A Creature that Drinks Air.

Otago Witness, Issue 2295, 24 February 1898, Page 52

A Creature that Drinks Air.

Fancy a creature that was probably living feefore George I came to thß throne hiving only lateAy been acquired by the Zoo. This is one of the giant tortoises of Aldabra, and his known sge is 150 years. And what the creature's age was when he was taken from his home in the island of Ald-ibra aud brought to Mauritius, no one knows. Tflis tortoise is one of the few animals, except the white elephants of Siam, that were ever specially mentioned in a treaty. In 1810, however, we find the creature spoken of ia the treaty between England and France by which Mauritius was ceded. The reasons why a tortoise lives so long are several. First, hi« breathing apparatus is different. He swallows air like water, and does aotj v j»ve the trouble of breathing ib constantly

in and out. Then he has no teeth to decay or annoy him, only a sort of horny beak, which caDnot get out of order. Agaia, his impene^ trable shell gives him a. protection no other animal has ; and, finally, he takes life so exceedingly easy that nothing seems to worry him. This particular tortoise now weighs 5001b, and seems quite good for another century or so.