Pompeii excavation unearths remains of pregnant tortoise

Animal thought to have been seeking place to lay egg in ruins of quake-hit home when Mount Vesuvius erupted

Archaeologists in Pompeii have discovered the remains of a pregnant tortoise that sought refuge in the ruins of a home destroyed by an earthquake in AD62 only to be covered by volcanic ash and rock when Mount Vesuvius erupted.

The 14cm (5.5in) long Hermann's tortoise and her egg were discovered during excavations of an area of the ancient city that, after being levelled by the quake, was being rebuilt for the construction of public baths, officials said Friday. Pompeii was then destroyed after the volcanic eruption in AD79.