March 21, 2023

A Shell-ebration


A Shell-ebration
Radiated tortoise basking in the sun. Bernard Dupont, Wikimedia Commons.

A radiated tortoise was born in Moscow Zoo's terrarium for the first time. According to Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin, the tortoise was found in the hatchery during a routine daily inspection of eggs, and hatched on its own without the assistance of zoologists or veterinarians. 

RIA Novosti reported that the tortoise weighed 29 grams upon hatching, with a shell five centimeters long, and that its weight has since increased to 50 grams. The tortoise's sex is yet to be determined.

According to the mayor, the hatchling is thriving: its appetite is strong, and it is moving actively, bathing and sunbathing in the terrarium. RIA Novosti's article lists the hatchling's diet, which includes lettuce, fruits, zucchini, and pumpkin, and will be adapted as the reptile grows.

The radiated tortoise is native to Madagascar and is extremely rare. The species is considered critically endangered by the IUCN: as RIA Novosti notes, it is "close to extinction due to a shrinking food supply, shrinking habitat, poaching, and sale as pets." The species is sought after for the eponymous radiated pattern upon its shell, and is commonly poached: many large-scale poaching operations have been uncovered over the past decade, including the discovery of 10,000 captive tortoises in 2018.

You Might Also Like

Saving the Amur Tiger
  • September 01, 2007

Saving the Amur Tiger

The magisterial tigers of Russia's Far East are on the brink of extinction. Threats to their survival are legion: from poachers to Chinese "healers" to nervous villagers to corrupt bureaucrats. All told, just a few hundred Amur Tigers remain in the wild.
Fields of Poison
  • December 29, 2022

Fields of Poison

Thousands of endangered birds and other animals have been poisoned with an illegal pesticide in Stavropol Krai.
Tiger Toes Get Chilly, Too
  • January 21, 2022

Tiger Toes Get Chilly, Too

An endangered Amur tiger cub undergoes surgery after falling victim to Russia's harsh winters. 
Who Fishes for Fishers?
  • August 20, 2021

Who Fishes for Fishers?

A court has found two men guilty of poaching—men whose job it is to prevent the poaching of fish.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

A Taste of Chekhov

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.
How Russia Got That Way

How Russia Got That Way

A fast-paced crash course in Russian history, from Norsemen to Navalny, that explores the ways the Kremlin uses history to achieve its ends.
Driving Down Russia's Spine

Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 
Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

This astonishingly gripping autobiography by the founder of the Russian Women’s Death Battallion in World War I is an eye-opening documentary of life before, during and after the Bolshevik Revolution.
Turgenev Bilingual

Turgenev Bilingual

A sampling of Ivan Turgenev's masterful short stories, plays, novellas and novels. Bilingual, with English and accented Russian texts running side by side on adjoining pages.
Woe From Wit (bilingual)

Woe From Wit (bilingual)

One of the most famous works of Russian literature, the four-act comedy in verse Woe from Wit skewers staid, nineteenth century Russian society, and it positively teems with “winged phrases” that are essential colloquialisms for students of Russian and Russian culture.
The Little Golden Calf

The Little Golden Calf

Our edition of The Little Golden Calf, one of the greatest Russian satires ever, is the first new translation of this classic novel in nearly fifty years. It is also the first unabridged, uncensored English translation ever, and is 100% true to the original 1931 serial publication in the Russian journal 30 Dnei. Anne O. Fisher’s translation is copiously annotated, and includes an introduction by Alexandra Ilf, the daughter of one of the book’s two co-authors.
Jews in Service to the Tsar

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.
A Taste of Russia

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.
Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.
Chekhov Bilingual

Chekhov Bilingual

Some of Chekhov's most beloved stories, with English and accented Russian on facing pages throughout. 

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955