Tortoises are among the longest-living animals. Tortoises of the Galapagos giant tortoise species live 190 years on average, the report says. In 2022 Jonathan, the world's oldest tortoise, turned 190, and is on course to live across two centuries.

Named in Guinness World Records, Jonathan is now the world's oldest animal. The previous record belonged to an ancient chelonian that lived for 188 years. From 1832 to 2022, this land tortoise has lived on in good health.

Scientists have researched endlessly why tortoises live so long. Essentially, a tortoise's metabolism is very slow, and its energy is also used up slowly.

Many researchers say the faster an animal's metabolism, the shorter its life. They believe metabolism is linked to certain basic elements of the body (responsible for cell death) and to unstable molecules (which supply the body with energy). Following this line, one explanation of tortoise longevity emerges: because of their slow metabolism, tortoises spend less energy, and so the rate of cell death also falls.

Tortoises have very strong protection, as a look at their shell makes clear. Giant tortoises live in places where people rarely go, so there is almost no threat to their lives.

Interestingly, young tortoises play the main role in breeding. Once they grow a little older, the old ones keep out of anything to do with reproduction.

Citing Geo News and CNN.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.