NationStates Jolt Archive

EDIT: Update added 4th Dec.

Exciting news for the tortoise world...

Lonesome George, the conservation icon of the Galapagos islands and last surviving tortoise of his kind, may finally become a father, after keepers recovered a clutch of eggs from his enclosure.

Rangers at Galapagos National Park noticed George was behaving differently in recent months, and two weeks ago spotted one of his two female companions digging around in the soil in his pen.

Seems two women is not enough to choose from.

George was rescued in 1972 from Pinta, one of the islands off Ecuador's Pacific coast, but has shown little interest in reproducing, much to the dismay of weary ecologists who are keen to prevent his species from becoming extinct.

Is it because Lonesome George is just a racist bastard?

The two females George shares his pen with are from the nearby volcanic island of Isabela, so any offspring will have only half the genes of a Pinta tortoise. It would take a breeding programme several generations - and possibly more than 100 years - to recreate a "pure" Pinta, scientists said.

Luckily, those Isabelan's are sl-u-u-u-ts

Jeff Powell, a professor of ecology at Yale University who has worked on giant tortoises in the Galapagos, added: "This is great news. The females have been with George for a long time, so if the eggs are fertilised, they will surely be his offspring cos Lord knows they'll sleep with any tortoise given the chance."

I may have added a bit there.

So are conservationists it seems...

Conservationists have tried a variety of methods to get the tortoise to mate, including artificial insemination, manual stimulation and having George watch younger males mate. George, who is believed to be between 60 and 90 years old, should still be in his sexual prime.

There's a nice picture of him in the link (http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/jul/23/wildlife.animalbehaviour)

So, question time I suppose..

What's been on George's mind these last 30 years?

He was questioning his sexuality. *nod*

What's been on George's mind these last 30 years?

Why can't I reach it to Masturbate?! WHY?!

Why can't I reach it to Masturbate?! WHY?!

Conservationists have tried a variety of methods to get the tortoise to mate, including..... manual stimulation and .....

Lonesome George didn't just get 3 meals a day from his keepers.

He was questioning his sexuality. *nod*

Nah... he just couldn't decide which of the two females was hotter.

Nah... he just couldn't decide which of the two females was hotter.

It was more likely a question of getting the courage up to ask.

"Oh, but does she like me, I just can't tell, we're really good friends and I don't want to ruin that, and if I ask her and she turns me down I've blown my chances with the other..what to do, what to do?"

If they'd given him a bowl of beer it might have been a lot quicker.

Crappiest job at the park, manually stimulating the nearly extinct turtle.

Crappiest job at the park, manually stimulating the nearly extinct turtle.

The guy tending to the nearly extinct elephant disagrees with you.

Lonesome George didn't just get 3 meals a day from his keepers.

LOL, touche. Am I the only one who thinks "manually simulating" the tortoise is one of those jobs where you have to draw straws or play rock, paper, scissor?

LOL, touche. Am I the only one who thinks "manually simulating" the tortoise is one of those jobs where you have to draw straws or play rock, paper, scissor?

Would you be comfortable being around the guy who eagerly volunteered?

Would you be comfortable being around the guy who eagerly volunteered?

ROFL! I wouldn't want him to touch my food, that's for sure.

"Here, let me get that unwrapped sandwich for you."
"No...that's ok...nah...I got it semen hands..."

Would you be comfortable being around the guy who eagerly volunteered?

George certainly isn't.

Perhaps they should have tried tortoise porn... Very slow indeed. :D

Perhaps they should have tried tortoise porn... Very slow indeed. :D

Wow...lol!

Perhaps they should have tried tortoise porn... Very slow indeed. :D

In a sense they did...

...and having George watch younger males mate.

...which may lend credence to Londim's post, Georgie may having been thinking 'keep the women, let me have at them young males!'

In a sense they did...



...which may lend credence to Londim's post, Georgie may having been thinking 'keep the women, let me have at them young males!'

So what he was a cradle snatcher or a pedophile? Oh dear George...

"There have been rumours of him mounting females, but nobody has ever witnessed penetration by George," he said. "Right now, we don't even know if George is fertile."

Hahahaha I lol'd.

"The two females George shares his pen with are from the nearby volcanic island of Isabela, so any offspring will have only half the genes of a Pinta tortoise. It would take a breeding programme several generations - and possibly more than 100 years - to recreate a "pure" Pinta, scientists said."

Are they even genetically compatible?

"There have been rumours of him mounting females, but nobody has ever witnessed penetration by George," he said. "Right now, we don't even know if George is fertile."

Hahahaha I lol'd.

"The two females George shares his pen with are from the nearby volcanic island of Isabela, so any offspring will have only half the genes of a Pinta tortoise. It would take a breeding programme several generations - and possibly more than 100 years - to recreate a "pure" Pinta, scientists said."

Are they even genetically compatible?

Hmmm, well, dunno. A chihuahua could theoretically cross with a great dane....

Elderly male tortoise, loves long slow walks on sandy beaches, seeking female tortoise for companionship and possibly more, age, looks unimportant, but must be right species-- PLEEEASE call!

Are they even genetically compatible?
The existence of the clutch of eggs would certainly suggest that yes, yes they are :)

The existence of the clutch of eggs would certainly suggest that yes, yes they are :)

No we have to wait until the eggs hatch and mature to see if the off spring are sterile.

Exciting news for the tortoise world...



Seems two women is not enough to choose from.



Is it because Lonesome George is just a racist bastard?



Luckily, those Isabelan's are sl-u-u-u-ts



I may have added a bit there.

So are conservationists it seems...



There's a nice picture of him in the link (http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/jul/23/wildlife.animalbehaviour)

So, question time I suppose..

What's been on George's mind these last 30 years?


Wait your judging a tortoise the same way you would judge a human? :confused:

This is more amusing than my bigot death island thread :D In fact they should arm lonesome George with a mace and ship him there one the double.

LOL, touche. Am I the only one who thinks "manually simulating" the tortoise is one of those jobs where you have to draw straws or play rock, paper, scissor?

I'm sure people who work with endangered species generally have a bit more respect for their job than that.

No we have to wait until the eggs hatch and mature to see if the off spring are sterile.
Ahh, you may be right.

I'd just assumed that they'd followed up the research published last year (Current Biology (vol 17, p 318) (http://download.current-biology.com/pdfs/0960-9822/PIIS0960982207010688.pdf)) which seemed to have identified potential mates for George that were genetically compatible, and that those would be the individuals that they were trying to get him to mate with.

Maybe they were just going for blind luck rather than targeted mating, but that way of doing things sort of offends the scientist in me :)

I'm sure people who work with endangered species generally have a bit more respect for their job than that.

Yea, but comon, name one person who would volunteer to simulate an animal.

If you do, tell me their name, and show a picture, so that I may avoid asking them to hand me something.

Hmmm, well, dunno. A chihuahua could theoretically cross with a great dane....

Would the offspring be....a Great Pain?





I'll be here all week.

Yea, but comon, name one person who would volunteer to simulate an animal.

If you do, tell me their name, and show a picture, so that I may avoid asking them to hand me something.

They use gloves, you know.

Shoot, sexual prime at 60-90 years old? What a deal.

I'd just assumed that they'd followed up the research published last year (Current Biology (vol 17, p 318) (http://download.current-biology.com/pdfs/0960-9822/PIIS0960982207010688.pdf)) which seemed to have identified potential mates for George that were genetically compatible
There is no way of knowing that they are genetically compatible enough (we do know they are close but not identical), until we see whether the offspring is sterile or not.

Not so much a gravedig as a conservationist approach to threads, use less.

A sad update...

Lonesome George, the conservation icon of the Galapagos islands and last surviving tortoise of his kind, looks set to stay lonely after again failing to produce offspring.

Galapagos National Park officials announced yesterday that eight eggs laid by the giant tortoise's two female companions are infertile.

Conservationists' hopes were raised in July when George's mates produced eggs after no fewer than 36 years of encouragement by park rangers.

The eggs were placed in an artificial incubator but they did not develop embryos. There are now fears that George, who is thought to be around 80 years old and the last remaining member of the Geochelone abigdoni species, is sterile.

Probably ate too many Polo mints.

The most recent prospective mothers have accompanied George in captivity since 1993 but did not begin mating with him until late 2006. They belong to the Geochelone becki species – believed to be the closest existing relative of George.

Between them, the females laid 13 eggs on Santa Cruz island in July.

13 years before he managed to get laid with two captive females?

Still, he has time.

The conservationists may have many more years to assist George – a tortoise called Jonathan on the island of St Helena is now thought to be the world's oldest living creature after a photograph of him has just emerged, confirming that he is likely to be at least 176.

The ladies will get lucky again in 2021.

Luckily, those Isabelan's are sl-u-u-u-ts



[

my Ex is named Isabel and she became a s-l-u-t maybe she learned it from those tortoises due to similar names. if so i better make them go extinct before they ruin any more of my dating life.

Maybe they were just going for blind luck rather than targeted mating, but that way of doing things sort of offends the scientist in me :)

What about the mad scientist in you?

13 years - probably counts as premature ejaculation for a tortoise.

Still waiting for my download on DSL... love that feeling of waiting, anticipating... only thing that would be better would be if we could hear instrumental versions of pop songs...