David F. Kramer
Turtles and tortoises are some of the longest-living animals in the world. Deciding to keep one as a pet comes with a long-term commitment, perhaps including a clause in your will about the care of your reptile friend. Whether or not you need the help of a lawyer, your turtle or tortoise will be a pet you can enjoy for many years to come.
According to Dr. Jennifer Coates, veterinary consultant for Pet MD, Jonathan, a Seychelles giant tortoise that lives on St. Helena Island, holds the current record for the longest living turtle. “Jonathan appears to have hatched around 1832,” Dr. Coates said, adding that while different species of turtles and tortoises have different lifespans, “with proper care, most pet turtles can be expected to live 30 to 40 years, whereas box turtles and tortoises generally live between 50 and 100 years.”
Dr. Adam Denish of Lawnhurst Animal Hospital in Pennsylvania got an up-close look at just how long some turtles can live.
“I have a turtle client in my practice who has an incredible history with a family pet. They have a turtle that lived in Queen Victoria’s gardens in London in the 1880s,” he says. “It has a direct provenance that explains the turtle’s age. If you saw this incredible 52-pound animal, you would guess it was old based on its shell, but you wouldn’t guess it was over 130 years old.”
Many turtle owners are undoubtedly curious about the age of their pets. Unfortunately, there is no way to know exactly how old a turtle is unless you are present at the moment of hatching. However, there are some ways to estimate the age of a turtle and make a fairly educated guess that will satisfy the curiosity of any pet owner. This is not difficult, just take a close look at your reptile companion and his living environment.
Comparing your turtle’s size to an adult turtle of the same species is a good start. Smaller specimens tend to be younger, but this simple check is never foolproof, as many external factors affect how quickly a turtle grows. Coates adds that “females tend to be larger than males,” so this should also be taken into account.
If your turtle was bred in captivity, you can probably shave a few years off the age, as turtles tend to grow faster when they are well cared for and have plenty of food. You can also estimate your turtle’s age by knowing if it has bred, as turtles are able to breed when they reach maturity. Turtles generally reach maturity at 5-8 years of age, although land turtles can take up to 20 years to reach full maturity.
Just like the growth rings on a tree trunk, as turtles age, they develop growth rings on the plates that make up their shell. But it’s a mistake to simply count the rings and think that each one represents a year, says Coates. Turtle rings don’t represent lengths of time, but periods of growth, Coates explains. One year a turtle may grow significantly, while another year it may grow very little or not at all. Growth rings can indicate growth spurts that last only a short period of the turtle’s life.
As a turtle lives, even if it has spent its entire life in captivity, the effects of time and the environment will take their toll on its shell and skin. Dents, chips and discolouration in the shell can be signs of a long life, but they could also be the result of a simple fall from an aquarium or from a young turtle’s sunbathing spot.
According to Danish, a visit to the vet can help you estimate the age of your pet turtle or tortoise: “I see at least a few turtles a month that are badly deformed and look old from previous illnesses. The shape of the shell, the quality of the shell, the color of the shell, and the texture of the skin and shell are all signs that can help you estimate the age of the animal.”
But even from a veterinarian’s standpoint, it’s still just a guess. So is it really that important to know a turtle’s age? “Not really,” says Danish.
“In fact, it only matters in a few situations. First, if you are thinking of breeding, it helps you know when to breed your pet. Second, it helps you know how big the turtle will be when it becomes an adult so you can get the right size cage for your pet. Finally, for some species it helps when you need to know the appropriate diet for newborn, juvenile, adult or geriatric turtles. For me, the most important thing is to research the species you are considering and make sure it is right in terms of temperament, size, care requirements and cost.”
