The turtle lifespan can be especially long. How long do turtles live? Maybe you can remember Crush the sea turtle‘s answer in Disney’s Finding Nemo: “Hundred and fifty, dude, and still young. Rock on!” Crush was right – many turtles and tortoises can live to be well over 150 years old. How old is the oldest turtle in the world? Let’s explore some of the world’s longest-lived turtle species and record-breaking individuals.
How Long Do Turtles Live?
According to the Turtle Conservation Society, most turtle species live from 10 to 80 years. But sea turtles and large land tortoises can live to be much older. Their lifespan can be 150 years or more. As with whales, sharks, and other species, it is often difficult to determine a turtle’s exact age. After all, researchers are not usually present when the animals are born. Some have estimated, however, that large turtles may be able to live 400 to 500 years!
Meet the World’s Oldest Turtles
Jonathan the Seychelles giant tortoise is currently the oldest known land animal in the world. Meet Jonathan and some of his predecessors as you consider the following list of some of the longest-lived land turtles that have existed in recent decades. Notice, too, that all ages are estimated or even contested. The estimates are made based on scientific studies and historical records.
#5. Harriet the Giant Galapagos Land Tortoise
Age: 175 (estimated)Sex: FemaleSize: 150 kgSpecies: Giant Galapagos land tortoise, Chelonoidis nigerBirth: Galapagos Islands, circa 1830Where it lived: Australia Harriet captivated animal lovers for more than a century in Australia, and for two decades as a resident of Australia Zoo in Queensland, Australia. She was often seen on The Crocodile Hunter television series. Prior to her death in 2006, Harriet was the oldest known animal in the world (invertebrates and vertebrates with surmised but unconfirmed ages were not counted). She had been named the “oldest living chelonian” by the Guinness Book of World Records. Where did Harriet come from? Naturalist Charles Darwin collected the turtle during an expedition to the Galapagos Islands in 1835 – specifically, the island of Santa Cruz. At the time, she was about the size of a dinner plate, and it was estimated that she must have hatched around 1830. She was taken first to England, then arrived in Australia in 1842. She lived at the Brisbane Botanical Gardens for more than 100 years before being transferred to Fleay’s Fauna Sanctuary and then to Australia Zoo. According to the Australia Zoo, “DNA testing definitively proved that Harriet was at least one generation older than any existing tortoise in Australia.”
#4. Tu’i Malila the Radiated Tortoise
Age: 189Sex: FemaleSize: 16.25 inches long, 13 inches wide, 9.5 inches tallSpecies: Radiated tortoise, Astrochelys radiataBirth: Madagascar, circa 1777Where it lived: Tonga Tu’i Malila was said to have been collected from Madagascar, a large island off the coast of Africa, by the British explorer James Cook in 1777. She was later given to the royal family of the island of Tonga in the Pacific. Tu’i Malila was the “all-time verified record holder for the world’s oldest tortoise,” according to Guinness World Records, but this record has been surpassed by Jonathan. Tu’i Malila died in 1966, but you can still view her preserved body in the Royal Palace of Tonga today.
#3. Jonathan the Seychelles Giant Tortoise
Age: 189 (estimated)Sex: MaleSize: 48 inches longSpecies: Seychelles giant tortoise, Aldabrachelys gigantea hololissaBirth: Seychelles, circa 1832Where it lives: Saint Helena Jonathan the Seychelles giant tortoise, a subspecies of the Aldabra giant tortoise, was born an estimated two years after Harriet. Following her death, he became the oldest known living land animal. The Guinness Book of World Records now shows Jonathan as officially being the world’s oldest turtle at the age of 190 years old! Jonathan was collected from Seychelles, a group of islands in the Indian Ocean and off the coast of Africa, in 1882. He was brought to Saint Helena, an island in the Pacific Ocean, where he has resided ever since. Jonathan was described as “fully mature” in 1882. Since these tortoises reach maturity at 50 years of age, it is estimated that Jonathan hatched no later than 1832. He could, however, be some years older. As of October 2022, Jonathan was reported as being alive and well.
#2. Adwaita the Aldabra Giant Tortoise
Age: 255 (unverified)Sex: MaleSize: 551 lbsSpecies: Aldabra giant tortoise, Aldabrachelys giganteaBirth: Aldabra Atoll, Seychelles, circa 1750Where it lived: Kolkata, India It is said that Adwaita arrived in India in 1757, living at a colonial estate until being transferred to the Alipore Zoo in 1875. Adwaita lived at the Alipore Zoological Gardens in Kolkata, India, until his death in 2006. You’ll notice that Adwaita died in the same year as Harriet, but his birth was estimated to have been 82 years earlier. Why was Harriet, and not Adwaita, considered the oldest living land animal at that time? The stories of Adwaita’s origins are considered anecdotal and have not been confirmed, whereas Harriet’s collection and travels were well documented. Some investigators rank Adwaita at the ripe old age of 150 at the time of his death.
#1. Alagba the African spur-thighed tortoise
Age: 344 (contested)Sex: FemaleSize: 20 inches, 90 lbs (average)Species: African spur-thighed tortoise, Geochelone sulcataBirth: Africa, date unconfirmedWhere it lived: Nigeria How old is the oldest turtle in the world? In 2019, a Nigerian royal palace “announced that its resident tortoise… died following a short illness, saying it was a remarkable 344 years old,” according to the BBC. The tortoise, thought by some to possess healing powers, was said to have been brought to the palace by Isan Okumoyede, whose rule lasted from 1770 to 1797. This would mean that Alagba would have been over 100 years old when brought to the palace. Many experts consider this age unlikely, as this tortoise species typically have a lifespan of 80 to 100 years. It has been suggested that the name Alagba has been given to more than one tortoise over the years, replacing the former at its death.
Here is a Summary of the Worlds Oldest Turtles
Here is a brief recap of the famous Turtles that broke the record for longest turtle lifespan:
Up Next…
North Carolina is home to around 20 total species of turtles ranging from tiny three-inch mud turtles to massive sea turtles that can reach upwards of 5 feet long! Here are the 10 Amazing Turles of North Carolina. Sea turtles are certainly among the most stunning and fascinating reptiles on the planet. Here are the Sea Turtles of Florida.If you find turtles as fascinating as we do, you’ve probably spent some time wondering about how we classify these unusual animals. Are turtles reptiles, amphibians, or perhaps something else?
Harriet the Galapagos giant tortoise lived to be 175, and Jonathan the Aldabra Seychelles giant tortoise had reached the age of 189 at the time of publication. Who Was Lonesome George, and Where Is He Now? Lonesome George was a male Pinta Island tortoise (Chelonoidis abingdonii). He was the last known individual of his species, often called “the rarest creature in the world.” After his island home was devasted by an invasive species, George was moved to another Galapagos Island, Santa Cruz, in 1971. He is estimated to have hatched circa 1910, making him around 101 or 102 years old when he died in 2012. His body was preserved and he remains on display at Galapagos National Park. How Old Is the Oldest Galapagos Turtle Now Living? The exact age of most wild Galapagos turtles is unknown. A female Fernandina giant tortoise living at the breeding center on Santa Cruz Island in the Galapagos is estimated to be more than 100 years old. Interestingly, the Fernandina giant tortoise was thought to have been extinct for more than a century. The last known individual was seen in 1906. Then, the Fernandina female was discovered in 2019, 115 years later!
