• Question: why do turtles live for AGES!!!!:):):):):):)

    Asked by mayerar01 to Carol, Ellie, John, Philip, Rebecca on 3 Jul 2012.
    • Photo: John Welford

      John Welford answered on 3 Jul 2012:

      I’m not really sure, but here are a few ideas:

      Larger animals tend to live longer than smaller ones
      Cold blooded animals tend to live longer than warm blooded ones
      Slow moving animals have a slower heartbeat and tend to live longer than faster ones
      Armoured animals tend to live longer than soft squidgy ones
      They don’t seem to age in the same way as humans, they continue growing until they die
      Some species of turtle don’t have many predators

    • Photo: Rebecca Lacey

      Rebecca Lacey answered on 3 Jul 2012:

      Apparemtly one of the reasons a turtle lives so long is because it is vegetarian. They also have a slow metabolic rate and don’t age as quickly as other organisms. Their hard protective shell is also thought to keep them pretty safe too.

      Did you know that you can determine the age of a turtle by the rings under its shell – like a tree!

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