At 192, Jonathan – The Oldest Living Land Animal – Has Lived Through 40 US Presidents

Living through just one US president might feel like it lasts forever – but imagine living through 40 of them. That’s an unlikely feat for us humans unless we somehow figure out how to live longer (or if we ended up with a string of presidents serving short terms), but it’s a reality for Jonathan the tortoise, the world’s oldest living land animal.

No one knows exactly how old this Seychelles giant tortoise (Aldabrachelys gigantea hololissa) is. He arrived fully grown to the South Atlantic island of Saint Helena in 1882, serving as a gift to the British overseas territory’s future governor, William Grey-Wilson. Based on Jonathan’s maturity at that time, it’s estimated he was at least 50 years old – and so, when he was finally given an official birthday in 2022, it was assigned to be December 4, 1832.

That means Jonathan will turn, at the very least, a whopping 193 years old later this year. During that time, the giant tortoise has lived through US presidents from Andrew Jackson all the way to Donald Trump. That’s 40 presidents in total, and a whole lot of political history. 

Not that he’d have paid much attention to US politics, that is. Not just because he lives in St Helena, which isn’t part of the US, but because, well… he’s a tortoise. As far as we’re aware, he’s much more likely to be invested in a leafy green snack (and frankly, who can blame him).

He might not be able to smell or see such delicious goods anymore – he’s pretty much lost his sight due to cataracts and his sense of smell has also gone – but Jonathan’s appetite “remains keen” according to his vet Joe Hollins, speaking to Guinness World Records (GW)in 2023.

Hollins gave an insight into Jonathan’s top snacks during a 2019 interview with GWR. “He loves banana, but it tends to gum up his mouth. Lettuce hearts, though not very nutritious, are a favourite. He also greatly enjoys cabbage, cucumber, apple, other seasonal fruits, carrots – a good source of dietary fibre that he loves.” 

But besides feasting on some tasty meals, what else does a 192-year-old tortoise get up to on a daily basis?

It’s a “very relaxed” schedule, apparently. “He enjoys the sun but on very hot days takes to the shade. On mild days, he will sunbathe – his long neck and legs stretched fully out of his shell to absorb heat and transfer it to his core,” said Rollins. “On cold winter days, he will dig himself into leaf mould or grass clippings and remain there all day.”

Sounds pretty chilled, although maybe he’s just saving his energy for knockin’ boots with Emma and Fred, two of the other tortoises he lives with. “In spite of his age, Jonathan still has a good libido and is seen frequently to mate with Emma and sometimes Fred,” said Rollins.

Get it, Jonathan.