Farewell, Harriet

Rest in peace, poor Harriet the Tortoise who passed away last week at the ripe old age of 175. Longevity is well known in tortoises due to their slow metabolism, but even by reptilian standards her age was astounding.

It's remarkable to think that this animal was alive when Queen Victoria was on the throne, and even though she may not have been seen by Darwin himself, part of her cohort were.

Is it too much to hope that we may still have tortoise populations alive and well in another 175 years?