Tortoise hatchlings born of century-old parents come out of their shells at Philadelphia Zoo

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Sixteen critically endangered western Santa Cruz tortoises born to some very old parents got a slow walk and the red carpet treatment Wednesday at a Philadelphia Zoo event to show off the highly prized hatchlings.

Animal care specialists who have watched over the 16 since they were eggs held the animals on a pathway by the zoo’s tortoise habitat. The hatchlings are said to be eating well and growing.

The pampered turtles were born in a series of hatches this year to Mommy and Abrazzo, a couple that is estimated to both be about 100 years old. Mommy arrived at the zoo in 1932, but had not produced offspring until Abrazzo was brought in nearly five years ago from Riverbanks Zoo and Garden in Columbia, South Carolina. The 16 are her first progeny.

“Now this animal, who’s been in Philadelphia since 1932, will be represented here for, hopefully, another 100 years because her offspring are now part of our collection,” said Lauren Augustine, the zoo’s director of herpetology.

Four females that hatched early this spring were named after characters in the TV show “ Golden Girls.” Three males were hatched in April, and that was followed by Mommy's second clutch, which resulted in three females in June and six males this summer.

Mommy and Abrazzo are the Philadelphia Zoo’s oldest inhabitants and seen as highly genetically valuable for the survival of the species. Their offspring are considered a win in the effort to preserve western Santa Cruz tortoises.

They are expected to remain at the zoo for at least a year before being placed in different facilities next fall.

Western Santa Cruz tortoises are among the 13 living species of tortoise native to seven islands in the Galapagos chain in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Ecuador. The largest species of tortoise, they are thought to live as long as 200 years.

The zoo is soliciting donors to suggest names for one of the hatchlings, a male, subject to zoo approval. Others are named Zee, James, Colette, Soledad, Isabelle, Roger, Fausto, Caldero, Lee, Marigold Puddlefoot and Kelpy. The zoo uses nontoxic nail polish in different colors to distinguish them from each other.

The Philadelphia Zoo also has two giant Aldabra tortoises, Wilma and Betty. A 135-year-old Galapagos tortoise named Goliath became a father for the first time at Zoo Miami in June.

Mommy, left, and Abrazzo, a couple that is estimated to both be about 100 years old and the parents of 16 hatchlings in two clutches, move in their enclosure at the Philadelphia Zoo in Philadelphia, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Staff members pose for photographs with 16 critically endangered western Santa Cruz tortoise hatchlings during their debut at the Philadelphia Zoo in Philadelphia, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Director of Herpetology Lauren Augustine, left, and staff members pose for photograph s during the debut of 16 critically endangered western Santa Cruz tortoise hatchlings at the Philadelphia Zoo in Philadelphia, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Abrazzo, a nearly 100-year-old Galapagos tortoise, and father of 16 hatchlings in two clutches, extends her neck as a staff member splashes water oh his face at Philadelphia Zoo in Philadelphia, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Staff members pose for photographs with 16 critically endangered western Santa Cruz tortoise hatchlings during their debut at the Philadelphia Zoo in Philadelphia, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Mommy, a nearly 100-year-old Galapagos tortoise, and parent of 16 hatchlings in two clutches, walks in her enclosure at the Philadelphia Zoo in Philadelphia, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Mommy, a nearly 100-year-old Galapagos tortoise, and parent of 16 hatchlings in two clutches, extends her neck as a staff member scratches her chin in her enclosure at the Philadelphia Zoo in Philadelphia, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

A staff member holds one of the 16 critically endangered western Santa Cruz tortoise hatchlings during their debut at the Philadelphia Zoo in Philadelphia, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Mommy, a nearly 100-year-old Galapagos tortoise, and parent of 16 hatchlings in two clutches, walks in her enclosure at the Philadelphia Zoo in Philadelphia, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Staff members pose for photographs several of the 16 critically endangered western Santa Cruz tortoise hatchlings during their debut at the Philadelphia Zoo in Philadelphia, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Madison Keys planned to walk into the player tunnel at Rod Laver Arena in a quiet moment when nobody was watching, and take a photo of her name listed with the other champions at the Australian Open.

After beating top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka in last year's final at Melbourne Park to win her first Grand Slam title, Keys pictured the moment she'd return to the stadium for the first time as defending champion.

“I’ve always kind of remembered walking through that tunnel and seeing all the names,” she said Friday, two days before the first major of the year starts. “It was a little bit of a pinch-me moment where I was like, ‘Wow, I’m going to be up there.’

“I have not seen my name in the tunnel yet. I hope I can go in there when there’s no one else so I can take a picture and send it to my mom."

Before facing the media in Melbourne, she couldn't help but notice other evidence at the venue of her breakthrough triumph.

“There’s a really cool photo of me holding the trophy," Keys said. “Getting to see those, it’s something you dream of in your career.”

The 30-year-old American said it was easy to look back almost 12 months and think everything worked to perfection, but "also you think about, ‘Wow, I almost lost.’

"I was match point down. So many three-set matches. There were some ugly matches. I think it kind of just makes everything a little bit better just because it wasn’t issue-free.”

Keys won a tune-up tournament in Adelaide in 2025 before ending Sabalenka's 20-match winning streak at the Australian Open. At 29, she was the tournament's oldest first-time women's champion. She also set a record as the player with the longest gap between their first two Grand Slam finals — her first was the 2017 U.S. Open.

The Australian Open victory launched her into a Top 5 ranking the following month. After the breakthrough, though, she was ousted in the French Open quarterfinals, the third round at Wimbledon and had a nervy first-round exit at the U.S. Open. At the season-ending WTA Finals, she lost two group-stage matches.

Sabalenka, meanwhile, admitted Friday that the loss here to Keys last year was tough.

“She played incredible and overplayed me. Took me a little time to recover,” she said. “We had matches after that. I worked on my mistake on those matches.

“Going to this AO, I’m not really focusing on that last year result but of course I would like to do just a little bit better than I did last year!”

Sabalenka, who beat Keys in the quarterfinals last week en route to the Brisbane International title, plays her first-round match Sunday night against Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonah, a wild-card entry from France.

Keys also lost in the quarterfinals in her title defense in Adelaide earlier this week. But she's taking it in her stride as she prepares for another career first: defending a major title.

“Even though I’ve been on tour for a long time, this is also still my first experience as that,” she said. “I’m really just trying to soak in all of the really cool fun parts."

Seeded ninth and on the other side of the draw from Sabalenka, Keys is scheduled to open against Oleksandra Oliynykova of Ukraine.

“Yes, I’m sure going on court I’m going to be very nervous," she said, "but I don’t think I’ve ever walked on court first round of a Grand Slam and not been nervous.”

Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus waves to the crowd after winning the women's final match against Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine 6-4, 6-3, at the Brisbane International tennis tournament in Brisbane, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)

Madison Keyes of the United States reacts during press conference ahead of the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)