Henry, the world’s oldest known crocodile, celebrates its 124th birthday at a wildlife conservation center in South Africa today (December 16).

THE Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) has lived at the Crocworld Conservation Center in Scottburgh, South Africa since 1985. It was originally found and caught in the Okavango Delta in Botswana in 1903.

Henry, now a lively elderly resident at the Crocworld Conservation Center, is said to have fathered over 10,000 offspring with multiple mates since arriving there nearly 40 years ago.

While the exact date of his birthday is unknown, Crocworld representatives estimate that born around 1900 and celebrates his birthday on December 16 every year.

“He is clearly oldSteven Austad, a biologist who studies animal aging at the University of Alabama, told Live Science.n is 100 or 130, we don’t really know. The age of 124 is not improbable for a crocodile».

Reptiles are known for their impressive longevity. Usually, a good rule of thumb for an animal’s lifespan is to look at its size – smaller animals usually live shorter lives because they have a higher metabolism, which means they burn more energy and age faster as a result.

But even compared to other animals of roughly the same size, reptiles tend to be much longer-lived. Austad said being cold-blooded allows them to conserve energy by relying on external heat sources to regulate their body temperature.

“A crocodile the same size as a human would only need to eat about 4% of what a mammal like us eats“, he said.

Crocodiles, like some other species of reptiles, continue to grow as they age. Henry weighs 1,540 pounds (700 kg) and stands 16.4 feet (5 meters) tall, the tallest of his species. Their huge size keeps them safe from potential predators in old age.

Henry’s life in captivity likely helped him reach such an old age by keeping him well fed and safe from accident and disease.

“Animals that for whatever reason happen to live in a safe environment tend to live longerAustad said.

Reptiles, compared to many other vertebrates, also show no signs of appreciable decline in physiological abilities as they age.

Other biological characteristics may also contribute to Henry’s longevity. Theories suggest that proteins found in the blood of Nile crocodiles may have antibacterial properties and help them fight infection and disease. Similarly, some researchers claim that their gut microbiomes could contribute to their strong immune systems.

Studying the aging of crocodiles like Henry can be difficult, as researchers must catch them in their infancy, tag them and then follow them throughout their lives. Because of this, many theories surrounding the secrets of reptile aging are speculation, such as the role of their immune system and microbiome, Austad said. “[Οι κροκόδειλοι] they outlive the career of the scientist who studies them“, he said.