Animal Life Spans

A Chart for Quick Reference

Jul 9, 2007 Denise Oliveri

Here is a quick reference guide to how long certain animals live, along with some interesting animal facts. This will help with projects for homeschooling unit studies.

Most animals have a life span far less than that of humans. Right now the average life span for a human is between 75 to 80 years of age. How do animals compare?

Average Life Spans

The average life spans listed below are from the most years expected to live to the least years expected to live. Of course, the life expectancy of an animal has many factors, including its environment, its food supply, and whether or not it is captive.

Galapagos tortoise - 200+ years

Box turtle, carp - 100 years

Gray whale - 70 years

Alligator, chimpanzee, African parrot, humpback whale - 50 years

African elephant - 35 years

Dolphin, gorilla - 30 years

Horse, snake - 20 years

Black bear - 18 years

Tiger - 16 years

Lion, lobster, domestic cat, cow, tarantula, - 15 years

Domestic dog - 13 years

Camel, moose, sheep - 12 years

Ferret, giraffe, pig, squirrel - 10 years

Chicken, white-tailed deer, goat - 8 years

Kangaroo - 7 years

Chipmunk - 6 years

Beaver, domestic rabbit - 5 years

Guinea pig, hamster - 4 years

Mouse - 3 years

Opossum - 1 year

Worker bee - 5 weeks

Adult housefly - 4 weeks

Figures come from various reliable and accurate sources.

Extreme Life Spans

These animals have far exceeded their life expectancy. This does not happen often, so they are worth mentioning.

Parrot - 80 years

Elephant - 69 years

Alligator - 68 years

Catfish - 60 years

Eagle, eel, giant salamander - 55 years

Horse - 50 years

Cobra - 28 years

Queen ant - 15 years

Figures come from various zoos and aquariums from around the world.

In the mammal species, it would appear that larger animals tend to live longer than smaller ones. Take for instance this scenario. Man lives longer than many mammals. Next comes, elephants, monkeys, horses, and down the line to the tiny house mouse that lives the shortest period of time. Notice how the bigger mammals live longer than the smaller ones?

But, there are definitely exceptions to this rule. For example, in a same species scenario, larger dogs do not live as long as smaller dogs. Mutts (or mixed breeds) tend to live longer than pure bred dogs, and it does not really matter what size you are talking about.

Myth: One human year equals seven years for a dog.

Fact: To calculate a dog's age, use this formula:

10.5 dog years per human year for the first 2 years, then 4 dog years per human year for each year after.

Project suggestion: Research life expectancy comparisons like the one shown above for mammals on all the different species of the world, including anthropods, fish, birds, reptiles, and amphibians.

The copyright of the article Animal Life Spans in Homeschooling is owned by Denise Oliveri. Permission to republish Animal Life Spans in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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