# Darwin's Tortoise Dies **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 23, 2006, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darwins-tortoise-dies/361905 "2006-06-23T20:20:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2006, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darwins-tortoise-dies/361905/1 "2006-06-23T20:20:23Z")
[Link](http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,19566724-2,00.html) The tortoise was supposedly brought from the Galapagos by Charles Darwin, and later given to a friend who was headed to Brisbane. An article on [this blog](http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/indexn?blogid=19) has a picture of her. Darwin’s Tortoise wouldn’t be such a bad band name, either… ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2006, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darwins-tortoise-dies/361905/2 "2006-06-23T20:44:27Z")
There is something utterly depressing about this news. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2006, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darwins-tortoise-dies/361905/3 "2006-06-23T20:54:39Z")
> [@](#): > > At 176, Harriet was recognised as the world’s oldest living chelonian - a reptile with a shell or bony plates. I guess now, that just leaves Sylvia Miles. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2006, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darwins-tortoise-dies/361905/4 "2006-06-23T21:01:09Z")
That’s gonna make one hell of a pot of soup. ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2006, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darwins-tortoise-dies/361905/5 "2006-06-23T21:02:26Z")
Oh, no! ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2006, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darwins-tortoise-dies/361905/6 "2006-06-23T21:03:34Z")
[QUOTE=Eve] I guess now, that just leaves Sylvia Miles. [/QUOTE] Her and my ex-mother-in-law. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2006, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darwins-tortoise-dies/361905/7 "2006-06-23T21:04:27Z")
I guess it was going to happen, but this is sad news - not made much happier by the fact that I misread the title as ‘Darwin’s Tortoise _Pies_’ ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2006, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darwins-tortoise-dies/361905/8 "2006-06-23T21:23:57Z")
[QUOTE=Kalhoun] There is something utterly depressing about this news.( [/QUOTE] I know. I felt a little richer last year when I heard Harriet]([Harriet - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harriet)) was alive to celebrate her 175’th birthday. Can I comfort y’all with this [4700 year old pine tree?](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristlecone_pine) ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2006, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darwins-tortoise-dies/361905/9 "2006-06-23T21:27:00Z")
Is the Tortoise God going to banish her to Tortoise Hell for her role in the propagation of filthy, godless evolution? ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2006, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darwins-tortoise-dies/361905/10 "2006-06-23T21:58:00Z")
Is the Hare expected to pass away soon? ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2006, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darwins-tortoise-dies/361905/11 "2006-06-23T22:28:18Z")
Wasn’t there a story similar to this a few months ago? (googles) Ah, a different, possibly older totoise [http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,70480-0.html?tw=rss.index](http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,70480-0.html?tw=rss.index) Brian ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2006, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darwins-tortoise-dies/361905/12 "2006-06-23T22:39:08Z")
[QUOTE=CynicalGabe] Is the Hare expected to pass away soon? [/QUOTE] Apparently, it’s halfway there. ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2006, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darwins-tortoise-dies/361905/13 "2006-06-23T23:56:12Z")
Maybe this is more proof that God hates Darwin… ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2006, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darwins-tortoise-dies/361905/14 "2006-06-24T00:07:01Z")
There’s a large tortoise in the Madison zoo, that was the last of it kind according to the sign years ago in the outdoor habitat. It’s still alive, and I hope with the internet and world coverage available now, that someone will find a mate for it. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2006, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darwins-tortoise-dies/361905/15 "2006-06-24T13:51:05Z")
Man, that is a bummer. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2006, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darwins-tortoise-dies/361905/16 "2006-06-24T14:10:53Z")
[QUOTE=Eve] I guess now, that just leaves Sylvia Miles. [/QUOTE] I surprised you didn’t mention Olivia de Havilland and Joan Fontaine.