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Rare turtles born in NY; first for N. American zoo

NEW YORK (AP) - Five endangered turtles have been born in New York City, a first for a North American zoo.

The Chinese big-headed turtles were born in November at the Prospect Park Zoo in Brooklyn. The Wildlife Conservation Society says it's the first time the species has successfully reproduced at a zoo accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

The turtles are native to China as well as Southeast Asia.

They grow to about 7 inches long. They have skulls of solid bone that are so large in relation to their bodies that they can't be retracted, like some other turtles do.

The conservation society has a total of 15 of the turtles in its Bronx and Prospect Park zoos.

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