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Giant Tortoises Latest Addition to Staten Island Zoo

By Nicholas Rizzi | March 27, 2014 10:28am
 The Staten Island Zoo unveiled their new exhibit featuring three Galapagos tortoises, one of the longest-living animals on Tuesday.
Galapagos Tortoise Exhibit at Staten Island Zoo
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WEST BRIGHTON — Staten Island Zoo is now home to one of the world's longest-living animals.

The attraction unveiled its new Galapagos tortoise exhibit on Tuesday with three of the large "dome-shelled" reptiles.

They're each about 7 years old, but can live to be 150, zoo officials said.

The habitat created for the tortoises recreates the warm climate of the Galapagos Islands. The animals spend almost 16 hours a day napping, and the other eight hours grazing and basking in the sun.

Because of a slow metabolism and internal means to store water, the tortoise can go up to a year without eating or drinking anything, according to the zoo.

The tortoises can only be found on the Galapagos Islands, the zoo said.

The zoo previously had a Galapagos tortoise, "Jalopy," who was donated in 1937 and died in 1983.