Wildlife conservation: Rare albino baby tortoise born in Swiss zoo

Baby tortoises weigh around 50 grams at birth and are small enough to fit in the palm of your hand!

A rare albino Galapagos giant tortoise has made its public debut at a zoo in Switzerland.

Two tortoises were born last month at the Tropiquarium in the west of the country as part of a programme to preserve the endangered species.

One of the siblings was born black - like its parents - but zookeepers were surprised to find that the other one was albino.

Experts believe it to be the first time an albino Galapagos giant tortoise has ever been observed, both in captivity and in the wild!

The two tiny siblings were born last month

Albinism is a genetic condition that results in little or no production of a pigment called melanin, which determines the colour of the skin, hair and eyes.

The condition has never been observed before in the Galapagos giant tortoise species - whose skin and shell are usually black.

The tortoises were born at the beginning of May and the rare animal caused quite a shock amongst the keepers.

"It was really surprising, for this species it's quite extraordinary," said Thomas Morel who works at the zoo.

Experts say that it's still too soon to find out the gender of both baby animals.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the Galapagos giant tortoises, which can live up to 200 years, as endangered.

Around 23,000 tortoises are believed to live on the archipelago.