1922Florida
A tiny tortoise hatches
Gus spends his early years at the Ross Allen Reptile Institute in Silver Springs, Florida. Nobody knows the exact day, so the party happens every August.
Gus is a real gopher tortoise. He has lived at the Museum of Natural History in Halifax, Nova Scotia, since 1942. Scroll down and walk through it with him.
Gus spends his early years at the Ross Allen Reptile Institute in Silver Springs, Florida. Nobody knows the exact day, so the party happens every August.
The museum's director, Don Crowdis, buys him for $5 and brings him north to Nova Scotia. Best five dollars ever spent.
Named after John Augustus Gilhen, a museum volunteer who kept him in snacks. Gus has occasionally wandered out onto Spring Garden Road until a passerby carried him home.
His first official birthday celebration. Artist Michael Gaudet paints him wearing a cowboy hat, and a Halifax tradition begins.
He's believed to be the oldest living gopher tortoise in the world. Most of his kind live around 60 years.
A bladder stone first spotted in 2009 had grown too big. Vets removed the whole thing through a small incision in his leg instead of drilling his shell.
Gus is resting comfortably and recovering out of public view for about 8 to 10 weeks. No rush. He's got time.
Sources: Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History · Global News · CBC News · CP24 · Wikipedia
In the two weeks around his surgery, Gus got hundreds of letters, cards and drawings, and thousands of messages from around the world. One of those crayon drawings became the face of $GUS.
Make one too. Draw your own Gus, post it with $GUS, and we'll pin the best ones.
On 16 October 2026, Nature is Amazing shared Gus's recovery with a photo of him resting and one of the crayon get-well drawings. That drawing became the face of $GUS.
NNature is Amazing@AMAZlNGNATUREWorld's oldest living gopher tortoise survives major surgery at 104 Gus underwent surgery to remove a large bladder stone and is now recovering well. The beloved tortoise has received an outpouring of support from locals, who sent cards, drawings and gifts wishing him well
Gus used to wander out onto Spring Garden Road until someone carried him home. Now it's your turn to walk him. How far can you get?
Gus's age. Gopher tortoises usually live around 60 years. He's lapped that by four decades.
Blueberries, bananas and romaine lettuce. He'll also graze on clover, grass and fresh dandelions.
Animals that shelter in gopher tortoise burrows, which can run 40 feet long. That's why they're a keystone species.
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The internet rushes to the next big thing every five minutes. Gus has been taking it easy since 1922. Come hang out with people who get it.