[Cet article a initialement été publié le 17 décembre 2024]
Henry weighs 700 kilograms for 5 meters long. It is the biggest animal in the center, and it may have several thousand descendants.
Henry, the endemic crocodile of Crocworld
100 years, 130 or 124? In any case, “He is clearly old“, told Live Science Steven Austad, a biologist who studies the aging of animals at the University of Alabama. The specialists believe that he was born in December 1900 in the Delta of the Okavango river in Botswana, in which he spent 80 years. Anyway, this crocodile of the Nile can boast of deserving his honorary title of the oldest crocodile.”An age of 124 is inconceivable for a crocodile“.
Currently, it is 5 meters long and weighs 710 kg. According to information from the researchers, he would have coupled with no less than six females since his arrival in Crocworld. Consequently, his guards think he would have caused 10,000 descendants in less than 40 years.
Although very old, Henry is not alone in this zoo. He is indeed accompanied by his always also senior friend: Colgate, a 90 -year -old crocodile, the second largest crocodile in the center according to the press release.
According to a study published by the National Library of Medicine (NIH) concerning the longevity of crocodiles, the fact that these reptiles live so long could be due to their “Intestinal microbiome of and/or its metabolites [qui] produce substances contributing to their “robustness” and their longevity”.
A longer lifespan in captivity?
As stipulated in the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), it is commonly accepted that animals live longer in captivity than in wilderness, because this saves them certain mortality factors such as famine, extreme climatic conditions, predation, intra- and interspecific competition …
This is Henry, a Nile Crocodile. It is reported to be the oldest nown croc in the world, born in 1900. pic.twitter.com/nmo0q4iih4
– Nature is amazing ☘️ (@amazlngnature) September 12, 2024
According to additional studies carried out on this subject, the results are even particularly convincing with regard to small mammals. Indeed, in the wild, “The life cycle is naturally shorter than large mammals due to a more marked intraspecific competition and intraspecific competition”However, in elephants from Asia and Africa, or primates, the lifespan is the same or even lower in captivity.
What is the oldest animal in the world?
To date, the oldest animal in the known world is Jonathan the turtle, which celebrated its 191st anniversary in early December 2023. This giant turtle of Seychelles was therefore born in 1832, before the invention of the postal stamp, the telephone and photography.
Today, he lives in Saint-Hélène. In addition to being a national treasure, he had a busy life with in particular a very beautiful “love story”, shared with a male congener. “” “Jonathan is in good health and all the current signs allow us to hope that he will reach his third century – if not already done ”, said the veterinarian Joe Hollins on him at Guinness World Records.
Source: Iflscience
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