Charles Darwin's tortoise celebrates 175th birthday

Is Charles Darwin a "Celebrity"? We're only supposed to cover celebrity pet news on this blog, and I wouldn't want to break any rules--but you'd think the man that the man who originated the theory of evolution, was named one of the 100 Greatest Britons, and founded the ever-humorous "Darwin Awards" for stupid deaths can be truly labeled a celebrity. (Okay, maybe be didn't start the "Darwin Awards", but they're named after him, after all!)

So, if we've established that Charles is (or was) a celebrity, then this is definitely newsworthy. Even though he passed away way back in 1882, one of Charles' pets continues to grace us with her presence. Okay, maybe Harriet the Galapagos tortoise wasn't really a pet--more of a research subject--but she lived with and was cared for by Charles for five years.

Harriet was hatched in 1830 and was collected along with two other tortoises by Charles and his team in 1835. The three lived in England with Charles for five years, but the cold climate reduced them to a state of virtual hibernation and they were brought to sunny Australia in 1842.

Far be it from me to besmirch the reputation of Mr. Darwin, but he thought she was a he and called her Harry. It wasn't until a researcher examined the tortoise in 1960 that it was discovered he was a she so Harry became Harriet. (Wow, talk about a gender issue--she was mistaken for a male for 130 years!)

One of the three tortoises died in the 19th century and the other passed away in 1949, but Harriet is still going strong. In fact, she recently partied hearty when she turned 175, making her the world's oldest known living animal. If you happen to be at the Australia Zoo on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, please wish the old gal a happy birthday from us!

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