Lonesome George Dead

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Staff at the Galapagos National Park in Ecuador say Lonesome George, a giant tortoise believed to be the last of its subspecies, has died. Scientists estimate he was about 100 years old. Lonesome George, a giant tortoise, was believed to be the last of his subspecies. With no offspring and no known individuals from his subspecies left, Lonesome George became known as the rarest creature in the world. For decades, environmentalists unsuccessfully tried to get the Pinta Island tortoise to reproduce with females from a similar subspecies on the Galapagos Islands. Park officials said the tortoise was found dead in his corral by his keeper.
LINK: The presurfer

Unique tortoise has two heads and five legs

"A tortoise has been born in Zilina, Slovakia with two heads and five legs. According to zoologists, the unique case is comparable to what happens when Siamese twins are born."
The animal, which has been named Magdalena, also has two brains that work independently from each other.

But having two heads and five legs can be a burden, according to her owner Roman Gresak. He said: "The second head sometimes doesn't allow the tortoise to know where to go".



Magdalena would not be able to survive in the wild because other tortoises would exclude her from their collective. LINK, Via: Youtube

Little Tortoise Tries to Eat A Cherry Tomato

Sometimes a little critter just can’t catch a break. This poor little man keeps trying to eat a cherry tomato, which keeps sliding just out of reach. Thank goodness for the kind Samaritan that finally holds the food in place for him.

Link, Via: GiggleSugar, Via: Neatorama, Via: Youtube

Golden Tortoise Beetles

“The Golden Tortoise Beetle changes color from gold to red when excited. Larvae with their protective fecal parasols, are common on Morning Glory and related plants. Pinned specimens of these beautiful beetles undergo a one-way transformation from gemlike specimens to drab pinned beetles as they dry out in insect collections.” w/ photos. LINK