May 14:  Kendra Coulter — The Tortoise’s Tale

Date: Tuesday, May 14, 2026
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Location: Glencoe Public Library

The Glencoe & District Historical Society, in partnership with the Glencoe Public Library, is pleased to welcome Kendra Coulter, author of The Tortoise’s Tail, as part of our Spring Author Series.

In this engaging talk, Coulter will discuss her book The Tortoise’s Tale, a unique and moving memoir told from the perspective of a tortoise. Through this unconventional voice, the book invites readers to reflect on time, care, resilience, and human–animal relationships.

Kendra Coulter is a scholar and writer based at Huron University College at Western University, where her work explores social justice, care, and the lives we share with animals. Her writing blends storytelling with thoughtful reflection, offering insights that resonate across generations.

This event is open to the public and all are welcome.

🐢 Extraordinary Lifespans

Tortoises are among the longest-lived vertebrates on Earth, with documented individuals reaching well over 100 years — and in rare cases closer to 200+.

• Jonathan, a Seychelles giant tortoise, is still alive as of 2026 and may be around 190 years old.
• Tu’i Malila, a radiated tortoise given to the Tongan royal family in the 18th century, lived roughly 188 years.
• Adwaita, an Aldabra giant tortoise kept in a zoo for most of its life, was reputed to have lived up to 255 years (though this older estimate isn’t fully confirmed).
• Timothy, a Mediterranean tortoise living in a castle garden in England, reached about 160 years old.

These examples show tortoises can outlive multiple human generations, which is rare in the animal world and contributes to the sense that they “linger” in human environments.

🧬 Why Tortoises Live So Long

Biologically, tortoises have traits that help them age slowly and survive for centuries:

• Slow metabolism — their bodies burn energy very slowly, which reduces cellular stress over time.
• Protective shell — a strong physical defense that reduces predation once they’re adults.
• Low predation in adulthood — once fully grown, most tortoises have few natural enemies.
• Some species may even age more slowly than expected under good environmental conditions, according to recent research.

These biological factors make long lives not just possible, but common among many tortoise species.