How old do they get?

[Candy]

After Danny posted those videos of the Desert Tortoise's habitat and the concerns that the scientists have I had heard something in one of the videos that now concerns me. I think that it was the first video that I heard them say that Desert Tortoises can live to the age of 50 years. Now I'm concerned since we think that Fernando is 35 or so years old. Does anyone have any other guess or experiences that they live longer then this?

 

[spikethebest]

i have known of desert tortoises being over 100 years old in captivity. those hibernated every year.

 

[agiletorts]

Don't worry - 35 years is still young for a tortoise.

 

[DeanS]

I just had contact with a girl whose mother just lost her CDT...he was 80+

 

[Candy]

i have known of desert tortoises being over 100 years old in captivity. those hibernated every year.

Cory are you trying to say that hibernation helps them live a longer life and if so I'd love to read the research on that. Can you please post something for me.

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I just had contact with a girl whose mother just lost her CDT...he was 80+

That is great news for me Dean. Do you know if this DT was always hibernated or not?

 

[Stephanie Logan]

I've read general info on tortoises that says "50-100" years, but that's such a a big range. I wonder if there's any more recent and reliable research on this issue, which is very important to me as well. I really want Taco to outlive me and am hoping if I take really good care of her and her MBD isn't too severe that I can will her to one of my grandkids someday.

 

[RichardS]

i have known of desert tortoises being over 100 years old in captivity. those hibernated every year.

Cory are you trying to say that hibernation helps them live a longer life and if so I'd love to read the research on that. Can you please post something for me.

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It may be hard to research this because a study could take... well 100 years. It seems like common sense that a tortoise would live a number of years longer if it hibernated. I bet research would find that the number of lifetime heart beats would be about the same for a 100 year old well hibernated tortoise and a 50 year old that wasn't.