How long do turtles live at home? How many years does a turtle live? Life of a European marsh turtle
Owners never cease to lament the fact that their pets leave so early. Experiencing the death of a beloved cat, dog or guinea pig, sooner or later they get a new pet, knowing that they will still have to say goodbye to it. But there are turtles that are long-lived among domestic animals. They live for decades, even in captivity, and in the natural environment no one can compare with them in this indicator. Naturally, when purchasing such a reptile, you should rely on your own strength - you will have to take care of it for quite a long time. But the turtle will be around for many years, usually they become real members of the family. So how long do turtles live at home?
The duration of the life cycle of these reptiles cannot be compared even with humans. On average, they live from 50 years to one and a half centuries. This indicator largely depends on what species the reptile belongs to:
- Galapagos (aka elephant) tortoises in their natural environment live up to 180 years of age;
- in marine reptiles, life expectancy is 60-70 years, 75-80 year old individuals are often found;
- red-eared and swamp turtles are inferior to the above representatives - they live only up to 50 years;
- Among Balkan reptiles, 100-year-old anniversaries are often found.
As for the record holders, there are many of them among these ancient reptiles. For example, the 150-kilogram “baby” Harriet, a member of the Galapagos tortoise species, was recognized as the oldest animal in the world. The approximate date of her birth is 1830, it was then that she was born on the Galapagos Islands, and died 176-117 years later on the territory of the Australian Zoo. It is believed that the man who took her from the islands to Great Britain was Charles Darwin himself. Then the reptile was the size of a small plate, it was mistaken for a male and named Harry.
Another famous long-lived turtle, named Advaita, lived with the British general Robert Clive. Being a representative of the breed, the gigantic tortoise originally from the Seychelles lived, according to various sources, from 1.5 to 2.5 centuries! It's a pity, but more accurate data was not saved.
Also a celebrity in the turtle world is a reptile with the exotic name Tui Malila. She belongs to the endemic Madagascar breed of radiant tortoise and, according to widespread legend, acted as a gift from Captain Cook to the native chief of Tonga. Her lifespan was two hundred years!
As for domesticated turtles, which are found in zooterrariums and aquariums of private owners, their life expectancy is noticeably inferior. Most often they live up to 30 years, although 40-50-year-old pets are not very uncommon.
How long an armored pet will live largely depends on the owner. If he provides the pet with suitable conditions, cares for it and takes into account breed characteristics, then the cycle may be longer. Of course, the type of reptile is also important.
land turtle
Among other domestic turtles, land turtles are distinguished by their relative unpretentiousness and resilience. It's no wonder that reptiles are loved by children and adults around the world. As for their life expectancy in captivity, it is impossible to give an exact figure; various factors influence this.
Land turtles can be called phlegmatic - they are slow, unhurried, but they live quite a long time. In the wild, individuals live up to 100-120 years, in a terrarium - from 15 to 50 years. In order for a pet to celebrate its half-century anniversary, the owner needs to surround it with care and bring its living conditions as close as possible to natural ones:
- the dwelling should be spacious - the volume of the tank should be 3-4 times the size of an adult;
- the turtle should receive high-quality and balanced nutrition; if required, pets should be given mineral supplements;
- reptiles love warmth - the air temperature should be stable - 26°-28°C;
- it is important to consider that land reptiles need ultraviolet rays - the home should be equipped with a UV lamp;
- a pet needs a house for sleep and rest;
- you need to monitor the cleanliness of the turtle house - the soil is cleaned every day, all drinking bowls are washed at least once a day;
- When choosing company for a turtle, you should not put several males in one tank - fights for territory cannot be avoided.
There is a relationship between the size of a reptile and the length of its life cycle. As a rule, larger representatives of the species fall into the ranks of long-livers.
Aquatic turtle
These representatives of the turtle world are unique creatures - at home their lifespan usually does not exceed 25-35 years, while in the natural environment they can live up to three hundred years! As already noted, wild females begin to give birth only after reaching 30 years of age.
In order to bring the reptile’s living conditions as close as possible to natural ones and thereby increase the duration of the pet’s life cycle, the owner should take care of the following:
- varied diet– aquatic reptiles are predators, and 80% of their diet should consist of animal food;
- vitamin supplements– they are given to individuals expecting offspring, actively growing young animals, sick reptiles and in other cases;
- spacious home– the volume of the aquaterrarium should be calculated based on the fact that one individual requires at least 150 liters;
- ultraviolet source– these should not be direct sunlight, but a UV lamp installed according to all the rules;
- drier– aquatic turtles do not spend all their time in the water, they need an island on which they can rest and bask, it occupies on average 1/3 of the total volume of the container;
- water purity– it is necessary to change the water weekly by 40-50%, it can be ordinary, from the tap, but it must be settled.
How to determine the age of a turtle
If we evaluate the lifespan of these reptiles, it is not surprising that they often wander from one owner to another. Not everyone can realistically assess their strength and give away a boring animal. In addition, keeping turtles requires compliance with certain conditions, and many owners find this uninteresting or burdensome.
How can one determine the age of a pet that has found its new home as a far from tiny turtle? There are 2 ways to do this:
- By shell size– in a newborn baby its diameter is 3 cm, every year it grows by 2 cm. Therefore, the age of the reptile can be calculated using the formula: (a–b): c, where: a is the available length of the carapace, b is 3 cm (the size of the turtle’s shell at birth), c – annual growth (average 2 cm).
- Along the rings on the carapace– in the first couple of years, 6 rings are formed on the shell of land reptiles, and 3 of aquatic reptiles. Then no more than 1-2 rings appear per year. To determine the approximate age of your pet, you need to count the number of rings on one plate. 6 is subtracted from the resulting number (rings that appeared in the first 2 years). The result obtained is divided by 1.5, and 2 is added to it - the first 2 years of life.
The older the reptile, the more difficult it is to find out its true age, since in older turtles the rings wear out or may merge into one. The owner ensures the life expectancy of his pet, prolongs it through care and concern. And if a turtle lived its 30, or even 50 years in captivity, this is a huge credit to its owner.
There are long-lived animals on Earth, and how many years a turtle lives, which is also included in them, is interesting to know not only for scientists, but also for everyone who is interested in the mysteries of nature.
The turtle is primarily attractive because this species has existed on the planet for hundreds of millions of years, having migrated from water to land and successfully adapted to such conditions. In this they were helped by the characteristics of the body and the unusual cover of the body, an excellent immune system. Some species then returned to the water, which is why there are aquatic and land turtles. Scientists count more than 290 species of these amazing reptiles, each of which is special. There are very small, dwarf ones, for example, the Madagascar spider, or the giant Galapagos spider, which weighs about 300 kg.
Land turtles
According to scientists, these turtles live up to 100 years. And if living conditions are most favorable for them, some individuals can be 120 years old. This primarily applies to Central Asian turtles.
This type is the most common. Not all representatives of this species live very long. Typically, the average life expectancy is between 20 and 40 years. But it has been recorded that the marion species can reach an age of more than 150 years, and on the Galapagos Islands, where conditions are ideal for reptiles, there are many centenarians. For them, a life expectancy of up to 180 years is a common date. But scientists, having examined some turtles, made sure that their age was 300 years.
And documents from the Cairo closed zoo claim that until 2006 there lived a turtle who died at the age of 315 years. Her partner died 14 years earlier, but was able to live to almost the 400-year mark.
A very small Egyptian tortoise with a beautiful yellowish-golden shell and black scutes, the carapace length of which reaches no more than 14 cm, lives in natural conditions for up to 30 years. However, in captivity, if the owners create the most comfortable conditions and feed her well, she can celebrate her 50th birthday. By the way, only this turtle, when it senses approaching danger, knows how to quickly bury itself in the sand, which prolongs its life.
The Balkan tortoise, which can be identified by its conical growth at the very tip of its tail and its brown shell and dark spots, lives up to 90 years. The wood turtle lives in forests, wet meadows and marshy areas. She is not particularly attached to water, so she can afford to hike on land, covering 100-meter distances per day. Probably, such activity allows her to live up to 40 years, but in captivity her life span increases to 60 years.
Aquatic environment
The most shy of all turtles is the Amboin jointed turtle. When someone approaches, its head and limbs immediately appear under the shell. Such caution allows you to live up to 30-40 years. Although it is aggressive towards its relatives, fighting for territory and food, and can even cripple the female during the mating season. Lives in an aquatic environment.
The best swimmer is the Fitzoria tortoise; in natural conditions, it lives up to 20 years. This reptile can stay under water for three weeks, and it is helped in this by a 10-centimeter anal bladder, with the help of which it takes breaths: from 15 to 60 per minute.
Almost all their lives, huge freshwater snapping turtles, whose shell is at least 66 cm long, rest at the bottom of reservoirs in the thickness of silt. Only females go to land to lay eggs. Newly born babies immediately rush from land to hide in the water, but hungry predators, mostly relatives, are waiting for them everywhere. Those lucky enough to survive may be 80 to 120 years old. In captivity, this species lives from 20 to 70 years.
The loggerhead mud turtle lives only 20 years. Her quarrelsome nature and great aggressiveness are probably to blame for this. This species is unable to hide its huge head under its shell, so the turtle wants to have time to bite everyone who is nearby. When threatened, it emits an unpleasant odor reminiscent of rotting meat.
The evil Trionix is characterized by the same aggressiveness, biting any animal, and its jaws are very powerful. It differs in that it does not have a shell. Instead there is a leather cloak that looks like a flat stone. He lives on average from 28 to 30 years.
The measured and calm life of a turtle like the batagur allows it to live up to its 100th birthday. It is usually located at the bottom of a shallow body of water, and only raises its head to allow air to enter its lungs. It is very easy for a bataguru to move underwater thanks to its shell, which is quite flat and streamlined.
How to determine the age of a reptile at home
You can find out for yourself how many years a turtle lives. There are several ways to check this:
- count the concentric rings located inside each shield. Scientists have calculated that 6 rings appear in the first 2 years. In subsequent years, 1 or 2 rings begin to be added. But the older the turtle gets, the more blurred the grooves become;
- shell measurement. If we take the length of a newly born reptile as a basis - 3 cm, and take into account that its length increases by 2 cm per year, you can find out the age using a ruler. Having measured the length of the shell, the number “3” is subtracted, which indicates the length at birth. The number is then divided by two. For example, if the number is “18”, the age is approximately 7 - 8 years.
What is the secret to a long life?
These reptiles have a very slow metabolism. This means that puberty occurs later, and all life processes occur at a slower pace. These are cold-blooded animals, which are distinguished by the fact that they do not have to waste their resources maintaining the required body temperature, and their metabolic rate is lower.
If a turtle appears in the house as a pet, you should study the advice of experts on its care. Life expectancy in captivity greatly depends on the comfortable living conditions of the pet reptile and on a properly formulated diet. Good care can significantly increase your life.
This doesn't require much effort:
- clean fresh water;
- food that is as close as possible to what is found in the natural environment.
It is also necessary to ensure that the turtle does not injure its shell.
These are truly unique and mysterious animals! They don't age. There is also an opinion that they can live for three centuries. Does this mean that if you get such a pet at home, you will have to pass it on to your great-great-grandchildren? Let's figure out how many years turtles of different species live so that you can make the right conclusion.
For these reptiles the rule is: the more, the longer. How many years turtles live in the wild depends primarily on their size. Their lifespan can be 30 - 50 years (small), 80 years (medium) to 120 - 150 years (giant individuals).
How many years sea turtles live is determined by their size. They are usually large - from 70 to 140 cm. They live in warm seas and oceans. On average, they live up to 80 years in freedom. But most do not reach such a venerable age. Many die at the embryonic stage, while in the egg (due to unfavorable temperatures). Others are eaten by predators when the babies try to get to the water.
How many years do land turtles live? Depending on the size - from 50 to 100 years. Among them there are tiny ones - about 10 cm, but there are also large specimens. The latter, naturally, have a greater chance of surviving to “retirement” age.
Aquatic species are represented by medium-sized individuals. Their size does not exceed 30 cm. They take root well in captivity. They live for about 50 years, both in aquaterrariums and in the natural environment.
All of these reptiles have a slow metabolism, which explains their longevity. The most tenacious of them are large turtles. How many years do they live? From 100 to 120 years. Perhaps many of them could live to an older age, but in their natural habitat many dangers and diseases await them, so only a few of them die a natural death. There are record holders who lived 175 and even 188 years.
The maximum age of the largest reptiles is 200 years. There is evidence that some representatives of the giant tortoises living on the Galapagos Islands are over 300 years old.
What will a turtle eyelid look like at home?
Today it is fashionable to keep such reptiles at home. They are unpretentious, do not require tedious care and walks, and are also quite cute. How many years turtles live at home is determined both by their species and the conditions of their detention. Their life expectancy, unfortunately, is usually almost half that of similar species living in the wild. With the proper care at home, turtles live 30 - 40 years. On average, this figure is 30 years. But if you create ideal conditions for them, they will live up to half a century.
European landlubbers (which are most often bred in captivity) typically live 40 years. Small aquatic turtles (including red-eared turtles) live 25 - 50 years, but it is simply impossible to keep giant sea turtles in an apartment or house.
Very often, the premature death of such pets is associated with mistakes in their maintenance made by animal owners (improper feeding, temperature conditions and other factors).
Today there are up to 300 species in the turtle family. Each of them has its own life expectancy. Of course, not all of them can become your pet (due to their size, feeding method and living conditions). When choosing such an exotic pet, you need to focus not only on its appearance. There are many indicators to consider, including expected lifespan. Let's consider to what age the most famous and common representatives of this class live.
Land turtle in a terrarium. How long will she live?
Turtles that live on land can live 30 years, but can live four times longer - 120 years. Their distinctive features are a rounded shell and fused fingers. Small individuals in an aquarium live up to 30 years, in nature they may well celebrate their 80th birthday. Giant tortoises (with a shell up to a meter) live from 30 to 50 years in captivity, and up to 100 to 120 years in freedom.
Maximum age (in years) of land turtles kept at home:
- musky - from 23 to 28;
- Egyptian - 30;
- star-shaped (Indian) - 30;
- Central Asian - 30;
- Mediterranean - from 35 to 40;
- Balkan - 50.
Some people believe that it is not necessary for land reptiles to have special housing, and leave them to “free range”. This usually ends very badly. Someone in the household may accidentally step on an animal crawling on the floor. Heat-loving turtles run the risk of catching a cold from drafts; their health is negatively affected by dirt and dust.
Note! One individual requires a horizontal type terrarium with minimum dimensions: length - 50 cm, width - 40 cm, height - up to 30 cm.
Aquatic turtle: lifespan in artificial conditions
Let's start with the most popular type of such reptiles: how many years do red-eared turtles live? If you provide them with proper care, they will delight you with their presence for 25 to 30 years (the same applies to yellow-eared ones). Depending on the size of the aquarium, they can grow to the size of a large saucer (maximum - up to 30 cm). They look peculiar and can make sounds resembling a squeal or hiss.
The average lifespan of aquatic turtles living in a human home is:
- silt loggerhead - 23 years;
- Trionix Chinese Far Eastern - from 25 to 30;
- Caspian - 25;
- European marsh - 25.
Note! Aquatic turtles require an aquarium with a pond and an island where they can rest! They definitely need access to air. And change the water promptly!
Crumbs in the shell: the life period of little turtles
Not everyone is ready to have a large reptile at home. Much more often, babies up to 13 cm in size act as original pets. Despite their miniature size, such “cuties” live quite a long time.
Lifespan of a tiny turtle:
- three-keel - from 20 to 25 years;
- musky - 23;
- spotted - from 30 to 40;
- silt - from 50 to 60;
- Reeves (pond) - 58.
Nature itself made sure that such animals lived for at least 100 years. After all, they can arbitrarily stop their heartbeat, go without food and water for several days, and independently change their body temperature. In order for the life of this wise, calm animal to be full and long, adhere to the main principle - try to create for him a natural environment in which he would live in the wild. A turtle doesn’t need much, but you must follow a few rules for keeping it.
What will help prolong the life of a pet turtle:
- Proper nutrition. Her diet should not include dry food from a pet store, but natural food that reptiles of this type eat. And don’t forget to “feed” it with mineral supplements and vitamins!
- Large area tank. For example, if you have a medium-sized reptile, it needs a terrarium with a volume of at least one hundred liters.
- Suitable "housing". Basins, boxes, containers are a bad choice for a turtle. They do not live long in such “houses”.
- Aquarium with special equipment. It must be equipped with a UV lamp, a water filter, and a heater.
- Regular water treatments. At least once every 7 days, bathe your pet for no longer than half an hour and clean its shell with a soft sponge.
- Optimal temperature: water - within 20 - 24°, air - from 31 to 33°.
- Daily feeding. Preferably at the same time.
- Calm environment. If you have small children growing up in your family, explain to them that this is a living creature and not a toy. The turtle should not be frightened by loud noises, dropped or turned over. Stress shortens her life.
- Veterinarian examinations. If you find any uncharacteristic changes in its appearance, shell shape, behavior, it is better to show the turtle to the doctor.
Note! Remember that hibernation is always a big risk for a pet turtle. There is a danger that she will become too weak and die. Better not let her fall asleep!
When getting any pet - a parrot, fish, rabbit, cat or turtle, there is a natural desire to find out how many years it will live.
After all, many people perceive their pets as full-fledged members of the family and want to enjoy their company longer. People buying a red-eared turtle should take into account that although reptiles are among the longest-livers of the natural world, without proper care they risk not living even half of their allotted life.
What kind of reptile is this?
The red-eared turtle (also known as the yellow-bellied turtle) belongs to the family of American freshwater turtles. Natural habitat is small, often swampy bodies of water with weak currents. They feed on both plant and animal foods. Distributed throughout North and South America.
The external feature is two symmetrical stripes, red, yellow or orange, located behind the eyes (on both sides of the head). The color of the dorsal part of the shell (carapace) is rich green with black and yellow lines. The lower part (plastron) is painted pale yellow with a dark pattern. The pattern from the shell extends to the skin of the paws and head, so the reptile looks striped.
How to determine age and gender?
It is possible to determine the sex of a turtle only after it reaches the age of sexual maturity. But even in adult individuals, the differences between males and females remain very blurred and sex determination is possible only by secondary characteristics. The most notable include:
- Claws on the hind limbs. In males they are long, sometimes curved and thickened.
- Tail. The male is wide at the base, long with a narrow tip.
- Size. Females are noticeably larger.
- Shell shape. In males it is longer and narrower.
- The structure of the abdominal part of the external skeleton. The plastron of females is smooth, while that of males is concave.
Please note: some differences are subtle or may be absent altogether, so conclusions are drawn based on several signs.
To obtain more reliable data, you can use scientific methods - blood tests for hormones, radiography and ultrasound.
Finding out how old a reptile is is an even more difficult task. The easiest way is to clarify this point with the seller. If this is not possible, then the date of birth can only be determined approximately. The error will be several years.
One of the most reliable ways to find out the age is to measure the turtle's shell with a ruler from the front to the back edge, without taking into account the bend. By one year, its length should be three to four centimeters.
In the future, sizes depend on gender:
- 2 years. Females - 9 cm, males - 8 cm;
- 3 years. Females – 14 cm, males – 10 cm;
- 4 years. Females – 17 cm, males – 12 cm.
In addition, you can find out your age:
- Counting the rings on the shell. The first is formed before the turtle reaches twelve months. Every year 2–3 rings are added to the pattern.
- By color. The darker the shell, the older the animal. Young turtles (up to 4 years old) have rich, bright colors, then the shell begins to gradually darken.
How many live in the wild?
Although natural conditions are optimal for turtles, 10% of all individuals survive to old age. Their maximum age rarely approaches 30 years, more often the limit is 15-20 years. This is due to natural reasons: predators, diseases, human intervention in the ecosystem.
How many years have they lived at home?
In the absence of external threats, the life expectancy of turtles increases significantly. In a home terrarium they can live up to 50 years, in a zoo - 30 - 35 years.
Causes of premature death
The most common causes of death of pets are:
- Improper detention conditions. Small aquarium, dirty unfiltered water, untimely cleaning, inappropriate temperature conditions.
- Infections. They can appear from aquarium plants, decorative elements, and live food.
- Poor nutrition and lack of vitamins. In nature, a turtle can compensate for the deficiency of any element on its own; when kept at home, monitoring the diet is the owner’s task.
- Lack of qualified veterinary specialists who can correctly and timely diagnose health problems and prescribe adequate treatment.
How to extend life?
The lifespan of a turtle depends only on its owner. When creating favorable conditions, proper care and a balanced diet, it increases. To do this you need:
- Select the aquarium size. Minimum 150 liters per adult reptile. Smaller containers can only keep small turtles up to 2 years old.
- Equip your aquarium with more than just water, but also a small island of land (up to 1/3 of the total volume).
- Maintain a stable temperature and avoid drafts.
- Carry out timely sanitization once a week.
- Select decorative elements carefully. Some types of algae are poisonous to reptiles. In addition, you should not decorate the aquarium with artificial plants and shallow soil - turtles will definitely try to eat them.
- Handle the turtle carefully and avoid falling, even from a small height. In addition to the fact that they have a smooth, slippery shell that can easily slip out of your hands, some individuals can bite and scratch quite strongly.
- Ensure proper feeding. Turtles cannot eat processed food. It is forbidden to give beef, rabbit, turkey, pork, fruits, and grains. Be sure to include in the diet: animal protein (crustaceans, fish, snails, feed cockroaches), greens (algae, lettuce, dandelions).
- Add mineral supplements to food.
In fact, extending the life of a turtle is quite simple - you need to provide it with comfortable living conditions that are closest to natural ones, monitor its condition and promptly apply the necessary measures.
Line UMK V.V. Pasechnik. Biology (5-9)
Biology
Natural science
Why do turtles live so long?
Turtles have long won the reputation of long-living people. How is it that these reptiles, famous for their slowness, live so long? Maybe it's just the slowness? Let's find out together the secret of the longevity of these interesting animals.The Persian philosopher and poet Omar Khayyam wrote the following wonderful lines:
He who understands life is no longer in a hurry,
Savoring every moment and watching,
As a child sleeps, an old man prays,
How the rain falls and how the snowflakes melt...
Is it possible that turtles have some kind of hidden philosophical attitude towards life and that is why they live so long? These mysterious animals, the origin of which scientists are still debating, move so slowly and gaze into the distance for so long that it seems that they really have access to the secrets of the universe. However, this is not true.
Despite their unusual lizard-like appearance, they owe their longevity not to the wisdom accumulated over millions of years of evolution (and even slowness has nothing to do with it), but to biology. It is the turtle body structure and its size that are responsible for the enviable life expectancy of these reptiles.
Insidious Metabolism
Any creature owes its life to the chemical processes occurring in its body. Substances constantly react and transform into each other. The activity of a living creature, the amount of food required, the duration of sleep and the time of active wakefulness directly depend on the rate of metabolism - metabolism.
In turn, the metabolic rate is affected by the size of the animal’s body. If a creature is small, then the volume of its body is less than the body surface. When an animal begins to grow, the volume of the body grows faster than the surface area. For example, if you compare a large and small animal - a hippopotamus and a mouse - for the same cubic centimeter of body volume, each of them will have a different number of centimeters of body surface. Naturally, in a mouse this cubic centimeter is covered by a much larger percentage of the body surface than in a hippopotamus. The animal’s heat is “released” through this very surface, so the mouse has to move more, eat and produce nutrients much more actively than a hippopotamus (per unit of body weight). Due to the accelerated metabolism, the food eaten by the mouse is quickly digested, the body removes it from the body naturally, and now the animal is again forced to look for food.
It is logical that creatures with a fast metabolism are active, since they are energetic and are constantly in search of food. However, sleep is very important for such active animals. Toxic byproducts from neurons accumulate in their brains much faster than in large animals. Sleep helps get rid of these harmful substances. Therefore, small rodents can be in the kingdom of Morpheus for up to twenty hours a day, and giants such as elephants can be only two to four hours a day.
Large vertebrates, which cannot boast of accelerated metabolism, have long life expectancies. Elephants, whales and Galapagos tortoises deservedly became the long-lived champions among vertebrates (another name is elephant tortoises - the largest species of land tortoises existing today).
Fast metabolism - fast aging
But why do animals with slow metabolisms live longer than creatures with fast ones? After all, it would seem that activity, energy, and fast digestive processes should have a positive effect on the life of the animal.
A clear answer to this question has not yet been found. One thing has been established - creatures with a fast metabolism age and accumulate various types of damage much faster than “slow” animals. For example, naked mole rats (we are not talking about naked workers, but about burrowing rodents of the mole rat family) are known for the absence of signs of aging and a low incidence of cancer (only two recorded cases during the entire period of observation). In captivity, mole rats live up to 28 years, with a maximum lifespan of 31 years. Of course, other rodents have never dreamed of such a life expectancy - the hamster family lives for 2-3 years, the mouse family - 2-4 years, the pig family (guinea pigs) - up to 10 years, the squirrel family - 10-12, etc. When compared by size, small rodents similar in size to the naked mole rat have a lifespan of three years on average.
But still, thirty years is not a very long life compared to the longevity of large animals, which are much more susceptible to damage, disease and aging. If we take into account all the body features of naked mole rats, we can conclude that they are practically immortal. And then the end of the life of these rodents can only come in the event of an accident or attack by a predator. However, as practice shows, these rodents die on their own, and not necessarily due to negative factors.
The workbook was developed for the textbook “Biology. Basic level" for 11th grade students (authors I.N. Ponomareva, O.A. Kornilova, T.E. Loschilina, P.V. Izhevsky), included in the system of educational and methodological kits "Algorithm of Success". The tasks proposed in it, which are of a cognitive and educational nature, correspond to the named sections and paragraphs of the textbook. They will allow the teacher to organize differentiated practical work for schoolchildren, and the students to acquire solid knowledge of biology.
Change of generations
There is a theory about a certain balance in birth and death maintained in the population. In order for a new species, more adapted and perfect, to appear in the place of the previous generation, the old individuals must die. However, such a change of generations must be correlated with the rate of reproduction. For creatures with accelerated metabolism, everything in life happens faster and more efficiently. This also applies to offspring - “fast” animals leave a large number of cubs in a short time. Accordingly, they cope with the reproductive function faster, and therefore must make room for a new population earlier.
Large animals produce fewer offspring than small creatures. For example, a female elephant can give birth to, on average, up to 12 cubs in her entire life, while a female naked mole rat brings from 12 to 27 rodents in just one litter (and there can be five such litters in a year).
The life of large animals is slower, so they need to live longer in order to have time to do everything that smaller creatures do.
Poikilothermia (cold-bloodedness)
Cold-blooded animals (compared to warm-blooded ones) have the same leisurely life. Due to the peculiarities of thermoregulation, cold-blooded animals do not spend their energy on stabilizing high body temperatures, therefore they also do not need a fast metabolic rate. Moreover, the exchange rate may vary, but depending on the so-called “lucky chance”. For example, if a lizard managed to get out on a pebble on a hot day and bask in the rays of the sun, then its metabolism will speed up and it will become more active. If the weather is bad and no lucky factors happened during the day, its activity will be the same, not characterized by high speed. Naturally, it is impossible to predict favorable factors, therefore, in general, the existence of cold-blooded animals proceeds more slowly, unlike their warm-blooded neighbors,
Turtles are cold-blooded animals, therefore their life flows more slowly (which is even noticeable in their lazy movements), which is why they are famous for their longevity. The longest-living record holders among tortoises are the Galapagos tortoises. These large reptiles, weighing more than 400 kg, live for hundreds of years. Among the recorded life expectancy of Galapagos tortoises in captivity, the maximum result is 180 years of existence.
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“It takes several generations of trainers to train a turtle.”
The slowness of turtles has long caused people to smile condescendingly and is the subject of numerous jokes and anecdotes. Here is one of them. “Once a hare, a squirrel and a tortoise got together to have dinner, but no one had anything to eat. We sent the turtle to the store. They wait for half an hour, an hour, two, but still no turtle. The Hare can’t stand it and starts shouting: “What is this?! Where is this Tortoise?” And the Turtle pokes his head out of the bushes and says: “If you swear, I won’t go anywhere!”
We know that turtles have a slow metabolism, and we see that they are slow, but how do the turtles themselves perceive what is happening? Is reality that slow for them too?
Interestingly, it is the metabolic rate that is associated with the sense of subjective time. The faster the exchange, the slower reality is perceived. The degree of speed of perception of subjective time can be found by establishing the minimum frequency of flashes of light at which the light is perceived by the subject as continuous. This parameter is called the critical flicker fusion frequency (CFMF).
Critical flicker fusion frequency
To establish the critical frequency of flicker fusion in creatures, you need a special transparent drum (corresponding to the size of the creature) with vertical dark stripes on the walls. Outside one drum, another drum is placed, capable of rotating at different speeds. Both reels are brightly lit.
When the second drum begins to rotate, it seems to the animal in the first transparent drum that the whole room is spinning. Accordingly, any animal begins to move in such a way as to stay on this moving floor (or in moving water, during a current).
With the acceleration of the rotation of the second reel, at a certain frequency, the creature ceases to feel that the room is rotating, and it stops trying to maintain balance. In fact, the rotation of the drum does not stop, it’s just that for this animal a specific frequency of flickering has been reached, when the vertical stripes on the walls have merged and become invisible. This is the desired KCHSM.
It has been experimentally established that in humans the CNSF is equal to sixty flashes per second, while in a turtle it is fifteen. This means that, according to the turtle’s subjective perception, time flows four times faster for her than for us. This is reflected experimentally by the fact that while we notice 4 flashes, the turtle sees only one. Therefore, in “its time” the turtle moves normally, because its reality moves differently. Therefore, a life of 180 years is not that long for her.
Let's summarize
Everything in the world is relative. Turtles owe their long life to their slow metabolism. It not only slows down processes in the body, but also affects the perception of reality of this reptile. A person has a faster metabolism than a turtle, so his subjective reality is more dynamic. Only in our minds does a turtle move slowly and live a long time; in its own world these are not such record-breaking figures.