Happy birthday last month to 189 year old Jonathan the tortoise. This guy is going on 2 centuries old!
Jonathan (hatched c. 1832)[2][3] is a Seychelles giant tortoise (Aldabrachelys gigantea hololissa), a subspecies of the Aldabra giant tortoise (Aldabrachelys gigantea), and is the oldest known living land animal.[4][5] Jonathan resides on the island of Saint Helena, a British Overseas Territory in the South Atlantic Ocean.
Jonathan was brought to Saint Helena from the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean in 1882, along with three other tortoises at about 50 years of age. He was named in the 1930s by Governor of Saint Helena Sir Spencer Davis. He continues to live on the grounds of Plantation House, the official residence of the governor, and is cared for by the government of Saint Helena.
His age is estimated because he was 'fully mature' when brought to Saint Helena in 1882. 'Fully mature' means at least 50 years old, giving him a hatching date no later than 1832. A photograph featuring Jonathan originally thought to date from 1902 actually dates from 1886,[6][2] showing Jonathan four years after his arrival on Saint Helena. Measurements taken from the photograph show that he was definitely fully mature in 1886.
Jonathan (left) with another giant tortoise (1886)[6][2]
The all-time verified record holder for the world's oldest tortoise, according to Guinness World Records, is Tu'i Malila, which died in Tonga in 1966 at the age of 189.
I understand he is a distant cousin to Karolyn and Bill Slowsky