A giant stone turtle carrying a tablet on its back at the Ming Tombs north of Beijing.
Chinese scientists were hoping to break out the rice wine after successfully urging two giant turtles to mate a few months ago. Sadly the birth announcements will have to wait.
Turtle experts were delighted last year when they "discovered" a living female giant turtle who had lived in obscurity in the Changsha zoo in southern China. At 80 years old, she is currently the only known female to exist. In May, they brought 600 miles to Suzhou to get busy with a 100-year-old male giant turtle in an attempt to save the species, the New York Times reported.
The mating was a success, and a month later the female turtle, whom the Associated Press says is called "China Girl" (a name I find dubious) laid 100 eggs. Nearly half were fertilized, but scientists announced this week that none of the eggs hatched.
They hope a change in diet will make the eggs stronger and apparently the two turtles also didn't get enough time to get to know each other. The couple now live near each other in the Suzhou Zoo and scientists will try to make the magic happen again next May, during breeding season.
The Yangtze giant soft-shell turtle population is nearly gone as a result of hunting and pollution. It's ironic considering the status of turtles in Chinese mythology. Turtles are considered one of the four divine animals along with the dragon, phoenix and chimera. Carved stone turtles are found throughout China carrying tablets on their backs. Many old Chinese city walls were also built in a turtle formation.
The earliest known Chinese writing even appears on a turtle shell that was used in divination in the Shang Dynasty (1766 BCE and 1122 BCE). Known as Oracle Bones, these were bone or turtle shells that were heated and cracked with ancient script written on them.
At the same time, use of the term "turtle" is also a curse word among Chinese cultures. Calling someone a "turtle egg" or the "son of a turtle" can result in fisticuffs.
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