Mr. Pickles, a radiated tortoise at the Houston Zoo, and his partner, Mrs. Pickles, welcomed three hatchlings: Dill, Gherkin and Jalapeño.

Best Thing in Texas Congratulations to Mr. Pickles, the Houston Zoo’s Elderly Tortoise, on Becoming a Dad He and Mrs. Pickles are the proud parents of three new hatchlings.

The turtle, however, was dubbed "Mr. Pickles" by some kids who were on-scene, watching the rescue unfold. "We held him up and asked them what he should be called," Schelm said.

"They said Mr. Pickles, because he had gotten himself in a pickle." The first responders walked the turtle to a nearby lake and set it free, where, hopefully, it remains.

Mr. Pickles, a 90-year-old radiated tortoise who also happens to the Houston Zoo's oldest animal, just became a father again to three hatchlings.

Mr. Pickles, a 90-year-old radiated tortoise at the Houston Zoo, is a first-time father after his partner of 27 years, Mrs. Pickles, laid three eggs that hatched last week.

Mr. Pickles’ virility—in spite of his vintage—earned him ink in the New York Times, NPR, and USA Today, among other outlets, but less attention was paid to his and his partner’s May ...