You’re probably familiar with the story of the tortoise and the hare. The whole “slow and steady thing” is the key to winning the race. Right? As it turns out, going “slow and steady” is important for when you’re racing rude hares… and just living life.
This tortoise made that point perfectly clear. His name is Jonathan and he might be the oldest living tortoise on Earth. He’s slow moving, but he is probably going to beat all of us.
This photo was taken in 1902 of Jonathan the Turtle. At the time, he was already 70 YEARS OLD!
He was first brought to his forever home as a full sized adult in 1882, and it can take 50 years to reach adult size (which he is in black and white 1902 pictures).
This puts Jonathan’s birthday around 1832.
At 182-year-old, Jonathan the giant tortoise is still going strong. He just might be the oldest living tortoise, or even terrestrial animal, in the world.
And although he’s probably the oldest land animal currently living, he isn’t the oldest ever – other tortoises have lived longer, with one unconfirmed tortoise in India that may have lived up to as many as 250 years of age.
(Source: St. Helena Online via Bored Panda)
Considering that he was born in 1832, this means my great-great-great-great-great grandpa just might have seen him when he hatched. Jonathan’s probably getting pretty annoyed by all of the upright, fleshy, pink creatures who keep taking pictures of him.
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