So they can reproduce more effectively. A: Some wild turtles studied in long-term research programs are known to live for many years. A: Well-developed body armor allows many adult turtles to persist in nature. Take the shrew: its life is a blur, and few live to be two years old. Wiki User June 10, 2009 7:11PM . As primarily island species, turtles tend to live in locations where there aren’t many predators in the first place, at least none that live as long as turtles to attack them repeatedly and make their lives difficult. Since 1967 he has conducted field studies of freshwater turtle populations on the Savannah River Plant. Long life spans provide an evolutionary advantage for certain types of animals. [] They manage to live so long because the important parts of their bodies do not become weak with age, as in the case of humans and birds. Even small species that are typically kept as pets, like box turtles and terrapins, live between 30 and 40 years if they're kept healthy. Although eggs and baby turtles are highly vulnerable to predation, once hard-shelled turtles reach adulthood, they are protected from most natural predators. EDIT: Obviously I got caught in between "live to be so old" and "live so long." Captive turtles are known to have lived even longer. Metabolic rates differ dramatically between species. Sea Turtles can live over 100 years. The long neck turtles live in Eastern Australia. Tortoises and turtles in general have slower metabolism. I know that they have slower heart rates but is there a reason for that... What makes a … In fact, they continue to grow very, very slowly for as long as they live. Why do sea turtles live so long? Turtle longevity may reflect low metabolic activity, an absence of physiological and anatomical senility, a large investment in the adult's protective shell, and a life history with a long maturation period. J. Whitfield Gibbons. Turtles and tortoises are some of the most long-lived members of the reptile family. A female Blanding’s turtle in Minnesota was documented to lay eggs at 75 years old. They grow at a steady rate and hibernate. Why turtles live so long also tends to be somewhat of a mystery. Larger species such as sea turtles are estimated to live about 80 years. What factors help them have a long life? Why Do Giant Tortoises Live So Long? Personally, I’d like to think that tortoises also make allies by giving them free rides. Why do turtles live so long? Google Scholar. Apparently, it may have something to do with a slow metabolism which means that turtles need fewer calories than other animals of similar size. Thanks to … J. Whitfield Gibbons is a senior ecologist at the University of Georgia's Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Aiken, SC 29801. A second idea about why turtles live so long is also related to that low metabolism. BY Andrew LaSane. The long neck turtle can live for as long as a 100 years. Scientists though are still unsure how old some turtles get, especially endemic species such as the Galapagos turtle that have lived for years in isolation. For the best answers, search on this site https://shorturl.im/axh0E. How can they live so long? [] They manage to live so long because the important parts of their bodies do not become weak with age, as in the case of humans and birds.