A turtles also know as chelonia They are the oldest group of reptiles that exists today. form the order assholes whose first species appeared 220 million years ago, in the Triassic period.
Of all the reptiles, turtles are among the oldest. The smallest tortoises easily live between 30 and 40 years, while the largest species live an average of 80 years, with some species exceeding 100 years and some specimens close to 200.
Years of life according to turtle species
Currently, it is estimated that there are 356 species of tortoises belonging to 14 families of testicles. Although they all have very long lives compared to other reptiles and animals, the years a tortoise can live varies considerably from species to species.
For example, the most common pet tortoises easily live to be 40 years old, or even longer, as long as they follow a proper diet and stay healthy.
Among these turtles are the red-eared slider ( Trachemys scripta elegans ) or the Mediterranean tortoise ( Testudo hermanni boettgeri ).
The largest species of tortoises can be over 100 years old, mostly the Marine turtles who live between 150 and 200 years .
One of the most famous tortoises of her age was Harriet, a galapagos giant tortoise ( quelonoidis nigra ) who lived at the Queensland Zoo in Australia. Harriet died in 2006 175 years .
Living so long, it is very difficult to measure the age of wild tortoises. some scientists believe that there may be turtles 400 or 500 years old, although there is no proof.
Examples: average years of life of some common turtles (in captivity):
red-eared slider ( Trachemys scripta elegans ) : 25 – 35 years old
North Map Turtle ( Geographic Gratemys ) : 15 – 25 years
eastern box turtle ( terrapene carolina carolina ) : +50 years
Greek tortoise or marginal tortoise ( outcast testudo ) : +80 years.
mediterranean tortoise ( Testudo Hermanni ) : +100 years.
leopard tortoise ( Stigmochelys pardalis ) : +100 years.
Why do they live so long?
The reason why turtles live so long and are so long-lived is multifactorial. Although a concrete, quick and exact answer cannot be given, there are several theories and factors that can influence you, including slow metabolism and growth and evolutionary theories about their reproduction .
Turtles grow slowly throughout their lives and their metabolic rate is quite slow, which prevents them from aging at the same rate as other animals with faster metabolisms, for example birds or mammals.
The slow metabolism also allows them to survive harsh conditions and long periods without food.
Another common explanation for their long life is the evolutionary advantage that give them to reproduce. Natural selection would have made older tortoises able to reproduce more successfully, as tortoises often live in harsh conditions that are not suitable for breeding. Longer-lived turtles would be more likely to reproduce and be selected from an evolutionary standpoint.
The lifestyle of turtles, especially their diet , also influences its long life. The Galapagos giant tortoises are among the oldest known. These tortoises follow a strictly vegetarian diet and are very calm and stress-free animals due to the natural protection from predators that their shell provides.
