The Biology of Senescence 



are potentially very much longer-lived than some small forms. 

 The maximum authenticated records include Testudo sumeirii, 

 152+ (years); T. elephantopus 100 + ; T. graeca, 102, 105; 

 T. daudini, 100 + ; T. hermanni, 90 + ; Emys orbicularis , 70-120 

 (Flower, 1925, 1937; Rollinat, 1934; Korschelt, 1931); Terra- 

 pene Carolina, 118+ (Ditmars, 1934), 88+ (Deck, 1926), 64 

 (Edney and Allen, 1951), the last two in the wild. The age of 

 the royal tortoise of Tonga, said to have belonged to Capt. 

 Cook, and still living, is unsupported by documents, but may 

 well be authentic. 



The longevity of turtles and luths (Parker, 1926, 1929) and 

 of crocodiles has been assumed, upon a basis of recorded sizes, 

 to be very great, though the longest captive record of a crocodile 

 is 56+ years (Flower, 1937). Alligator sinensis has been kept 

 52 years (Lederer, 1941), and A. mississippiensis 41 years in the 

 London Zoo (1912-53). The records of snakes are limited by 

 their poor survival in zoos. (Eunectes murinus, 29 years (Flower, 

 1937), 28 (Perkins, 1948); Epicrates cenchris 27 (Perkins, 1948).) 

 Lizards: Anguis fragilis, 33 years (Hvass, 1938), 32 (Flower, 

 1937), 27 (Thummel, 1938); Sphenodon punctatus, 28+ (Flower, 

 1937); Heloderma suspectum, 20 (Conant and Hudson, 1949); 

 Ophisaurus apodus, 11 years 7 months (Conant and Hudson, 

 1949), 24 years (Perkins, 1948). The maximum life-span appears 

 to be relatively brief in chamaeleons, but this may simply be due 

 to failure to thrive in captivity. 



2-2-4 AMPHIBIANS 



Here again the figures in relation to size and growth give no 

 very clear evidence that the life-span is sharply determined. 

 The maximum records are in Megalobatrachus (52+ years — 

 Flower, 1936; 65+ years — Schneider, 1932) but many small 

 species are capable of very long life {Triton spp., 35 years — 

 Smith, 1951; Triturus pyrrhogaster, 25 — Walterstorff, 1928; Am- 

 phiuma punctatum, 25 — Koch, 1952; Triton marmoratus, 24, 21 — 

 Wendt, 1934; Pleurodeles waltl, 20— Noble, 1931). Siren, 25 years, 

 Amphiuma, 26— Noble, 1931; Salamandra salamandra, 24, Bufo 

 bufo, 36, Hyla coerulea, 16, Rana catesbiana, 15, Xenopus laevis, 15 

 (Flower 1925; 1936), Rana temporaria 12+ years (Wilson 1950), 



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