Having second thoughts? Rare turtle breaks through egg shell and takes TWO DAYS to emerge

Nervous creature hid in its shell for two days peering at the outside world

Tiny rare Keeled Box turtle was hatched at the Tennessee Aquarium

It's a big, bad world out there. But for one tiny turtle it clearly proved to be a little too frightening for exploration just yet.



The nervous creature hatched from its egg but then stayed there for two more days, peering at the outside world before finally emerging.

The Keeled Box Turtle, which is native to south east Asia, is endangered due to over collection in the wild for food and the pet trade.

Nervous: The little turtle peers out from the tiny hole in its egg... and then stays there for two more days

Finding its feet: The tiny turtle finally emerges from the comfort of its temporary home

The little creature was hatched at the Tennessee Aquarium in America, which houses 75 different species of turtle.

The Keeled Box Turtle has a very brittle shell and it is not uncommon for the parents to crush them by accident. This one broke a hole in its shell after a 126-day incubation period but then stayed in there for another two days.

Senior herpetologist at the aquarium Bill Hughes said: 'Unlike other endangered turtles reared at the aquarium this year, this recent addition was rather slow to venture into the world.

'Spiny Turtles just come right out, but this turtle seemed content to open one end of the egg and look out at the world from inside the shell. This baby turtle hatched after an incubation period lasting 126 days.

'It stayed there for two days before emerging.'

It is the first time that the aquarium has successfully hatched a Keeled Box Turtle and it is one of only about 20 in accredited zoos and aquariums in the entire US.

Rare: The Keeled Box Turtle, native to south east Asia, is endangered due to over collection in the wild for food and the pet trade

Keeled Box Turtles get their common names from the three raised ridges, or 'keels' running the length of their shells. The edge of the shell has a number of sharp spikes near the tail.

They are mainly carnivorous and terrestrial, living near water rather than in it and adults grow up to seven inches long.

The species is native to China, India, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam. Like many other Southeast Asian Turtles, keeled box Turtles have been over-collected in the wild for food, medicine and the pet trade.

Several conservation organisations are working to protect the remaining wild populations from illegal trade, while zoos and aquariums are working toward increasing assurance populations in human care. This assures that the species does not go extinct if these animals disappear in the wild.