Rare Vietnamese box turtle hatches at Bristol Zoo

13 August 2014 Last updated at 11:47

One of the world's rarest turtles has hatched at a British zoo.

The Vietnamese box turtle, a critically endangered species, emerged after being kept at a constant temperature in an incubator at Bristol Zoo Gardens for 85 days.

Now six weeks old, the creature weighs just half an ounce and is the size of a matchbox.

It is currently being kept off-show from zoo visitors in a climate-controlled quarantine room.

Once old enough, it will join the six adult box turtles in the Asian turtle breeding room in the zoo's reptile house.

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Vietnamese box turtles bred successfully at Bristol Zoo

Critically endangered Vietnamese box turtles have been bred successfully for the first time in a British zoo.

A baby Vietnamese box turtle, which is one of the world's rarest turtles, was born at Bristol Zoo in July and is now roughly the size of a matchbox.

Reptile curator, Tim Skelton, said it was a 40-year "career highlight" as the species was very difficult to breed.

The youngster, called Vernon, is being kept in a climate-controlled room and hand fed chopped worms by keepers.

He currently weighs 28g and measures around 5cm (2in) long.

Read on:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-19478652