The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1897-10-09
OLDEST ANIMAL ON EARTH.
Giant Tortoise of AldRbra-Some IN
tcrcstinG- Facts OF Natural History.


Giant Tortoise of AIdabra-sOme In
fcrcstins' Facts OF Natural History.
MI. Walter RothschiId has procured
for this country, and installed in the
Geological society's collection, the old
est living creature in the world. II IS
one OF the giant tortOises Of Aldabra,
sufficiently remarkable for its size, for
il weighs 4 quarter of q ton, but even
more interesting from the record of its
age. This gives it Il known life of $50
years, with the unknown increment OF
its age previous TO its transportation
to the Island of Mauritius. 1t is. we be-
Leye, the same tortoise which was men
toned in the treaty between Great
Britain and France when the island was
ceded by the former country in 1910,
and has therefore changed its status
fOuT times in a century and a half as
q national heirloom.
In the bishops garden at Peter
borough one died in 1921 which was said
to have exceeded 22O years. The Lam
beth tortoise, which was introduced
into the garden by Archbishop LaUd
about the year 1925, and died in 1853,
owing TO some neglect of the gardener,
lived in its last situation" 12S years.
In 1888 Sir Charles Colville, governor Of
Mauritius, sent to the Geological gar
dens Il tortoise weighing 2S5 pounds.
II was four feet four inches long. and
had been in Mauritius for g. years. The
exact period was known. for this tor
toise was brought 10 that island from
the Seychelles in 176G by Chevalier
Marion du Fresno. II that time il was
full grown, 50 that its real age was prob
ably much greater. In the Museum of
Natural History at South Kensington
are remains of Aldabra tortoise of the
species now presented to the Geological
society by Mr.. Walter Rothschild. which,
though only known 10 be so years old,
weighed $50 pounds, and was still grow
ing at the time of its death.
The structure Of the tortoise con-
tributes 4 large share of their preemi-
hence in length of life. Their bodies
are spared the whole of that exhaust
ing process of collapse and expansion
which we call breathing" The cruel
wear and tear of this incessant motion,
involving work of lungs. muscles, ribs
and air passages, unnoticed in health.
but n of the most distressing facts
revealed by Illness, does not fall on the
happy tortoise. Els shell" packpiece.
Il Dreastplate alike, is as rigid as Z
piece of concrete He sucks il air by
making a vacuum with his tongue, and
swallows il like water. the reservoir in
stead Of 4 stomach being his ~capacious
lungs. In addition TO this enormous
saving Of energy. the tortoise enjoys
two other structural advantages. he
has no teeth TO break. decay. get out
of order. and ultimately starve him TO
death, like those Of an old horse on
broken-toothed rabbit. Instead ne has
sharp. horny edges TO his mouth. which
do not break or get out OF order. And,
lastly, there is his impenetrable shell.
\ very curious fact il relation 10 the
giant tortoises is their isolation on
small, remote, ocean-surrounded islands
al vast distances from land and from
each other. Aldabra, for example. is
L small. uninbabited island in the IN
dian ocean. northwest OF Madagascar.
Others are found in ocean archipela-
goes, like the Seychelles, OF recent vol
canic islets, like the Galapagos off the
Pacific o. South America. One
rather attractive theory for this iso-
lation OF the big ~toTtOiseS traces their
plantation" on these desolate Islands
10 the old buccaneers. Il has been cor
tended that The Galapagos islands were
the original home Of the giant t~Ortoises
and that the rovers. who stocked them
on board ship and kept them alive for
long periods, may have left them AT
places of call, even il eC7ot
duriH" the long periods in which buc'
caneeUinr fourished.-London Specta
tor.