Tu'i Malila, pictured here during the Royal Tour (1953)

Tu'i Malila was the name of a tortoise given to the royal family of Tonga by captain James Cook. It was a Madagascar Radiated Tortoise (Geochelone radiata). Image File history File links Picture of the Tui Malila Tortoise File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Picture of the Tui Malila Tortoise File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Genera Chersina Dipsochelys Furculachelys Geochelone Gopherus Homopus Indotestudo Kinixys Malacochersus Manouria Psammobates Pyxis Testudo Tortoise is the name given to land-dwelling reptiles most of whose body is shielded by a special shell. ... James Cook, portrait by Nathaniel Dance, c. ...

This particular tortoise was given to the royal family in either 1773 or 1777, the exact date is not known. It remained in the care of the Tongan royal family until its death by natural causes on May 19, 1965. This means that upon its death, Tu'i Malila was either 188 or 192 years old, but either figure gains it the title of oldest Cheloniinae (tortoise or turtle) ever recorded. It is also the oldest living animal ever known. During the Queen Elizabeth II's Royal Tour of Tonga in 1953, the tortoise was one of the first things shown to the monarch on her official visit to the island nation. 1773 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1777 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Natural Causes is a Sydney hip-hop collective made up of MCs Phat Chance, Physics and Oxford Street. ... May 19 is the 139th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (140th in leap years). ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link goes to calendar). ... Olive Ridley Lepidochelys olivacea Other names: Lora, Carpintera, Pacific Ridley, olive ridley · Class: Reptilia · Order: Testudines · SubOrder: Cryptodira · Family: Cheloniidae smallest species of sea turtle carapace length of only 27 inches weight just over 100 lb. ... Genera Chersina Dipsochelys Furculachelys Geochelone Gopherus Homopus Indotestudo Kinixys Malacochersus Manouria Psammobates Pyxis Testudo Tortoise is the name given to land-dwelling reptiles most of whose body is shielded by a special shell. ... Families See text Turtles are reptiles of the order Chelonia, most of whose body is shielded by a special bony or cartilagenous shell developed from their ribs. ... Queen Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor), born 21 April 1926, is the Queen regnant of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Antigua and... 1953 (MCMLIII) is a common year starting on Thursday. ... Genera Chersina Dipsochelys Furculachelys Geochelone Gopherus Homopus Indotestudo Kinixys Malacochersus Manouria Psammobates Pyxis Testudo Tortoise is the name given to land-dwelling reptiles most of whose body is shielded by a special shell. ... A queen regnant is a female monarch, who possesses all the monarchal powers that a king would have, without regard to gender. ...

External link

http://www.tongaturismo.info/rt/index-e.htm