Birthday bash for Darwin's 175-year old turtle

[slaveplanet]

Sydney | November 15, 2005 12:15:06 PM IST
 

Australia Tuesday threw a birthday party for a giant tortoise called Harriet who at 175 years of age is believed to be the world's oldest creature - and to have been brought from the Galapagos Islands by Darwin himself.

At the birthday bash at the Australia Zoo near Brisbane, a cake was cut to celebrate a long and eventful life lived on three continents that keeper Laura Campbell hoped was far from over.

Harriet hasn't far to go before she beats the longevity record of 188 years set by another Galapagos-born tortoise that until his death was the pride and joy of the King of Tonga.

"We're well and truly hoping that Harriet lives a lot longer than that," Campbell said of the much-loved herbivore that munched away on hibiscus flowers.

more...
http://news.webindia123.com/news/showdetails.asp?id=162904&n_date=20051115&cat=Science

[pinniped]

1. That's cool. Steinhart Aquarium (CAS) held a Darwin display before...

the whole complex was torn down to make room for a totally new building.

[oscarmitre]

2. I just hope they kept Steve Irwin away from her

at her age she doesn't need the noise :)

(he owns the zoo)

[AngryAmish]

7. Why do Australians run around yelling "CRICKEY!"?

[oscarmitre]

18. Same reason that Americans

keep calling each other "Dude!" We just like to live up to stereotypes ;)

[biggles1]

22. PUHLEASE!!......

To suggest that most of us run around uttering "Crikey!" is in the same realm as claiming that Americans all use the Gomer Pyle-ism "Goooollllyyyy!" If it's a stereotype, it's one observed in the absence....(notwithstanding the painful Mr Irwin)!

[AngryAmish]

26. Sorry

I just like to get a rise out of Australians.

Getting a rise out of Australians is quite fun...

[oscarmitre]

31. but

not hard to do :)

[obreaslan]

3. Just to be fair and balanced...

Shouldn't they also display the 6000 year old dinosaurs that Adam and Eve rode to church? Or some other representation of ID....

:evilgrin:

[dogfacedboy]

4. In "intelligent design",

is thunder really angels bowling? I gotta know!

[obreaslan]

6. Yes, that is God bowling...

and lightening is God taking pictures, and rain is God's plumbing leaking, and the stork brings babies, and oh so many other logical theories that trump physical science.

:)

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

15. That's what my mom always told me....

when I was a kid.

[LostinVA]

12. The Devil put the dinosaur bones in the ground!

And don't you forget it!

[wildcat78]

17. Devonian Mass Extinction Event

The "fundies" have a quick answer for dinosaurs: Noah's flood. But, if you hit them with the Devonian Mass Extinction Event, they get a very puzzled look. Then, when it is explained to them, their house of cards come falling down...

What we witness with the "fundies" is bad religion AND bad science.

[dogfacedboy]

37. And I Helped !!! n/t

[hallc]

5. awesome! n/t

[buzzard]

8. Here are a few of the giant tortoises, my daughter did a biology

course in the Galapagos I was so jealous. She is in the orange shirt.

[superconnected]

13. Those are cool!

Thanks for the picture!

[Cronus Protagonist]

9. The author doesn't know the difference between a tortoise and a turtle

Seems more and more common these days.

[oscarmitre]

19. She was described as a tortoise in the article.

She is a tortoise.

I must have missed something.

[Cronus Protagonist]

29. The title refers to a "turtle" and the article is about a tortoise

Completly different creatures.

[oscarmitre]

32. I did miss something! n/t

[BiggJawn]

34. Modern Murkan Proofreading...

Our Sunday paper had an article about a neighbourhood "banning together" after a tragedy, and today's Campus garbage wrapper had a front page piece on "Harnassing" the Sun's energy...

I'm not the World's Best Speller (just ask the DU spelling Nazis)by a DAMN sight, but I'm better than THAT.

[Lisa]

10. I love how the shape of the front of the shell differs so much

(an apparent adaptation linked to the amount of neck-stretching needed to graze the vegetation, in different habitats)

Perfect!

[GoddessOfGuinness]

11. Happy Birthday Harriet!

:loveya:

[Occulus]

14. It's NOT the world's oldest living thing

The world's oldest single living organism is, I believe, a type of interconnected fungus in the northwestern US, estimated to be several THOUSAND years old.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2003-03/nrco-hfa032603.php

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

16. You mean it's older than Eden?

That can't be possible.

[tinrobot]

21. There are also 4000 year old trees in California

Bristlecone pines, I believe.

http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/bristlecone_pine.htm

[Richard Steele]

25. No, you are thinking of LARGEST organism!

That fungus is the size of 1600 football feilds,
but only a few thousand years old.

A rare, sterile Tasmanian holly variety ((Lomatia tasmanica))
has produced a single , interconnected clone-colony
at least 43,000 years old.
http://waynesword.palomar.edu/ww0601.htm#oldest

[stop the bleeding]

20. I am nominating this - this is awesome

:thumbsup:

[Akoto]

23. Picture of Harriet.

Here is Harriet eating some lunch, apparently. She's all about the low-carb. :)

[free_spirit82]

24. Go Cindy!!

:patriot:

[Octafish]

27. Australia's got an old turtle. America's got a little turd.

The Little Turd from Crawford, that is.

[NYC Liberal]

28. I was thinking more along the lines of:

But Harriet is much better looking!

[HannibalBarca]

35. Argh

...Look at that moron, such faux bravado, whats he gonna cut, a twig. I'd imagine he'd need a nap after that, such exertion wears out the almighty terra warrior.

[Raine]

30. WONDERFUL

I have two Tortoises myself not Galapagos but CA Desert Tortoises. One of mine is about 50 yrs old and the other is 35, they are the sweetist critters, very loving.:loveya:

[blindpig]

33. Very cool.

I've got a couple of oldsters myself: a Mississippi mud turtle that I purchased in 1968, she was then a mature adult. Also have a Chiapian Giant Musk turtle that I hatched on 3/15/74.

If only dogs lived so long.

[Raine]

36. Yeah

I wish dogs could live that long too. My dog is about 12 now and I know that if I'm lucky I will have him another 5 years but probably not much longer than that. :-(

I inherited the tortoies from a friend who died. Someday I will have to find someone to leave them to cause they live so much longer than people.

[LostinVA]

38. This is at Steve Irwin (Croc Hunter)'s zoo, btw -- Crikey!