Content
- How old does a turtle live?
- Turtle lifetime
- oldest turtle in the world
- Conservation of turtle species
Turtles are among the oldest reptiles in the world as they emerged over 200 million years ago on earth and are also among the longest-lived animals, being able to live longer than one human being. All types of turtles, tortoises and tortoises are called turtles or testudines and are classified into 13 families, 75 genera and 260 species, 7 of which are marine species. In Brazil, we can find 36 of these species: 2 terrestrial (tortoises), 5 marine and 29 freshwater. Its characteristics and distribution vary widely. That's why a turtle's lifespan can vary greatly. To clarify, in this PeritoAnimal post we explain how old does a turtle live, according to their species and common estimates. One thing we can already say: long live them all!
How old does a turtle live?
It is stated that the average lifespan of a turtle is 80 yearss. Although the life expectancy of a turtle varies according to its species. According to Turtle Conservation Society of Malaysia [1], a pet turtle, for example, can live between 10 to 80 years old, while the larger species can exceed 100 years, while sea turtles, in turn, usually live between 30 and 70 years, although there are cases of turtles that have surpassed the, amazingly, 150 years. In many cases, a turtle's age is estimated by its shell and the number of rings on its shell. [2]
Even so, there are specimens whose age remains unknown since this estimate can be surprising, as is the case of some species of turtles in the Galapagos Islands: some claim that they are 400 to 500 years old. Such a statement is not an exaggeration, considering that the geographic isolation, as in the case of the Galápagos, is positive in the conservation of the species.
Turtle lifetime
Therefore, the life expectancy of a turtle also varies, not only according to the species, but also according to its environmental conditions, habitat, human intervention and other factors, whether in captivity or in nature. if you ask yourself how old does a tortoise live, for example, understand that this will depend on many factors. The most common estimates for the lifespan of a turtle of some of the most common species in Brazil are:
- Tortoise-piranga (Chelonoidis carbonaria): 80 years;
- Tortoise had (Chelonoidis denticulata): 80 years;
- Water Tiger Turtle (Trachemys dorbigni): 30 years;
- Sea turtles (general): 70 years old;
- Tortoises: 40 years.
oldest turtle in the world
Harriet, a turtle of the species Geochelone nigra, from the Galapagos Islands, who was born there in 1830 and died in 2006 at the de Beerwah Zoo, Australia [3] has already been recognized as the oldest turtle in the world fur Guinness Book of World Records for its 176 years of life. Although she is no longer the title holder, her story deserves to be told because, even though there are contradictory versions, one of them claims that Harriet was taken by Darwin after a passage through the Galapagos Islands on one of his expeditions.
Currently, however, the world's oldest turtle and animal, recognized by the Book of Records [4] é Jonathan, of the Seychelles Giant Tortoise, which at the time of this article's conclusion has 188 years and lives on the island of St. Helena, which belongs to the British Overseas Territory in the South Atlantic Ocean. I repeat: not only is it the oldest turtle in the world, it also holds the title of oldest animal in the world. Long live Jonathan!
Conservation of turtle species
It is important to be aware that, despite the longevity in years of many species of turtles, this does not necessarily reflect on their real life expectancy, as, according to the Tamar Project, of the 8 species of sea turtles existing in the world, 5 are in Brazil [5] and, unfortunately, all endangered.[6]This means, in the institution's words, that
Of every thousand sea turtle hatchlings that are born, only one or two manage to reach maturity.
Among the main threats, illegal hunting and egg collection, incidental fishing, pollution, natural threats, photopollution or shadowing, vehicle traffic and diseases stand out. Furthermore, they have a long life cycle, that is, with long generational intervals. Therefore, any interruption of this cycle is a serious threat to the turtle population.
It is always good to remember that no species of turtle is considered a domestic animal in Brazil, all of them are wild animals and to adopt one it is necessary to have authorization from IBAMA. In case of adoption, therefore, it is essential to be aware of how long a turtle lives and to know that it will probably accompany you for the rest of your life, in addition to all care for a water turtle or Earth.
If you want to read more articles similar to How old does a turtle live?, we recommend that you enter our Endangered Animals section.