World's oldest known land animal, Jonathan the tortoise, still alive at nearly 200

Updated April 1, 2026, 8:40 p.m. ET

Corrections & clarifications: A previous version of this story incorrectly reported that Jonathan the tortoise had died.

Despite claims of his death spreading on social media, the world's oldest known land animal, a giant tortoise named Jonathan, remained alive and well on Wednesday, April 1, the reptile's caretaker said.

An account on the social media platform X, purporting to be Jonathan's veterinarian Joe Hollins, posted an announcement that the animal had died at age 193.

But Jonathan has not died and the account is a fake, the real Joe Hollins told USA TODAY.

"Jonathan the tortoise is very much alive," Hollins said. "I believe on X the person purporting to be me is asking for crypto donations, so it’s not even an April Fool joke. It’s a con."

Stephen Clark, who works with the nonprofit longevity research organization Kallel and said he has studied Jonathan, also confirmed the tortoise was alive.

Jonathan has spent most of his life living in St. Helena, a British territory in the South Atlantic Ocean.

According to Guinness World Records, Jonathan is thought to have been born around 1832, as he was estimated to be at least 50 years old in 1882 when he was brought to St. Helena from the Seychelles.

Jonathan has two records over his lifetime: the world’s oldest living land animal and the oldest chelonian, the category of reptiles including all turtles, terrapins and tortoises.

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What is Jonathan the tortoise's birthday?

The animal was originally a gift to the governor St. Helena, and lives on the grounds of the governor's residence, the Plantation House mansion, according to Smithsonian magazine.

Jonathan's actual date of birth is unknown, but in 2022, Gov. Nigel Phillips assigned the tortoise an official birthday of Dec. 4, according to a St. Helena information website.

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X @nataliealund.