How Long Does a Turtle Live?
Turtles can live for up to forty years or so if they are well-cared for. A well-cared for turtle will have a long life expectancy and live for many decades. There are three classifications of turtles: terrestrial, aquatic, or marine. Although they all can live for more than forty years, some have considerably longer lives such as the leatherback tortoise, which can live to be over eighty years old.
The reason for why turtles can live such long lives is due to their adaptability. They can adapt to a wide variety of environments and live in various stages of the year. Their metabolism also helps them to slow down the aging process. Due to their ability to change their environment, turtles can live in an apartment for years while the average reptile such as the iguana or pike will not even be able to endure the cold weather. As a result, turtles can go for extended periods of time without food or water being readily available. Click here best pet turtle for more information.
Turtles may spend a long time in captivity or they may run around their cage constantly. In either case, their life expectancy in captivity is very dependent on how long they hibernate. If they hibernate for a long time, it will affect the health of their muscles and decrease their ability to move around. Therefore, any changes to their diet, temperature, or the environment must be carefully monitored in order to prevent ill effects.
A long time of life expectancy is usually caused by a lack of adequate shell living conditions. It is important that turtles are kept in a captive environment where their natural habitat is available. A captive environment may include a variety of things such as concrete blocks, gravel, sand, a shallow trough with substrate for them to crawl on, or a tree branch. A captive environment helps provide the necessary nutrition to allow a turtle to maintain a long life. Some species of turtles do better in captivity, because they have an increased chance of reaching the full reproductive lifespan when they are properly cared for.
Life expectancy is also affected by the age and health of a turtle before being exported. Many individuals try to sell younger turtles so they do not have to pay the full price. In recent years, with the over-exploitation of tropical regions for the pet trade, there has been a drastic increase in the number of turtles being brought into the U.S., Mexico, Costa Rica, and other locations to be exported for their meat. While this practice has decreased significantly, it still occurs in some cases which is why the life expectancy of a turtle that has been captured through this method may be somewhat limited.
Although, turtles can live for many years, they are not as healthy as tortoises and are rarely as large. As such, it is important to consider the life expectancy of a turtle depending on the size of the turtle and whether or not it has been captive. It should be noted that while many years of life expectancy seems impossible for reptiles, they are not as rare as many assume and can easily be found. With proper care, these turtles can provide years of quality companionship and amusement for many years to come.
