What’s the Lifespan of a Turtle?
The lifespan of a turtle varies from five years up to more than a decade. It depends on the species, the environment it lives in and its age. Turtles can live for decades or even a lifetime and can serve a single person lifespan if proper care and attention are given. Every fifth turtle in the wild dies because of human habitat near the ocean and endangered.
The lifespan of a turtle has been calculated as two to ten years depending on the species, its age, diet, living conditions and so on. It is not very difficult to find the best care and maintenance package for your turtle to provide a longer lifespan. Below is a list of factors that affect a turtle’s lifespan. You can get more information about life expectancy of a turtle
Environment – The environment plays a crucial role in providing the best care and maintenance for a turtle. It needs to be free from predators and live in an oxygenated surroundings. If the turtle dies or gets sick, the environment should be checked again to make sure that there are no infectious elements in it. This is the best care and maintenance package that you can provide for your turtle.
Gender – There are varieties of turtles available in the market including female, male, egg layers and adult turtles. The lifespan of each turtle will also differ according to the species. For example, the lifespan of an adult male turtle is between seven to ten years whereas a female may live for up to sixteen years. Gender may affect the diet of the turtle too. A turtle that lives longer may not need to feed as much. A baby turtle will eat less food than an adult because it has not grown.
Gender determination – Some species of turtles such as tortoises are intersex which results in them having both sexes. Intersexed turtles have a higher risk of having difficulties in conceiving. Therefore it is important to choose the gender of the turtle carefully. You may not be able to determine the gender even after buying the turtle. In this case you should take the help of an expert.
Providing the right conditions for the longevity of a turtle, will increase the chances of it living a long and healthy life span. You should also buy the turtles from a reputable breeder who has experience in caring for these animals. It would be a good idea to check out the pet shop’s reputation also before buying the turtle. By providing the right conditions for the turtles, their longevity will definitely increase.