Reptile becomes a father, at 111

From BBC


A rare New Zealand reptile has become a father, possibly for the first time, at the age of 111.

The keepers of Henry, a tuatara, had thought he was past his prime - especially after showing no interest in females during 40 years in captivity.

But he mated with 80-year-old Mildred last July and 11 of the eggs she produced have now hatched.

Henry's keepers have put his newfound vigour down to a recent operation to remove a tumour from his bottom.

'Love story'

Henry arrived at Southland Museum in the South Island city of Invercargill in 1970 and, his keepers say, soon became overweight and idle.


I have done lots of eggs before but these are just special because they are Henry's
Lindsay Hazley
Museum curator

He was known for his foul temper and had a tendency to attack other tuatara - forcing the museum to keep him in solitary confinement for many years.

But since his operation, Museum tuatara curator Lindsay Hazley said he had had a "major personality transplant".

"I have done lots of eggs before but these are just special because they are Henry's," Mr Hazley told the Southland Times.

Tuatara, which are found only in New Zealand, are sometimes referred to as "living fossils".

They are the only surviving members of a family of species which walked the Earth with the dinosaurs more than 200 million years ago.

The museum now has about 70 of the rare creatures, and Mr Hazley is hopeful that Henry might provide more offspring in the future.

He lives with three female tuatara "in great harmony", said Mr Hazley, and described the hatching of the eggs as "the completion of a love story".

This little guy is still spreading his seed at 111 years old? That is pretty impressive. I mean I have a hard enough time trying to do that at the age of 25. Maybe it gets easier with age? But I would have to seduce a much younger woman at that age. I mean there aren't any 111 year old women giving birth. Could you image having sex with some who is about 80 years your junior? That would be a miracle, let alone getting her pregnant. It is official that this reptile is now a hero of mine and I will strive to match not only years on this earth but his sexual conquests as well.