In this image provided by Zoo Miami, Goliath, a 517-pound (234-kilogram) Galapagos tortoise at Zoo Miami, meets his first offspring on June 12, 2025 in Miami.
AP/Zoo Miami
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AP/Zoo Miami
Goliath the tortoise had a big shellebration Sunday as he marked his first Father’s Day.
He also turned 135 at Zoo Miami.
His hatchling was born on June 4 after incubating for about four months, becoming the first Galápagos tortoise hatchling born at Zoo Miami. Goliath had been matched with several female tortoises to breed, but the process had been unsuccessful until he mated with Sweet Pea, the hatchling’s mother.
But Goliath and Sweet Pea haven’t had much interaction with their baby.
“In the wild, hatchlings are on their own from the moment they emerge from the egg and the parents have no further connection to them,” the zoo said in a statement. “The hatchling appears to be healthy and has been removed from the incubator and placed in a separate enclosure where it is active and full of energy!”
Goliath, who weighs almost 600 pounds, has been at Zoo Miami for 43 years. Before, he lived at the Bronx Zoo for 52 years.
The zoo has submitted applications to Guinness Book of World Records that would make Goliath “The Oldest First-Time Father in History!” and him and Sweet Pea “The Oldest First-Time Parents in History!” the zoo said.
They have some company. In April, four Galápagos tortoise hatchlings were born at the Philadelphia Zoo, making “Mommy” and “Abrazzo” parents for the first time at almost a century old.
More about Galápagos tortoises
Galápagos tortoises are herbivores native to the Galápagos Islands, off the coast of Ecuador. Female tortoises typically lay up to 20 billiard-ball-sized eggs at a time, according to the Philadelphia Zoo.
The temperature during incubation determines the hatchlings’ sex — eggs incubated at 82.4 degrees Fahrenheit or lower produce female tortoises, while temperatures above 85.1 degrees produce males.
It takes the eggs four to eight months to hatch. Males can eventually weigh 500 pounds on average, while females typically weigh 250 pounds.
In both zoos and the wild, tortoises can live about 100 to 200 years, the Philadelphia Zoo says.
