Bertie, the world’s fastest tortoise, is now a proud dad of two who has passed on his super speed to his offspring.
The shelled speedster has held his record since July 2014, when he achieved a top speed of 0.28 m/s (0.92 ft/s).
To qualify, Bertie had to tackle a course of 5.48 m (18 ft), up a gradient of 1:12 – and Bertie did it at lightning speed in just 19.59 seconds.
His quick steps meant he took the record from Charlie (UK) who had held it since 1977 with a speed of 0.125 m/s.
Rapid reptile Bertie lives at Adventure Valley in County Durham, UK, where he is enjoying his fame with his longtime girlfriend Shelly and their two sons.
Bertie is now approximately 19 and while he lives a slower paced life than he did back in his record-breaking days, he is kept very active by his boys Sherbert and Dip Dab.
Janine Calzini, Director of Adventure Valley, told us: “Bertie is very spoiled, he gets lots of attention and treats.
Our customers love meeting Bertie and Bertie loves being out and about meeting his fans.
Janine also suspects that one of Bertie’s sons could take his record one day.
She said: “Sherbert is very fast, so we are hoping in the future he may be able to break his father's record.”
Bertie and Shelly have been a couple since 2013 and first became parents in 2018. Now a family of four, they’ve become the star attractions of the theme park.
When we introduced Bertie to the world in a YouTube video, Marco Calzini, who owns Adventure Valley with wife Janine, explained the tortoise had been given to them by a woman who was emigrating to another country.
It was after people commented on how fast he moved that Marco and Janine found the fastest tortoise record and realized Bertie could beat it.
Marco said: “Everybody here is so proud, especially my wife Janine and all the staff, we’re overwhelmed and most of all we’re so proud of Bertie for being a Guinness World Records title holder.”
Want more? Follow us on Google News and across our social media channels to stay up-to-date with all things Guinness World Records! You can find us on Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, LinkedIn, and Snapchat Discover.
Don't forget to check out our videos on YouTube and become part of our group chat by following the Guinness World Records WhatsApp channel.
Still not had enough? Click here to buy our latest book, filled to the brim with stories about our amazing record breakers.
Related Articles
