Mr. Pickles, a 90-year-old tortoise, becomes first-time dad after Mrs. Pickles' surprise birth

Slow and steady, Mr. Pickles.

A tortoise in Texas has become a first-time dad at 90 years old, the Houston Zoo announced last week.

Mr. Pickles is a radiated tortoise who is the oldest animal at the Houston Zoo. He and his partner, 53-year-old Mrs. Pickles, have welcomed three hatchlings. The eggs hatched on different days in early and mid-February, the zoo confirmed to USA TODAY.

Those "baby pickles" have been named Dill, Gherkin and Jalapeño (of course). The three hatchlings "will remain behind the scenes" in the Houston Zoo's Reptile & Amphibian House until they are big enough to join their parents, the zoo said in a release Thursday.

A critically endangered species

The births are an especially "big dill" because radiated tortoises, which are native to Madagascar, are critically endangered. The reptile, which produces few offspring, is notably targeted by the illegal pet trade, zoo officials said.

According to the Houston Zoo, Mr. Pickles is considered "the most genetically valuable radiated tortoise in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) Species Survival Plan," an initiative of programs that work to manage the breeding and sustainability of certain species.

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