World's oldest living animal discovered

A recently discovered photograph has helped mark Jonathan the Tortoise as the oldenst animal on the planet.

He is believed to be 176-years-old and was about 70 at the time the black and white picture was taken. It was taken on the South Atlantic island of St. Helena, where Jonathan still lives today, along with five other tortoises David, Speedy, Emma, Fredricka and Myrtle, in a plantation.

Despite his old age, locals say he still has the energy to regularly mate with the three younger females. Officials say that Jonathan is the sole survivor of three tortoises that arrived on St Helena Island in 1882. He was already mature and at least 50 years old upon arrival. His minimum age therefore is 176-years-old.

St. Helena's greatest claim to fame came when Napoleon was exiled there in 1815. He was held prisoner there until his death in 1821 and is buried there.

Original article here.

UPDATE 12/29/2008:

According to this article, there is some debate arising as to whether Jonathan is really the world's oldest living being. A local businessman and amateur historian has said he strongly suspects the creature in the old picture above actually died 90 years ago. The possible confusion may have arisen because of a curious tradition among islanders of passing on nicknames from father to son. In this case, the islanders may have just renamed the next largest tortoise Jonathan after the original passed away.