• Question: how long do animals live?

    Asked by evelina100 to Anil, Blanka, Emma, Mike on 4 Jul 2012. This question was also asked by whsumayyah.
    • Photo: Michael Cook

      Michael Cook answered on 4 Jul 2012:


      Animals live for all sorts of different lengths of time. Some species of tortoise or parrot can live for decades, while other animals just for just a few years. Some insects live for a few days, even!

      I think we’re quite lucky that we get to live so long and see so much, don’t you?

    • Photo: Emma Trantham

      Emma Trantham answered on 4 Jul 2012:


      As Mike said, animals live for all sorts of different lengths of time.

      We think in part it depends on metabolism (the rate at which our body breaks down nutrients to create energy). Animals with a really fast metabolism like rats and mice only live for a short amount of time but tortoises that have a slow metabolism live for decades (and can live to over 100 years old!)

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