SALISBURY, MD - The Salisbury Zoo was host to reptile revelry today as they celebrated their oldest animal’s birthday.
The Zoo says Lucy the gopher tortoise turned 42 on Monday and celebrated the occasion with a special birthday snack.
Gopher tortoises, according to the Zoo are native to Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana and are the only North American tortoise found east of the Mississippi River. They can grow to be about 9-11 inches long.
Though Lucy is the oldest animal at the Zoo, she can expect many more birthdays as gopher tortoises can live up to 100 years in captivity.
Gopher tortoises are classified as a "Vulnerable" species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.