How Long Do Turtles Live? An Introduction to Common Species of the Order Testudines

The turtle, also known as the golden turtle, mountain turtle, grass turtle and so on, is a reptile of the order Testudines that outlives humans. It is widely kept for its high ornamental value, and many species also have considerable medicinal value, making them very popular. So how long do turtles live? And what species are there?

1. The secret to the turtle's long life:

Cell research has found that the number of generations of fibroblast division in an animal is directly proportional to the animal's lifespan. Turtle cells divide slowly and undergo many generations of reproduction; their fibroblasts can reach 125 generations in in vitro culture, while human fibroblasts can only reach 50 generations. In addition, turtles have a slow metabolism and can slow down their physiological rhythm, entering a state of suspended animation. That is why they tend to live long lives.

2. What is the typical lifespan?

Relevant sources state: “its natural life is generally 150 years”, and “according to some research there are also those over 300 years, and some even over a thousand years.”

The longest-lived turtle in the world: the Galapagos tortoise, which can generally live 200 to 300 years.

The shortest-lived turtles in the world: a few American water turtles, including the four-spotted turtle and the diamondback terrapin; the shortest-lived can live 10 to 15 years.

3. How is age calculated?

1. Calculation based on the rings on the turtle's shell

The growth rings of a turtle are relatively clear before the age of 10. Shortly after a hatchling is born, some radial markings can be seen on the outer hard skin of the scutes at the center of its shell, with no round rings. The number of ring circles on the turtle's shell indicates how many years old the turtle is. The older the turtle, the harder it is to distinguish with the naked eye.

With the periodic changes of nature, turtles have distinct growth periods and hibernation periods. During the growth period, the scutes on the shell grow along with the body, forming loose, relatively wide concentric ring circles. During hibernation, the turtle enters a dormant state and stops growing, and the shell scutes almost stop growing too, forming narrow, tightly packed concentric ring circles. These alternating loose and tight concentric ring circles are similar to using tree rings to estimate a tree's age: when a winter of stopped development is experienced, one growth ring appears. In this way the turtle's age can be judged, namely by the number of concentric rings on the scutes, then adding 1 for the ring formed when it hatched, which equals the turtle's actual age.

2. Estimation based on the turtle's weight

Turtles grow relatively slowly. Under normal conditions, the growth rate of female turtles is: a one-year-old turtle weighs mostly around 15 grams, a two-year-old turtle 50 grams, a three-year-old turtle 100 grams, a four-year-old turtle 200 grams, a five-year-old turtle 250 to 300 grams, and a six-year-old turtle around 400 grams. Male turtles grow slowly, and the largest individual at sexual maturity is generally under 250 grams.

Of course, factors such as different turtle species, the clarity of the rings, and the presence of rings at hatching will also affect the accuracy of the age, so it can only be used as an estimate and not as accurate data.

4. Lifespans of various turtles

1. Sea turtles

Sea turtles live about 80 to 120 years. This figure includes large marine turtles such as the hawksbill; 152 years is the highest recorded value.

2. Alligator snapping turtle

The alligator snapping turtle lives about 60 to 80 years. The longest recorded lifespan in captivity is 60 years. It is said that because the alligator snapping turtle is a slow-growing species, it can reach over a hundred years if it grows smoothly, which is credible but currently only theoretical, with no actual examples.

3. Soft-shelled turtle

The soft-shelled turtle lives about 60 years. It is perhaps the most famous species, one of the very few that has deeply influenced Chinese culture. Rumors of it living over a hundred years are common but unsubstantiated. Do not think no one keeps soft-shelled turtles for viewing; in fact some rare soft-shelled turtles are very beautiful and extremely valuable.

4. Amboina box turtle

The Amboina box turtle has a lifespan with an upper limit of about 50 years.

5. Star tortoise

The star tortoise lives about 50 years. Bladder stones are the obstacle for all tortoise keepers. Strict and careful learning of tortoise care knowledge (especially urate excretion and temperature control) is the right way to give a young star tortoise a long life.

6. Yellow-margined box turtle

The yellow-margined box turtle lives about 40 to 60 years. Legend says the longest lifespan exceeds a hundred years. The yellow-margined box turtle is also a widely popular species, especially for its extremely strong interaction with people, and is much loved. Its lively, active, fearless, good-eating, good-drinking optimist personality may be the secret to its long life.

7. Common snapping turtle

The common snapping turtle lives about 45 to 50 years, and in the wild can only reach about 15 to 30 years.

8. Red-footed tortoise

The red-footed tortoise lives over 40 years, and longer in captivity. There are frequent rumors of it exceeding a hundred years, even specifically 135 years. A highly popular tortoise species, it can often set longevity records and, treated well, can become a family heirloom.

9. Yellow pond turtle

The yellow pond turtle lives about 30 to 50 years. There are records in China of raising a yellow pond turtle to 20 years. Also very popular, its constitution is somewhat fragile, and it is a very cute species.

10. Giant tortoise

The giant tortoise lives about 30 to 50 years. The one in Australia that exceeded a hundred years belongs to the exceptional side-necked type; there was once a record of 70 years within the 30 to 50 year range.

11. Golden coin turtle

The golden coin turtle lives about 30 to 50 years. It is said that in a suitable environment in a dormant state it can easily exceed a hundred years, but rumors are only rumors. Just treat it well; after all, it is extremely valuable.

12. African spurred tortoise

The African spurred tortoise lives 30 to 40 years, with individuals reaching 54 years. The record holder was at the Giza Zoo in Egypt in 1986.

13. Keeled box turtle

The keeled box turtle lives about 30 to 40 years. This turtle stops growing once its shell reaches 25cm, and stops growing after age 25.

14. Big-headed turtle

The big-headed turtle lives about 30 to 40 years. Water quality is key to keeping it, and this turtle is neither low in popularity nor easy to keep.

15. Snake-necked turtle

The snake-necked turtle lives about 30 years. In captivity it could theoretically live much longer, but there are no specific statistics. There is an interesting phenomenon: the lifespan of the snake-necked turtle is inversely proportional to the length of its neck. If your snake-necked turtle has a short neck, it is probably long-lived.

16. Pig-nosed turtle

The pig-nosed turtle lives about 25 to 30 years. In the wild, the pig-nosed turtle's shell can reach 50cm, showing that it is a large turtle. Captive pig-nosed turtles are limited by tank size, are extremely aggressive, have strict water quality requirements, and their hatchlings grow slowly. The history of keeping pig-nosed turtles is actually quite short, since it is a species that humans only recently overcame the challenges of breeding in captivity.

17. Chinese pond turtle

The Chinese pond turtle lives about 20 to 30 years. The Chinese stripe-necked turtle also belongs to this group. The longest recorded lifespan in captivity is 50 years. It is also an extremely popular turtle species, and long-lived turtles are everywhere.

18. Malayan snail-eating turtle

The Malayan snail-eating turtle lives about 20 to 30 years. It is one of the turtles that are difficult to keep in captivity.

19. Asian giant tortoise

The Asian giant tortoise lives about 20 to 30 years.

20. Musk turtle

The musk turtle lives about 15 to 25 years. However, humans have only been studying musk turtles with recorded history for just over 30 years, so nothing is conclusive yet.

21. Razor-backed musk turtle

The razor-backed musk turtle lives about 15 to 25 years. The highest recorded lifespan in captivity is about 50 years. It is currently a very popular species.

22. Mata mata

The mata mata lives about 15 to 25 years. Surviving in the wild is extremely difficult for the mata mata, but keeping it at home also requires rigor; controlling the pH value at 5.5 to 6.5 will be one of your primary tasks. It is one of the turtle species with the most demanding water quality requirements.

23. Western painted turtle

The western painted turtle lives about 15 to 20 years, similar to the red-eared slider: gorgeous but relatively short-lived.

24. Diamondback terrapin

The diamondback terrapin lives about 15 to 20 years.

25. Red-eared slider

The red-eared slider lives about 15 years. The longest recorded lifespan in captivity is 35 years. It is a common, mass-market turtle species, and since this turtle is widely recognized as tenacious, a lifespan of 20 or 30 years is generally not surprising.