The mane attraction in the Beijing Aquarama exhibition at the moment
is this ‘hairy tortoise’. It has a shock of green hair sprouting from its
shell, which needs regular trimming. Ian Swingland of the University of
Kent, an expert on reptiles, said he was ‘gobsmacked’. He added: ‘I know
of no tortoise or turtle which has hair growing out of its shell.’ Swingland
believes the animal is probably a freshwater terrapin and the hair is a
growth of algae.
More from New Scientist
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Popular articles
Trending New Scientist articles
1
A volcano has erupted remnants of Earth's primordial magma ocean
2
Orangutan mothers seem to plan playdates for their offspring
3
A type of fibre that stimulates GLP-1 release approved for use in food
4
The 4 must-watch science-fiction films of the year so far
5
Humans sleep the least of all apes – is it the secret to our success?
6
The most detailed survey of the universe ever conducted starts now
7
The weirdness of neutrinos could completely rewrite particle physics
8
Audacious mission to rescue NASA's falling telescope has launched
9
Remote-controlled cockroach swarm can now breathe underwater
10
June heatwave may have killed around 20,000 people in Europe
