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World's smallest freshwater turtle hatches at Mexican zoo

CGTN

Mexico's Guadalajara Zoo has achieved a small wonder: it successfully hatched a Vallarta mud turtle.

A worker holds a Vallarta mud turtle at the Guadalajara Zoo in Jalisco state, Mexico, August 25, 2025. /VCG
A worker holds a Vallarta mud turtle at the Guadalajara Zoo in Jalisco state, Mexico, August 25, 2025. /VCG

A worker holds a Vallarta mud turtle at the Guadalajara Zoo in Jalisco state, Mexico, August 25, 2025. /VCG

The Vallarta mud turtle, recently discovered, is the smallest freshwater turtle species in the world, with adults reaching a maximum shell length of just 10.2 centimeters.

A Vallarta mud turtle is seen next to a 5-peso Mexican coin for size comparison at the Guadalajara Zoo in Jalisco state, Mexico, August 25, 2025. /VCG
A Vallarta mud turtle is seen next to a 5-peso Mexican coin for size comparison at the Guadalajara Zoo in Jalisco state, Mexico, August 25, 2025. /VCG

A Vallarta mud turtle is seen next to a 5-peso Mexican coin for size comparison at the Guadalajara Zoo in Jalisco state, Mexico, August 25, 2025. /VCG

Very little information exists about this species, underscoring how rare and understudied it remains.

(Cover: A Vallarta mud turtle at the Guadalajara Zoo in Jalisco state, Mexico, August 25, 2025. /VCG)

Source(s): Xinhua News Agency
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