New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-08-15
ALDABRA'S GIANT TORTOISE
A FAMOUS ANIMAL. MENTIONED IN AN
INTERNATIONAL TREATY.
1T Is KNOWN To BE OVER ONE HUNDRED AND
FIFTY YEARS OLD AND MAY BE MUCH
oI.pER-oNE OF THE MOST ANCIENT
or LIVING ANIMALS.
From The Spectator.


From The Spectator.
Walter Rothschild has procured for TINS coun-
fry and installed in the geological SOclet! ,
collection the Oldest living creature in the Worsn
II is one of the giant tOrtOlScS OF AldaDra. sum
GENTLY remarkable for its size, Tor IL WclSl' d
uuartcr Of a ton but even more interesting from
the record of its age This gives IL Il KIN" II
life Of $50 years. with the unknown lhcreiil,,i'
of IFS age previous to its transportation 10 the
island of Nautilus. 1t is, we believe the sam
tortoise which was mentioned IN the treaty ne
tween Great Britain and France when the ~
and was coded by the former country IN ioio,
and has therefore, changed its status FOUR tliHeS
in a century and a half as national HEIRLOOM.
When the length Of the life of other ahithais
is Contrastod with that of the giant tortoise, II
is clear that tn" latter must ENJOY soiilt SPc'in
advantage. either of structure or OF haplt' con-
ducing to longevity. one hundred years Is
good old age for an elephant. and no other am
mails except certain birds and reptiles, reach
half this span Of years. With this we may COZ
trast the following Instances of the lehSth oi
years attained both 10y the smaller tortoises anu
the gigantic species. In the l}lshoPs ',aruen
at Peterborough one died in ISL when was
said to have exceeded 30 years. The l-ampeth
tortoise which was introduced into the garden
by Archbishop I.aud about the year 100, ana
died in lIJ.;. owing to some n Gicct or the Sdi =
dener, lived in It's last situation Us years IN
lS:", Sir Charles Colvillr. Governor OF the Maurl-
thus. sent To the Zoo 'ogica Gardens tortoise
weighing ~ pounds IT was ! feet ! incheS
long. and had been in the Nautilus for sixty
seven years. The exact period was known: Tor
the Seychelles in 1866 by the Chevalier Marion
du Fresno. At that time il was full grown so
that its real age was probably much greater. In
the Museum of Natural History at South Ken
singtOn the remains Of an Aldabra tortoise
Of the species presented TO the Geological
Society 10y Waite Rothschild which, though
only known to be eighty years old. weighed so
pounds, and was still growing at the time Of its
death.
WHY THEY LIVE so LONG.
The structure Of the tortoises contributes
large share to their pre-eminence in length Of
life. Their bodies spared the whole of that
cxhausting process Of collapse and expansion
which call breathing The cruel wear ana
tear of this incessant motion. involving work OF
lungs, muscles, ribs and air-passages. unnoticed
in health. but one Of the most distressing facts
revealed by illness does not fall on the happy
tortoise His Shell" backpiece and breast
plate alike. is rigid as piece of concrete.
The "armor' of armadilO rises and falls on
his back at each respiration. That of the tor
toise being al Outside skeleton instead OF n
"prOccSS Of the epidermS," he Is kindly saved
all this trouble. He sucks in air by making a
vacuum with his tongue and swallows it like
water the reservoir instead Of 4 stomach being
his capacious lungs. In addition TO this enOr
nous saving OF energy, the tortoise enjoys two
other structural advantages. He has no teeth
to break, decay. get out of order and ultimately
starye him to death, like those OF an old horse
or "A broken toothcd rabbit. Instead he has
sharp horny edges 10 his mouth, which do not
break or get out Of order And. lastly, there is
his impenetrable shell. In reference to this size
is Of n real advantage for though small tor
toises may live for centuries in Bishops Gar
dens. they have their enemies In the outer world
Adjutant- storks swallow them whole and digest
them, shell and all, and In California the golden
eagle carries them UP TO a height and lets them
fall on the rocks, thereby smashing their shells,