The oldest 190-year-old giant tortoise on the planet is still trying to pair up

Jonathan was born in 1832, which means he is 190 years old this year, Guinness World Records announced on January 12. Jonathan belongs to the Seychelles giant tortoise subspecies (Aldabrachelys gigantea hololissa). It already holds the Guinness World Record for the oldest living land animal. It is now officially the oldest tortoise on record, beating the previous "record holder" Tu'i Malila, an Astrochelys radiata tortoise that died in 1965, aged at least 188 years. .

Jonathan, who lives on the island of St. Helena, set the record as the oldest turtle ever recorded.

Jonathan lives in St. Helena, an island in the South Atlantic Ocean. "The animal is a local symbol, symbolizing resilience in the face of change," Joe Hollins, Jonathan's veterinarian, told Guinness World Records.

The British Museum in London said, Jonathan to St. Helena in 1882, when she was about 50 years old. A photograph of Jonathan taken between 1882 and 1886 showing the animal fully grown. This indicates that when it was taken, it was at least 50 years old. Therefore, its actual age could be greater than 190.

At an advanced age, Jonathan is blind and cannot smell but still feeds on the grounds of the governor's mansion St. Helena. It lives with other giant tortoises including David, Emma and Fred. It is hand-fed once a week to make sure it gets enough calories. Jonathan's favorite foods include cabbage, cucumbers and carrots.

In addition to eating, the animal's other major concerns are sleeping and mating. "Despite his age, Jonathan is still full of energy and is often seen mating with Emma, ​​sometimes Fred," Hollins said.

Scientists still don't fully understand the full mechanism that allows turtles like Jonathan to live so long. Giant tortoises have the ability to rapidly destroy damaged cells through a process called apoptosis. This can help protect them from damage in cells that normally degrade as the body ages.

Jonathan's lifespan may be unbeatable on land, but there are animals that live longer in the water. For example, the Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus) has an estimated maximum lifespan of 272 years, or hydra, a group of small jellyfish-like invertebrates that continuously regenerate cells and appear to never age.