The oldest turtle in the world. Life story

There are old-timers both among people and among animals. Turtles, on the other hand, are considered the most prone to long life, especially if they live in ideal conditions - an acceptable climate, abundant and healthy diet communication with relatives. What is the oldest turtle on the planet?

Samira

This animal belonged to the breed of Galapagos tortoises. She lived to be 270 years old (according to other sources - 315), having died in 2006 at the Cairo Zoo, as they say, from old age. Samira was presented to the park by the last king of the state, Farouk, who has a weakness for exotic animals. At the end of her life, Samira practically did not move.

Advaita

Second most old turtle in the world belonged to a variety that lives in the Seychelles, and lived for about 250 years. Back in the 19th century, English soldiers brought it from the Seychelles and presented it to Lord Clive before he left for home in 1867. Earlier, in the middle of the 18th century, the lord was sent to India in order to establish a colonial regime there. During his absence, the animal lived in the garden of the palace. In 1875, it was decided to place it in the Calcutta Zoo (although there is still no official confirmation that this is the same turtle).

In March 2006, the reptile was found dead by zookeepers. This was predictable, since Advaita had been feeling unwell for a couple of days before this. The impressive shell was preserved as a memory of the favorite of several generations of citizens. Later, his examination was carried out to accurately determine the age of the turtle.

The exact name of the Advaita variety sounded like "aldabra", in accordance with the atoll of the same name. This site, which is under the protection of the UN, is home to another 150,000 similar turtles. The average weight of an animal is 120 kg.

Tui Malila

According to legend, this Madagascar radiant tortoise was presented by Captain James Cook to the head of the natives of the island of Tonga in 1773. There is no official evidence of this, but if you believe it, it turns out that at the time of her death in 1966 she was 193 years old. By this point, she was already blind and could barely eat, so the zookeepers had to move her mouth right up to the feeder.

Jonathan

This huge imposing Seychellois tortoise was introduced to Saint Helena in 1882 along with three other specimens about 50 years old. Jonathan, now 185, lives in the garden of the island's governor, Spencer Davis. In 1900, a photograph was taken of a huge tortoise lying at the feet of a Boer War prisoner. In 2008, confirmation was published that this particular turtle was Jonathan, who at that time was about 70 years old.

Harriet

At one time, an elephant tortoise named Harrietta got into the Guinness Book of Records for his long life– in 2005 she was 175 years old, all of which she spent in captivity. It is not known exactly who caught her; according to one version, it was Charles Darwin, according to another - ordinary whalers.

For the last 30 years of its life, the animal has been the real attraction of the zoo in Queensland.

IN wild nature, according to scientists, only a dozen of her brethren remained.

It should be noted that the population could have been larger if Harriet had not been caught: until the end of her life, she was capable of fertilization, but did not have a partner.

Favorite food amazing turtle there were hibiscus, and she also liked to eat eggplant and parsley, in general she was rather unpretentious and modest. Zookeepers talk about it.

Timothy

In April 2004, another of the well-deserved long-lived turtles died. At that time, Timothy was 160 years old. He spent amazing life, serving as a mascot on a British warship, then sailed with soldiers to China and the East Indies, and retired 100 years before his death. All this time, the turtle crawled in the garden around Powderham Castle, located in Devon, and during hibernation hid among the rose bushes. Then a sign was attached to him asking not to disturb. In 1926, an unexpected surprise awaited all fans of the turtle: it turns out that Timothy was a female. In general, we can say that the animal led a rather active lifestyle compared to other relatives and peers.

These amazing animals have lived and continue to live on our planet. I would like to believe that all representatives of the animal world will also be lucky with the living conditions so that they can lead a long fruitful life.

The world's oldest turtle lived in Australia. Why did she live? She passed away not too long ago. Everything comes to an end sometime. In this article, we will tell you about the life of this famous turtle, as well as its possible "successor". The world should know its heroes, as they say, by sight!

Contemporary of Charles Darwin

Once upon a time Australian zoo lived a real contemporary of the famous naturalist named Charles Darwin, who is famous for discovering the theory of human evolution. The oldest tortoise in the world, nicknamed Harriet, was listed in the Guinness Book of Records as a creature that has lived in captivity for 175 years! Just think about it: in captivity! It is hard to imagine how many owners it has changed, the very first of which was none other than the founder of the theory of evolution, Charles Darwin!

Life story...

Birthday

On October 11, 2005, this giant elephant and also the world's oldest tortoise celebrated its 175th birthday. Harriet was born in the time of Queen Victoria, when she was still a child, namely in 1830. Surprisingly, for the first 124 years of life, this turtle was mistaken for a male.

Who is the owner?

Interestingly, British paleontologists, who carried out a very thorough reconstruction of the turtle's past, believe that it was not Darwin who caught it, but ordinary whalers as a source of food. In addition, the hypothesis that the oldest tortoise in the world belonged to Darwin is based only on the fact that the scientist caught four giant individuals during his trip to the Galapagos Islands (1835). Allegedly, Harriet was one of them.

Soon two of the four turtles died, the remaining two were transported by ship to Australia by one of Charles Darwin's friends. Further DNA analysis showed that Harriet most likely comes from an island called Santa Cruz (Galapagos Islands).

Guilty without guilt

The oldest turtle has been the main attraction of the Queensland Zoo for the past 30 years! A study of her DNA indicates that she is at least 170 years old in any case. Today, scientists believe that about 12 of its relatives, giant elephant tortoises, are left on our planet. Moreover, zoologists blame Harriet for the small population! They claim that until the end of his life, the world's oldest tortoise retained the ability to reproduce offspring: she still ovulated, but there was no "groom" ...

Quiet and humble

According to the keepers of the zoo premises in which this turtle lived, its favorite food was hibiscus flowers. In addition, she ate eggplant, zucchini, parsley and beans and led a very modest lifestyle.

Harriet died in 2005 in the Galapagos Islands. She was 175 years old.

Continuation of the dynasty

According to unofficial data, valid as of October 2011, the world's oldest turtle is considered to be a certain male Jonathan, who lives on the island of St. Helena. Today he is supposedly 180 years old. However, this is not accurate information, because analysis of Jonathan's DNA by world scientists cannot give us exact numbers.

It is said that Jonathan still finds the strength to mate with three females. Interestingly, this turtle is a contemporary of 8 monarchs of Great Britain and its 50 prime ministers!

Nature knows how to surprise people. One of the most unusual creatures on the planet is turtles. Individuals can reach giant size and plunge into shock with one of its appearance. Particularly outstanding marks the Guinness Book of Records. Who are these champions, and how much does the world's largest turtle weigh? In this article turtles.

Top - 5 largest turtles in the world

All turtles are different, and even within the same species, their sizes can vary significantly from each other.

1 Leatherback Turtle(Lat. Dermochelys coriacea). The average length is 2 meters. The Guinness Book of Records listed the dimensions of the largest individual in its lists: 2.6 m - the diameter of the shell and 916 kg - the total body weight. The span of the front flippers is 5 m.

Such outstanding parameters, according to scientists, were achieved through constant life in the water. The habitats of these turtles are south seas. Coming to land only for the purpose of laying eggs, they feel at ease at great depths and can swim at a speed of almost 35 km / h. There are suggestions that the largest specimens of leatherback turtles have simply not yet been seen, since they rarely rise from the seabed.

A distinctive feature of this species of turtles is the absence of a bony, hard coating of the shell. Their back is covered with leather, and the ability to hide in the shell is lost. This makes turtles vulnerable to humans and very shy.

It is believed that this type of reptile existed on the planet long before the appearance of man. Because of their impressive size and still unexplored life, leatherback turtles are the heroes of fairy tales and legends.

On this moment These turtles are under state protection as an endangered species. In the United States, a special reserve was opened to preserve the population of these unusual reptiles.

(lat. Chelonia mydas). The body reaches 1.5 m in length, and the weight is 500 kg. Average life expectancy is 70 years. Inhabits the waters of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. It got its name because of the light green, olive color.

It feeds on crabs, snails, sponges and jellyfish, moving to algae and grass with age. It poses no danger to humans.

This species of sea turtle sometimes leaves the water to lay its eggs or soak up the sun. It is also called "soup" for the most delicate taste of meat and its use for cooking. Turtle eggs are very popular, and crafts and souvenirs are made from shells. However, it is listed in the Red Book, and catching individuals is punishable by law. It is currently an endangered species.

(lat. Chelonoidis elephantopus). In length reaches 2 meters, weighs, on average, 350 kg. There are 16 subspecies of this turtle. Distinctive feature- long elongated neck and paws. It feeds on vegetation, drinks a lot of water, during the dry period it switches to cacti and shrubs that are poisonous to other animals. For humans, elephant turtles are not dangerous.

They are terrestrial and live only in the Galapagos Islands. They are long-lived among reptiles of this species, on average, living 90 - 100 years. There are representatives who have lived up to 300 years.

At the moment, elephant tortoises are on the verge of extinction. The Galapagos Islands are declared a nature reserve, a national park and are under the protection of UNESCO.

(lat. Macroclemys temminckii). In length it can reach 1.5 meters, the shell - 1.4 m. It lives in rivers and canals of the southern United States. This is one of the lightest turtles in terms of weight: their weight does not exceed 60 kg. At the same time, among the land turtles, the largest.

Life expectancy is short compared to others - only 60 years.

Another feature of this species is the aggressiveness of the animal. Even her appearance can inspire fear: a large head, a pointed nose, similar to a beak, all her skin is uneven and pimply. May bite, bite off a finger, or injure a hand. In the United States, this species of turtle is recognized as dangerous to human life and health and is prohibited from breeding in a house or apartment.

(lat. Aldabrachelys gigantea) - very rare view turtles. It is also called the giant tortoise because of its large size. On average, the length of the body is 1.2 m. Refers to land turtles. It feeds on fresh herbs, grass and vegetables. The only habitat on the planet is the islands of Aldabra and Curieuse in the Seychelles group. The colony of Seychelles turtles has about 150 thousand individuals.

On average, these turtles reach an age of 150 - 200 years. Advaita is the oldest representative who lived for 250 years, and this is an absolute record.

Modern species of turtles, such as green or leathery, are powerful, hardy and able to fit 5 people on their shell at once. These giants can live without food for several weeks and even months. Cases of their starvation during the year are described. green turtles famous among sailors for their ability to sense and predict the slightest tectonic movements, earthquakes and tsunamis.

Scientists have discovered a huge turtle that lived back in the Cretaceous period BC, similar in structure to modern leatherback turtles. She was even given the name Archelon and recognized as the largest since the appearance of life on Earth. The dimensions are impressive: with a total length of 4.6 meters, it weighed more than 2 tons. The remains of this turtle have been found in North America.

Another giant reptile that is considered extinct is Miolania. In addition to its large size, it is known for its long body (up to 5 m) and the presence of two unusually shaped horns. It lived in Australia and New Caledonia and on the coast of rivers and lakes, fed on vegetation. Scientists suggest that the meat of Miolania was the most valuable in its composition, pleasant and delicate in taste, which caused the destruction of the species. The last turtle of this species became extinct about 2,000 years ago.

Thanks to the excavations of scientists, the turtle, its size and parameters are known today. Archelon inspires fear and respect for the power of nature and its possibilities. Man is just beginning to reveal the secrets and mysteries of all life on Earth, and perhaps someday this record of the most giant tortoise will be broken.

There is an opinion that every living creature on Earth has a much longer life cycle, however, due to certain circumstances and various adverse factors, whether it's bad ecology, malnutrition, illnesses, accidents, etc., you have to leave ahead of schedule, although there are happy exceptions.

One such exception is the oldest turtle in the world, which lives in the waters of the South China Sea, which washes Vietnam's Hanoi. Answering the question about how old the oldest turtle in the world is, local residents give numbers from 529 to 1000 years, however, this fact has not received scientific confirmation. It is noteworthy that we are talking about a long-lived leatherback turtle, which was found not in the sea, but in one of the lakes of Hanoi called Hoan Kiem. At the same time, turtles of this breed are not only the oldest, but also the largest on our planet, because average weight This animal ranges from 300 to 500 kilograms with growth from 1 meter 35 centimeters to 2 meters 10 centimeters. But the largest specimen to date has become a leatherback turtle, the weight of which only slightly fell short of one ton, amounting to 916 kilograms. And one can only guess about how many years this sea monster lives in the world, listed both in the Red Book as an endangered subspecies, and in the Guinness Book of Records for several parameters at once (weight, length, age, etc.). Another interesting fact was the fact that the shell of these centenarians is covered with leather, and not bone tissue(hence the name). In addition, these animals are deep-sea, this feature was fully used by researchers who attached special fixing devices to their shells to measure the depth of water bodies.

Another contender for the title of the world's longest-lived tortoise named Jonathan lives on the famous island of St. Helena and this year he celebrated his 185th birthday. For the first time this old man was noticed by a photographer who came to capture the island on his camera and this happened significant event in 1902. A little later, this picture was put up for auction, after which they became seriously interested in the life of the turtle and decided to find out interesting facts from its biography. As a result, it was found that Jonathan came to St. Helena with his owners at the end of the Nineteenth century, and since then he has changed more than one family. In addition, scientists noted the amazing lovingness of this old-timer male, because even today, despite his advanced age, he has three young lovers at once and feels great in their society. To date, Jonathan has become one of the attractions of the famous island, posing with pleasure for visiting tourists.

Another interesting biography of the oldest turtle in the world was his first bath, which took place last year under the supervision of a local veterinarian. The same doctor completely revised Jonat's diet, making it more varied and high in calories, as a result of which the animal gained weight and became even more cheerful and active. So, the main menu of the island old-timer, who survived 8 rulers and 28 governors in his lifetime, mainly consists of fresh vegetables and fruits, he gives the greatest preference to guava, bananas and apples.

It is known that the huge Seychelles tortoises also have a special longevity, which often live up to 150 years of age. India can also boast of such rare animals, however, this year a real tragedy occurred in one of the cities of this wonderful country - the local Advitta tortoise, which for a long time was considered the oldest animal on the planet, died at the age of 256. It is noteworthy that this animal also came to Calcutta from the Seychelles and was brought by Indian sailors, who were amazed at its size.

This turtle, like its brother Jonathan, survived more than one government, eventually falling from private hands into the local zoo, automatically becoming its main attraction. After Adwitta's death, the authorities decided to keep her shell as a souvenir, which can be seen today in one of the museums in Calcutta.

This is Jonathan, he is 184 years old (photo: earthphotos.com)

Meet this, whose name is Jonathan (Jonathan). She recently turned 184 years old, which is why she is considered the oldest land animal known in the whole world. Jonathan lives on Saint Helena in the South Atlantic Ocean. He is extremely famous in his homeland and, one might say, is an integral part of the local community. Therefore home to the oldest turtle in the world serves as Plantation House, the official residence of the governor.

The age of this giant tortoise is documented, and there are even photographs of it from a hundred years ago! For example, here is a photograph of Jonathan taken on St. Helena back in 1902. Nearby, for comparison, posted his photo of 2015:

Jonathan lost his sight due to cataracts, he also can no longer smell, but otherwise feels quite normal. His health is monitored by a local veterinarian, Dr. Joe Hollins. Interesting fact: The oldest turtle has never been washed, so it can also be considered the dirtiest animal in the world. Therefore, Dr. Hollins organized Jonathan's first bathroom in his life, washing off all the dirt that had accumulated on it for almost 200 years from the turtle.

How was she bathed?

Some photos of almost two hundred years old Jonathan: