Britain’s most senior citizen: Thomas the tortoise celebrates 130th birthday after surviving the Blitz

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Identity crisis: Thomas is 130 years old and was only discovered to be a girl after 96 years Born when Gladstone was Prime Minister, Thomas the tortoise has survived everything since 1882, even Nazi bombs. But Thomas, now Britain’s oldest resident, hid a secret under its shell for most of those 130 years – being a female. The tortoise was pulled from the rubble of a bomb-hit house in Essex in 1945. But it was only when owner June Le Gallez of Guernsey inherited Thomas in 1978 that a vet found the truth, after 96 years.

Healthy diet: Could the secret to Thomas's long life be her love of bananas? ‘People suggested I rename him Tomasina, but I thought it would be cruel to change it,’ said Mrs Le Gallez, 54, adding: ‘She isn’t slowing down. People can’t believe how active she is.’ Mrs Le Gallez, 54, who cares for the reptile at her home on the Channel Island of Guernsey, added: ‘Thomas is very much part of the family. I have pictures with her when I was as young as two. 'Because she is so old we thought we would have lost her by now but she is tough. I sometimes wonder if she will outlive me. ‘She’s always been very big for her age. ‘Thomas used to live and run in the garden when she was younger but now we keep her in the house and she bumbles around. ‘She is just a massive part of the family and everyone is very fond of her. ‘She really races around when she wants to. She’s really fast.’ Mrs Le Gallez inherited Thomas from her cousin Grace Hilditch in 1978. Ms Hilditch had been given Thomas in 1922 as a present from her father Harry, who was friends with a reptile keeper at London Zoo. source: dailymail

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It's not you it's me! Tortoises end their 115 year 'marriage' after female starts attacking her male mate

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Tortoises Bibi and Poldi who have been partners for 115 years have broken up

A pair of zoo tortoises who have been partners for 115 years have sadly broken up - marking the end of what could be the world's longest animal 'marriage'.
Long-time lovers Bibi and Poldi, both giant tortoises aged 115, have been together since just after their births.
But zoo workers at the Reptilienzoo Happ in Austria have had to separate them after female Bibi started attacking mate Poldi.

Female Bibi started attacking mate Poldi and even bit off a part of his shell

'We get the feeling they can't stand the sight of each other anymore,' said Zoo boss Helga Happ.
'For no reason that anyone can discover they seem to have fallen out, they just can't stand each other,'
Keepers at the tourist attraction realised something was up when Bibi bit off a part of Poldi's shell.
She attacked again a number of times until he was moved to a separate enclosure for his safety.
The zoo even tried bringing in experts to try and save the union.

Zoo workers at the Reptilienzoo Happ in Austria have had to separate the pair


The zoo even tried bringing in experts but feared that the 100kg reptiles might kill each other

They administered tortoise aphrodisiacs to try and bring fun back into the relationship.
And to test if it was safe to reintroduce them after a period apart, the zoo made a fake version of Poldi covered in his smell. But Bibi ignored the 'dummy'.
Sadly they have had no luck to date and fear the 100kg reptiles might kill each other if forced together.
Happ added that it was 'very rare' for animals who are a pair to fall apart after so long.
'We hope very much that we can find a way to bring them back together,' she said.

source: dailymail

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Small change: Quartet of week-old baby tortoises the size of 20 pence pieces

By LYLE BRENNAN

Quite a handful: The little hatchlings cradled in the palm of a keeper

These four baby tortoises have been pulling in the crowds this Bank Holiday - causing quite a stir considering each of them is little bigger than a 20 pence piece.
Marwell Wildlife, near Winchester, Hampshire, boasts giraffes, zebras and ostriches, but this weekend was all about the smaller side of the animal kingdom.
Now just over a week old, the smallest of the hatchlings was even lighter than a 20p coin, at just 3.1 grams.
He and the three others, all critically endangered Egyptian tortoises, went on display to the public for the first time on May 4 and are proving popular with visitors. Trainee keeper Kimberley Goodfield said: 'This is the first time babies have been born in five years.
'Until now we haven’t really had the space to incubate or care for newborns.

Star attraction: These tiny Egyptian tortoises are just over a week old and have been at the centre of attention at Marwell Wildlife, Hampshire

She added: 'These babies have come from two different females - it was really exciting when we discovered they were pregnant.
'They began searching for a nest so we gave them a little help and prepared the enclosure for them.'
The eggs were quickly transferred to an incubator soon after being laid in the tortoise enclosure.

Featherweight: The smallest of the brood was born at just 3.1 grams, making it even lighter than a 20p coin

Starting out: He may be tiny for now, but this species can grow to nearly six inches long and live up to 50 years

Staff made sure they were kept in controlled conditions - a temperature of 30 degrees and 75 per cent humidity.
And, after 111 days, they were delighted to discover the eggs had begun to hatch.
Miss Goodfield was lucky enough to see the hatching first hand.
She said: 'The first time I visited the incubator one had already come through. It was a real shock because the previous day there had been no signs of hatching.
'The next day two others began to emerge. I’ve never seen tortoises hatching before.
'It was so interesting seeing them making holes in their shells to get out.'
The babies will now be kept separate from the adults for a few years until they are old enough to fend for themselves in the enclosure.

Slow and steady: Despite their size, the quartet took 111 days to hatch

Coming out of his shell: Also known as a Kleinmann's tortoise, this baby had to be hatched in carefully controlled hot and humid conditions

A closer look: Visitors to the park will be able to watch the tortoises exploring their new surroundings in a quarantine tank

They are currently in a quarantine tank where members of the public can watch them exploring their new surroundings.
Miss Goodfield said: 'They are adorable, so cute and tiny. They’ve had a great response from visitors.'
She added: 'They’re not quite old enough to fend for themselves with the adults in the enclosure.
'For now we will keep them separate. We have to be very gentle with them because they’re so small and their shells are not very hard yet.'
The Egyptian tortoise, also called the Kleinmann’s tortoise, is the smallest in the northern hemisphere.
Adults live for up to 50 years. They can grow to nearly six inches long and weigh 500 grams.

source: dailymail

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Pet tortoise reunited with shell-shocked family after crawling off and getting stuck in wire fence for FIVE MONTHS

By GRAHAM SMITH

Safe and sound: Bugsy is reunited with a delighted Mae Cameron after he went missing for five months - only to be found stuck in a wire fence near the family home in West Wickham, Cambridgeshire

A family were stunned when they found their missing tortoise alive five months after it went missing - stuck in a wire fence.
Bugsy, a Hermann's tortoise, made a bid for freedom when he fled from his hutch in West Wickham, Cambridgeshire, last July.
But he only managed to cover a quarter of a mile before becoming trapped.
He survived by eating the foliage close to him and then hibernating through the mild start to winter.

Home at last: Bugsy poses for a photo with (from left) Mae, Eve, mother Lucy, and Charlie

The Cameron family - surgeon Malcolm, 43, Lucy, 43, Eve, 13, Charlie, 11 and Mae, seven - believe their beloved pet was stuck in the fence for nearly all of the five months he was missing.
They had given up hope of ever finding him when he was spotted rustling in the undergrowth by a friend of the family - coincidentally called Shelly - in December.

Much loved: The Camerons had given up hope of ever finding Bugsy when he was spotted rustling in the undergrowth by a friend of the family

Mrs Cameron said: 'We were just so delighted when he returned we could not believe it. We thought he had been stolen or had been killed.
'It is just lucky we had a mild winter up to that point. If he was still there during this current cold patch he would have died.
'I think he must have been stuck there for the majority of the time he went missing its truly amazing he managed to survive.
'If he had not been stuck he would have dug into the ground to hibernate in September.'

source: dailymail

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Trio of tortoises arrive SEVEN months too early because of unseasonably warm weather

By ANTHONY BOND

Tiny: This adorable trio of tortoise babies gave their owner a shock when they turned up months too early because of the unseasonably warm weather

This adorable trio of tortoise babies gave their owner a shock when they turned up months too early because of the unseasonably warm weather.
Tortoises usually lay their eggs in early summer and youngsters hatch around August.
But the warm winter confused one female so much she laid her eggs in November.

Early start to life: The warm winter confused the mother of these tiny tortoises so much that she laid her eggs in November instead of early summer

The tiny trio were born recently and are now enjoying an earlier than usual start to life for a tortoise.
Owner Sally Walker, from Waterlooville, Hampshire, said: 'Normally they go in to hibernation and come back in the spring.
'But because it was warm she produced eggs in November.'

Sweet: The size of the newly-born tortoise babies can be seen when they are lined up against this ruler

Ms Walker is now hoping to sell the new arrivals, the proceeds of which will go towards an orphanage in Africa.
Last year was one of the warmest on record and led to all kinds of strange happenings during the winter months.
The Royal Horticultural Society said earlier this month that the mild winter weather confused some flowers into blooming almost six months early.

Taking a ride: One of the babies takes the easier option of hitching a lift with a slightly larger tortoise

Daffodils, geraniums, hellebores, crocus and little pinks have all been seen well ahead of their normal arrival time.
The warm temperatures also confused some ladybirds in Watts Wood Nature Reserve, Lincolnshire this month.
They were tempted out of their winter refuge by weeks of unseasonably mild temperatures but found out to their cost that they had been tricked by nature.

Early bloomers: The snowdrops at Anglesey Abbey in Cambridge have flowered early due to the mild winter

Spot of bother: The warm weather confused these ladybirds which were tempted out of their winter refuge early but were later encrusted by a layer of frost

When the cold snap descended, there was no hiding place and they found themselves encrusted by a layer of frost.
The balmy temperatures in November convinced one female duck that it was spring and therefore time to give birth.
This led to Millicent, Margot and Mildred being born in a pond in King's Somborne, near Winchester, Hampshire.

source: dailymail

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Down here! Baby tortoise hatches that is 3,000 times smaller than its mother

By MAIL FOREIGN SERVICE

Hello titch: This newborn Galapagos hatchling weighed just 87 grams when it was born and will take 30 years to get to the same size as its mother

This newborn Galapagos tortoise looks tiny as it stands next to its massive mum - who is a staggering 3,000 times bigger.

The hatchling weighed just 87 grams when it was born and will take 30 years to get to the same size as its mother, who is a massive 256 kilos.

Keepers will not know if it is male or female for several years so have given it the unisex name NJ.

The tortoise - who is barely the size of its mum's foot - can expect to live to 150 years.


Hungry fella: Keepers will not know if the Galapagos addition is male or female for several years so have given it the unisex name NJ

Its mum has become a first-time mother at the age of 90 but will play no role in its up-bringing.

As soon as a Galapagos tortoise is born they are left to fend for themselves.
The youngster is now roaming around its pen and nibbling on fruit and flowers at Taronga Western Plains Zoo in New South Wales, Australia.

Keeper Jennifer Conaghan said: 'A Galapagos tortoise can live between 100 and 150 years so we expect NJ to be around long after we have all gone.

'It loves exploring the outside environment and is especially active on warm sunny days.

source: dailymail

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Aldabra giant tortoise

A zookeeper lures an Aldabra giant tortoise onto a scale at the Artis Zoo in Amsterdam August 10, 2011. The tortoises are weighed every two years to check their health.







An Aldabra giant tortoise walks toward the camera as two others are weighed on a scale at the Artis Zoo in Amsterdam August 10, 2011. The tortoises are weighed every two years to check their health.







Two Aldabra giant tortoises mate at the Artis Zoo in Amsterdam August 10, 2011.







A zookeeper lures an Aldabra giant tortoise onto a scale at the Artis Zoo in Amsterdam August 10, 2011. The tortoises are weighed every two years to check their health.







A woman weighs a giant tortoise at the Artis Zoo in Amsterdam on August 10, 2011 during their biennial weightings as part of their general health check up. The heaviest tortoise weighed 229 kilos.





source: daylife

photo: Reuters

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This tortoise would win a race against any hare! Tuly is fitted with toy tractor wheel after leg is chewed off by rat while she was hibernating

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Up to speed: Tuly the tortoise is now faster than all her friends after having a wheel fitted to replace a leg after a rat gnawed it off while she hibernated


Tuly the tortoise is really coming out of her shell after she was fitted with a child's toy tractor wheel after a run-in with a rat left her with only three legs.

Vets fitted the tiny wheel with the help of some velcro to take the place of her severed front right limb last month - and she's already racing around on her new prosthetic attachment.

Her ordeal happened when the voracious rodent decided to chew off the appendage while the tortoise, thought to be about 45 years old, was fast asleep during her winter hibernation.


Cracked it: Norfolk Tortoise Club's chief re-homing officer Eleanor Tirtasana proudly shows off Tuly after her wheely great operation


But experts think she somehow managed to fight off the rodent and save her life despite her sleepy state.

After vets had operated to save her life at the end of last year, Norfolk Tortoise Club in Norwich called vets to fit the wheel to get her fully mobile again.

Eleanor Tirtasana, the club's chief re-homing officer, said: 'She can now scoot around freely and gives her mates a run for their money at feeding time.'

The op was carried out last month after her father Philip Chubb had engineered the new limb after buying a toy tractor at a car boot sale.


Tortoise Equipped With Wheels


source: dailymail

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Giant tortoises slowly but surely rescue tropical island's ebony forest

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

'Rewilding': British scientists brought the giant Aldabra tortoise to the Ile aux Aigrettes, off Mauritius, to help disperse ebony tree seeds


Intensive logging had decimated the ebony forest which once covered the Ile aux Aigrettes, off Mauritius

Aldabra tortoises were brought in 2000 to eat the fruit of the ebony tree and disperse the seeds in their faeces


Giant tortoises have rescued the ecology of a tropical island devastated by deforestation in a successful example of 'rewilding'.

British scientists brought the giant Aldabra tortoise - Aldabrachelys gigantea - to the Ile aux Aigrettes, off Mauritius, to help disperse ebony tree seeds.

Intensive logging that lasted until the early 1980s has decimated the ebony forest which once covered the 25-hectare island.


Going about his business: The tortoises were re-introduced in 2000 to eat the fruit of the ebony tree and disperse the seeds in their faeces


The tortoises, which can reach a length of almost 4ft and weigh 500lb, were re-introduced in 2000 to eat the fruit of the ebony tree and disperse the seeds in their faeces.

The strategy worked better than experts had hoped, leading to the widespread establishment of new ebony seedlings in heavily logged parts of the island.

Not only were seeds sown across the island, but passing through the tortoise's gut seemed to improve their germination.


source: dailymail

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The tortoise who is smaller than a grape

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Tiny Tim bashes his nose into the grape which proves a difficult obstacle for the miniature tortoise to shift


Met with the obstacle of a humble grape, most animals would swot it aside or even tuck into its tasty contents.

But for tiny Tim the tortoise the fruit proves more of a challenge.

That's because the grape and the reptile have something in common, their size.

Tim weighs in at just 6g and at his maximum will only reach 500g - the equivalent of just a couple of large bunches.

The exotic Kleinmann tortoise, who is just a month-old, is part of a litter seized by HM Customs and Excise last year.

The small sea creatures were destined for the illegal pet trade in the UK - but have now been rehomed at Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire.

The reptiles originate from Egypt and Libya and live for around 10 years.

However, since their habitat in Egypt was destroyed, they are now extinct in the country and on the global critically endangered list.


This Kleinmann tortoise weighs in at just 6g and is on the critical endangered list of animals


The animals, who can also be known by the names Egyptian Tortoise and Leith's tortoise, are the smallest of the species in the northern hemisphere.

They can range in colour from pale gold to dark brown, a characteristic that allows them to stay in the desert heat for long periods of time and act as camouflage.

The animal habitat is often that of dry areas, with sand, dry woodland and scrubs among the areas they choose. Their diet consists of grasses, fruits and vegetables.


source: dailymail

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Two heads are better than one: Mutant tortoise comes out of his shell

By OLIVER PICKUP

Double header: Magda (left) and Lenka make up a seven-week-old African Spurred Tortoise discovered in Slovakia


Held up in between two human fingers, this amazing two-headed African Spurred Tortoise is a rare sight to behold - and even evolutionist Charles Darwin would struggle to explain its unique deformity.

Delicate, precious and tiny, this pair, who have been handed two names - Madga (left head) and Lenka - are only seven weeks' old.

The duo, born in Slovenia in mind November, also have five legs (one more than normal) and were displayed in Zilina today.

Although the tortoise looks small now, it should grow much, much bigger. In fact, the species are the third largest in the world, after Darwin's friends, the Galapagos Tortoise, and the Aldabra Giant Turtle.


Unique: The rare tortoise also has five feet and was displayed at Zilina on Monday


The African spurred tortoise, which in Latin is Geochelone sulcata (geo - earth; chelone - tortoise; and sulcus - furrow (in reference to the distinctive scales)), is the biggest mainland tortoise in the world.

Usually they inhabit the southern edge of the Sahara desert, in northern Africa and adults are usually 18 inches (45 cm) in shell length, and weigh 70 to 100 pounds.


Fits in the hand: Adults can grow to have 24 to 36 inch long (60-90 cm) shells weighing 150 pounds (70 kg)


Specimens with 24 to 36 inch long (60-90 cm) shells weighing 150 pounds (70 kg) are not unknown and they grow from hatchling size (2-3 inches) very quickly, reaching 6-10 inches (15-25 cm) within the first few years of their lives.

The lifespan of an African Spurred Tortoise is about 30-50 years, though can live much longer - the oldest in captivity is 54 years, located in the Giza Zoological Gardens, Egypt, 1986.


On the up: Though the tortoise is tiny now, the species will grow to become the third biggest in the world


source: dailymail

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Burmese Star Tortoise

A handout photograph released on February 28, 2011 shows a Burmese Star Tortoise hatching from its egg at the Taipei Zoo February 24, 2011.


The Taipei Zoo and Taiwan Council of Agriculture pledged $10,000 on Monday to the Turtle Survival Alliance for the development and growth of the Burmese Star Tortoise which is deemed critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Picture taken February 24, 2011.


source: daylife
photo: Reuters

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Oakland Zoo

A pancake tortoise is seen at the Oakland Zoo Thursday, Sept. 30, 2010, in Oakland, Calif. The zoo welcomes three new pancake tortoises, one male and two females, who are named Flapjack, Maple, and Mrs. Butterworth. The male is twenty-three years old, one female is sixteen years old, and Maple is three years old. The pancakes came from the Bronx Zoo in New York on August 10, 2010.





An African elephant blows dirt on itself to aid in protection from the sun at the Oakland Zoo Thursday, Sept. 30, 2010, in Oakland, Calif. The Bay area has endured a heat wave this week, with temperatures into the 90's.



A group of meercats stand at attention at the Oakland Zoo Thursday, Sept. 30, 2010, in Oakland, Calif.


photo: AP

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