Aldabra giant tortoise
Large tortoises are among the longest-lived animals. Some individual Aldabra giant tortoises are thought to be over 200 years of age, but this is difficult to verify because they tend to outlive their human observers. Adwaita was reputedly one of four brought by British seamen from the Seychelles Islands as gifts to Robert Clive of the British East India Company in the 18th century, and came to Calcutta Zoo in 1875. At his death in March 2006 at the Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) Zoo in India, Adwaita is reputed to have reached the longest ever measured lifespan of 255 years (birth year 1750). Today, Jonathan, a Seychelles giant tortoise ("A. g. hololissa"), is thought to be the oldest living giant tortoise at the age of years and Esmeralda is second at the age of years, since the death of Harriet at 176, a Galapagos giant tortoise. Esmeralda is an Aldabra giant tortoise.
Tom, Dick and Harry
Tom, Dick and Harry is widely used throughout culture, so it is beyond the scope of this article to list every passing mention. However, some notable instances include the three Galapagos Island tortoises brought back to England aboard by Charles Darwin in 1835, as documented in his book, "The Voyage of the Beagle". They were named Tom, Dick and Harry. It was later discovered that "Harry" was a female and she was renamed "Harriet", and lived in captivity in Australia until her death in 2006, aged 175 years. In "", Robert Louis Stevenson refers to a general muster as calling up Dick, Tom, and Harry. In the television series "3rd Rock from the Sun", the three lead male characters were called Tommy, Dick and Harry. In 1948, the Cole Porter musical "Kiss Me, Kate" premiered on Broadway. The show featured the song "Tom, Dick or Harry". The three escape tunnels used by allied POWs in the famous Stalag Luft III escape were named "Tom, Dick, and Harry" by the POWs. This nomenclature was carried over to the film "The Great Escape", which portrayed the event.