Shortest-lived turtle

Turtles and tortoises (Testudines, formerly Chelonia) are among the longest-lived animals on Earth, but the maximum recorded lifespan for the chicken turtle (Deirochelys reticularia) is a mere 21 years as reported in Chelonian Conservation and Biology on 21 June 2022. The species is native to wetland areas of southern USA, with three subspecies documented across its range.

The study also indicated that chicken turtles have evolved certain traits in order to counteract their short lifespan – for instance, females reach sexual maturity at the young age of 5–6 years; eggs and hatchlings are relatively large to increase chances of survival; and females have a high level of fecundity, sometimes producing two clutches in a year.

The research was conducted by three herpetologists from the University of Georgia (USA): Justin Congdon, Kurt Buhlmann and J. Whitfield Gibbons.

At the other end of the spectrum, currently the oldest living land animal is Jonathan, a Seychelles giant tortoise (Aldabrachelys gigantea hololissa), originally from the Seychelles but now a long-time resident of the remote South Atlantic island of St Helena. He is believed to have been born c. 1832, thus making him 190 years old in 2022.