The Courier has teamed up with Blair Drummond Safari Park to offer readers the chance to win a family pass for two adults and two children each week - and learn a bit more about their residents at the same time.
Research is an integral part of any zoo’s mission, and recently some of the park’s slowest residents contributed to a very interesting study.
Park communications and conservation manager Jamie-Leigh Green said: “It may sound like the stuff of science fiction, but in a recent study, scientists may have uncovered the secret to eternal youth!
“And who has helped us make this amazing discovery? None other than our 37-year-old Sulcata tortoises Monty and Mali.
“In the new study, researchers used data contributed by Blair Drummond Safari Park, in collaboration with other zoos and aquariums, to examine 52 species of turtle and tortoise.
“The data recorded enabled researchers to discover that, unlike humans and other species, turtles and tortoises can reduce their rate of aging in response to improvements in their living conditions.
“Sulcata tortoises are the third biggest species of tortoise and can weigh as much as 60kg.
“They don’t stop growing until they are 15 years old and can live to be over 70. Sulcata comes from the Latin word sulcus which means ‘furrow’. The name comes from the deep line on the tortoise’s shell. This shell is made up of keratin, which is the same material our hair and nails are made from. Tortoises cannot crawl out of their shells because it is attached to their spine and ribs, and they can feel pain and pressure through them.
“Tortoises and turtles are often confused with each other, so what are the differences between them?
“The biggest difference is that tortoises live on land, while turtles are adapted to live in the water. Turtles usually also have more flipper-like legs or webbed feet. Monty and Mali live in the Lemur Land section of the park, so why not pop along to see them next time you visit?”
Blair Drummond Safari Park is open seven days a week from 10am until 5.30pm Monday to Friday with 7pm closures on selected Saturdays and Sundays throughout July and August. Tickets can be booked online at blairdrummond.com.
For a chance to win a family pass, which can be used any one day during the park’s opening season this year, just answer the following question: What is a tortoise’s shell made from?
Send the coupon with your answer, name, address and contact number to: Safari Park Competition, West Lothian Courier, One Central Quay, Glasgow, G3 8DA.
The deadline is Wednesday at 4pm. Only original vouchers will be accepted.
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