Jonathan the tortoise became the quondam tortoise in human criminal record in 2022 , being granted the accolade by the Guinness World Records ( who recently named theworld ’s oldest cat ) after work 190 . It ’s been accept that he hatched in 1832 based on photographic record , but it was n’t until November of this yr that he was finally grant an prescribed natal day .

Jonathan ’s birthday was declare to be December 4 , 1832 , by the regulator of the British overseas dominion Nigel Phillips , Guardianreports . It was celebrated with athree - day partyat his home plate on the island of St Helena in the South Atlantic Ocean and damn , that ’s a party we like we ’d got an invite to .

Reptilian buddy and local residents were invited to the soiree that was carry at the governor ’s theatre complete with a tortoise - friendly natal day cake . A fitting tribute to a creature that ’s both the populace ’s oldest aliveness beast , and the oldest tortoise on human phonograph recording .

Jonathan is a Seychelles giant tortoise ( Aldabrachelys gigantea hololissa ) , and he clawed the prestigious crown from the claws ofTu’i Malila , a radiated tortoise that died at the old age of 188 in 1965 . Technically , his prescribed record form of address is oldest chelonian , an order of shelled reptiles that let in all turtles , terrapins , and tortoises .

Without any prescribed documents to crop from , the tortoise ’s grand older age is an estimation based on an former photograph that show when he get in in St Helena from the Seychelles in 1882 . In the exposure , Jonathan appear to be fully mature and so likely at least 50 years old , propose he was carry in at least 1832 .

His impressive stretch on Earth has seen him parade on through 39 US chairperson and only narrowly miss meeting Napoleon . His slow pace of biography afforded him to hang back in sure interest , and it was n’t until 184 geezerhood of living that hehad a bath .

Though he is carrying 190 better than any ground beast ever has , time is start to take its toll with Jonathon reported to be blind with no sense of olfactory sensation , but he still has a hearty appetence with front-runner including banana and lettuce heart .

So , raise a Romaine to the people ’s prince on this , the week of his 190thbirthday .