CROYDON ADVERTISER (UK) 04 October 09 Britain's oldest reptile, age 110, still going strong in Coulsdon (Lucy Buckland)

Meet 110-year-old Tommy – a tortoise who was born when Queen Victoria was still on the throne.

Coulsdon owner Sheila Floris inherited Tommy after her mother Margaret passed away in July last year.

Her mother had bought the tortoise for £1 in 1909 when he was already 10 years old.

It was thought the female Hermann's tortoise was a boy when she was bought, which is why it was given such a manly name.

She is now believed to have crawled her way to the title of the UK's oldest reptile – as well as the oldest living resident.

Mrs Floris, 52, of St Andrew's Road, said: "I just knew I had to take Tommy after my mum died.

"My mum had so many foxes in her garden they would have just torn Tommy up.

"Now she is a memory of my mum, it's almost like I am keeping a bit of her alive in my back garden.

"If I had not taken her home she would have died just like my mum and I couldn't bear it. Now Tommy is part of our family.

"When she hibernated that year, just after my mother died, I thought how wonderful it would be if she woke up on mum's birthday. When she did it was like a gift from above."

Tommy is protected in the garden by the family's ten-year-old cat, Jet, who sits with her every morning from 9am.

Mrs Floris said: "The two of them love each other.

"At first we were worried because Jet is a hunter but then we saw how much Jet protects Tommy from birds and other creatures. It is wonderful."

Mrs Floris said she is amazed that Tommy has reached the ripe old age of 110.

The mum-of-two explained: "She still crawls around and when I call her name she puts her head out of her shell as if to say hello.

Although Tommy suffers from rheumatism and has to have special supplements ordered online, Mrs Floris said the tortoise was in good health and could live for another 50 years.

David Alderton, editor of Practical Reptile Keeping magazine, said: "We've only heard to date of one individual who is more than 100. Tommy could well be the oldest-known example."

http://www.thisiscroydontoday.co.uk/latestnews/Britain-s-oldest-reptile-age-110-going-strong-Coulsdon/article-1388236-detail/article.html
Britain's oldest reptile, age 110, still going strong in Coulsdon

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• GBR Press: Britain's oldest reptile - W von Papineäu, Mon Oct 12 19:52:59 2009