If Georgie the toad looks a little displeased, she has every excuse.

Not only has she been publicly unmasked as a lady of a certain age, but those brutes at the University of York think she might be the oldest toad in the world.

Georgie, a wild common toad, had been minding her own business keeping the slugs down in a Yorkshire garden for...well, 38 years, if you must know.

Unluckily for her, York scientists found her during a survey aimed at encouraging the public to get more involved with wildlife. As a result, she's been whisked from obscurity to the worst kind of public fame for a female.

Common toads are thought to live up to 12 years in the wild, but the experts believe Georgie is at least 40, according to the rather unsisterlyUniversity of York OPAL Community Scientist Sal Hobbs.

Sal recently checked on Georgie's progress following her winter hibernation and was pleased to learn she is still thriving.

"As a young adult Georgie was given to a Hull resident as a way of protecting her tomato plants against pests," said Sal.. "That was 38 years ago, so remarkably Georgie must be at least 40 years old now.

"Toads are normally thought to live up to around 12 years old in the wild, although older animals have been found. Captive toads have been known to live a lot longer, to possibly 40 or 50 years old. Therefore, as a wild common toad of her age, Georgie might well be a world record-breaker"

Unless, of course, you know better - and Georgie really, really hopes you do.