Left: Denver Zoo's new female pancake tortoise looking peeved and perfect; Right: The little tortoise sunbathing with her mom, Waffles. Photos: Courtesy of the Denver Zoo
Say hello to the Denver Zoo's newest (and cutest) arrival: an adorably flat, female pancake tortoise tiny enough to fit in your hand.
Why it matters: She's the first African pancake tortoise ever successfully bred and hatched at the Denver Zoo in its 129-year history.
Zoom out: She joins the zoo's four other aptly named pancake tortoises: her mom, Waffles, and three males — Short-Stack, Denny and Flapjack.
The big picture: Pancake tortoises — known for their flat physique and unexpectedly agile nature — are native to East Africa and critically endangered due in large part to habitat loss and the illegal pet trade, per the IUCN Red List.
Breeding programs like the Denver Zoo's are a crucial buffer against extinction.
What they're saying: "She might be tiny for now, but her role in conservation is huge," the zoo said in a social media post announcing her debut.
