, the Philadelphia Zoo announced Wednesday. This is the couple’s second clutch, bringing their total number of offspring to 16.

The hatchlings mark a milestone for the 150-year-old institution: Herpetologists have twice successfully boosted the U.S. population of these critically endangered tortoises — a feat once thought to be nearly impossible.

“The story of Mommy, Abrazzo and their now 16 babies, has captured the imaginations of people around the world,” zoo president and CEO Jo-Elle Mogerman said in a statement. “It’s made us all think about what legacy means when it comes to conservation and protecting what is precious.”

Mommy, who is estimated to be in her late 90s, became the oldest known first-time mom of her species earlier this year. She had previously laid three unsuccessful clutches.

Those hatchlings — four of whom were named after characters from TV's "The Golden Girls" — were firsts for Mommy and Philadelphia and a rarity for zoos nationwide. Before this year, no Galapagos tortoises had been born at an accredited zoo since 2019, at the Riverbanks Zoo and Garden in South Carolina. Including this latest clutch, there are now 60 western Santa Cruz Galapagos tortoises across all zoos in the United States, according to the zoo.

“Galapagos tortoises, and many, many other critically endangered reptile and amphibian species, are in serious need of our help and attention,” said Rachel Metz, the Philly zoo’s vice president of animal well-being and conservation. “I hope these hatchlings inspire a new generation of herpetologists to work in zoos and continue the important work we are doing.”

Abrazzo came to Philadelphia from South Carolina in October 2020, as part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan program. The program is designed to help ensure the survival of the Galapagos tortoise through breeding. Galapagos tortoises, named after their native Pacific archipelago, are the largest living species of tortoise. Males can grow to be 500 pounds and females average about 250.

The zoo is soliciting donors to name one of the younglings, who could live to be older than 100, like its parents. Caregivers have already named some of the tortoises, many a nod to former zoo staff and famous tortoises and their caregivers.