Turtles Vs Gorillas: Who Outlives The Other?

do turtles and gorillas live the same amount

Gorillas and turtles are fascinating creatures with many similarities and differences. Both are ancient species that have been revered and studied for centuries, playing significant roles in human culture and mythology. In this article, we will explore and compare the lifespans of these two iconic species to answer the question: do turtles and gorillas live the same amount?

Characteristics Values
Average Lifespan Gorillas: 35-40 years in the wild, over 50 years in rare circumstances in captivity
Turtles: several months to several years, depending on the species
Habitat Gorillas: tropical forests of equatorial Africa
Turtles: most continents, some islands, and much of the ocean
Diet Gorillas: mainly vegetarian, including stems, bamboo shoots, fruits, termites, ants, and larvae
Turtles: mainly plants and animals with limited movement
Size Gorillas: 1.25-1.8m tall, weighing 100-270kg, with an arm span of up to 2.6m
Turtles: smallest is Chersobius signatus of South Africa, measuring no more than 10cm and weighing 172g; largest is the leatherback turtle, reaching over 2.7m in length and weighing over 500kg

petshun

Gorilla species and subspecies

Gorillas are the largest living primates and are close genetic relatives of chimpanzees and humans. There are two species of gorilla: the eastern gorilla and the western gorilla. Each species has two to four subspecies.

Eastern Gorilla (Gorilla beringei) Subspecies:

  • Mountain Gorilla (G. b. beringei): Found in the Virunga volcanoes' high-altitude tropical forests in Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. They have longer, thicker fur than other subspecies, allowing them to survive in colder temperatures. There are fewer than 800 mountain gorillas left in the wild, making them critically endangered.
  • Eastern Lowland Gorilla (G. b. graueri): Inhabits the Democratic Republic of the Congo. They are the largest of the gorilla subspecies and are similar to mountain gorillas but have shorter fur, narrower faces, and rounder nostrils. They are listed as endangered, with fewer than 5,000 individuals remaining in the wild.

Western Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla) Subspecies:

  • Western Lowland Gorilla (G. g. gorilla): Found in Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Gabon, Congo, and Equatorial Guinea. Their fur is often redder and greyer than that of their eastern relatives. They are listed as critically endangered due to threats such as habitat destruction, human encroachment, hunting for bushmeat, and the spread of the Ebola virus.
  • Cross River Gorilla (G. g. diehli): The world's rarest great ape, with fewer than 300 individuals surviving in a small area between Nigeria and Cameroon. They have distinct skull shapes compared to western lowland gorillas and redder and greyer fur than the eastern subspecies. They are the most elusive and challenging gorilla subspecies to study.

petshun

Gorilla lifespan in the wild

Gorillas are the world's largest primates, with males weighing around 143-169 kg and standing about 1.4-1.8 m tall in the wild. A gorilla's lifespan in the wild is estimated to be between 35 and 40 years, though they can live longer in captivity, sometimes exceeding 50 years. The oldest gorilla on record was a female western gorilla at the Columbus Zoo, who lived to be 60 years old.

The two species of gorilla, the eastern gorilla and the western gorilla, are both listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List. The greatest threat to gorilla populations is human activity, including habitat loss, poaching, and disease transmission. Conservation efforts are underway to protect gorillas from extinction, and these efforts have been successful in some areas.

In the wild, gorillas live in troops led by a silverback, the adult male typically weighing between 136 and 227 kg. The eastern gorilla is distinguished from the western gorilla by its darker fur colour and other minor morphological differences. Gorillas are predominantly ground-dwelling and inhabit the tropical forests of equatorial Africa, though their habitats cover a wide range of elevations.

Gorillas are highly intelligent and have been taught to use sign language in captivity. They are also capable of using tools in the wild, such as sticks to gauge water depth or as ladders to help infants climb. They have impressive communication abilities, with over 25 distinct vocalisations recorded.

Gorillas are mainly herbivores, and their diet consists mostly of bamboo, fruit, and leafy plants. Adult gorillas can eat up to 30 kg of food each day. As roaming herbivores, gorillas play a vital role in seed dispersal, helping many large fruit trees survive.

petshun

Gorilla lifespan in captivity

Gorillas are the largest living primates, with males weighing between 136 and 227 kg and females between 68 and 113 kg. In the wild, their natural habitats cover tropical or subtropical forests in Sub-Saharan Africa, and their lifespans are between 35 and 40 years. In captivity, however, gorillas can live up to 50 years or more, though this is rare.

The first gorilla ever born in captivity, Colo, lived to be 60 years old. Another female gorilla, also a western gorilla, died at 69 years old in 2017. The oldest living gorilla in captivity as of 2023 is Fatou, a 66-year-old western lowland gorilla who lives at Zoo Berlin in Germany.

In captivity, gorillas exhibit various abnormal behaviours, including eating disorders, self-harm, and aggression towards other gorillas or their handlers. These behaviours can be mitigated by providing privacy screens and naturalistic auditory stimuli, as well as modifications to feeding practices.

petshun

Turtle species and subspecies

Turtles are reptiles of the order Testudines, and there are over 350 species of them. They are divided into two major groups: the Pleurodira (side-necked turtles) and the Cryptodira (hidden-necked turtles), which differ in the way the head retracts.

Pleurodira (Side-Necked Turtles)

The Pleurodira, or side-necked turtles, retract their necks sideways to protect their heads within their shells. They include the following species:

  • African Helmeted Turtle
  • Alabama Red-Bellied Cooter
  • Arrau Turtle/Giant River Turtle
  • East African Black Mud Turtle
  • Eastern Long-Necked Turtle
  • False Map Turtle
  • Mississippi Map Turtle
  • Northern Map Turtle
  • Ouachita Map Turtle
  • Texas Map Turtle
  • Yellow-blotched Map Turtle
  • Eastern Mud Turtle/Common Mud Turtle
  • Mississippi Mud Turtle
  • Red-Cheeked Mud Turtle
  • Scorpion Mud Turtle
  • Striped Mud Turtle
  • White-Lipped Mud Turtle
  • Yellow Mud Turtle
  • Common Musk Turtle/Eastern Musk Turtle/Stinkpot Turtle
  • Flattened Musk Turtle
  • Loggerhead Musk Turtle
  • Razor-Backed Musk Turtle
  • Eastern Painted Turtle
  • Midland Painted Turtle
  • Southern Painted Turtle
  • Western Painted Turtle
  • African Helmeted Turtle/African Side-Necked Turtle/Crocodile Turtle/Marsh Terrapin
  • African Side-Necked Turtle/African Mud Turtle/West African Mud Turtle
  • Pink-Bellied Side-Necked Turtle/Jardine River Turtle/Red-Bellied Short-Necked Turtle
  • Eastern Snake-Necked Turtle/Common Snake-Necked Turtle/Eastern Long-Necked Turtle

Cryptodira (Hidden-Necked Turtles)

The Cryptodira, or hidden-necked turtles, retract their heads straight back into their shells. They include the following species:

  • Chinese Box Turtle/Golden-Headed Turtle/Yellow-Margined Box Turtle/Snake-Eating Turtle
  • Malaysian Box Turtle/Amboina Box Turtle/Southeast Asian Box Turtle
  • Common Box Turtle/Eastern Box Turtle/Land Turtle
  • Coahuilan Box Turtle/Aquatic Box Turtle
  • Desert Box Turtle/Sonoran Box Turtle
  • Gulf Coast Box Turtle
  • Ornate Box Turtle/Box Tortoise/Western Box Turtle
  • Three-Toed Box Turtle
  • Chicken Turtle/American Snake-Necked Turtle
  • Eastern River Cooter
  • Florida Red-Bellied Cooter/Florida Cooter
  • Peninsula Cooter
  • European Pond Turtle/European Pond Terrapin/European Pond Tortoise
  • Western Pond Turtle/Pacific Pond Turtle
  • Golden Thread Turtle
  • Indian Tent Turtle/Indian Pink-Ringed Tent Turtle
  • Japanese Pond Turtle/Nihon Ishigame
  • Reeves Turtle/Chinese Pond Turtle/Chinese Three-Keeled Pond Turtle
  • Cumberland Slider/Cumberland Turtle/Troost's Turtle
  • Nicaraguan Slider/Peacock Slider
  • Red-Eared Slider/Red-Eared Terrapin/Water Slider
  • Yellow-Bellied Slider
  • Arakan Forest Turtle
  • Philippine Forest Turtle/Leyte Pond Turtle/Palawan Turtle/Philippine Pond Turtle
  • Black-Breasted Leaf Turtle/Black-Breasted Hill Turtle/Vietnamese Leaf Turtle
  • Alabama Map Turtle
  • Barbour's Map Turtle
  • Black-Knobbed Map Turtle/Black-Knobbed Sawback
  • Cagle's Map Turtle
  • Diamondback Terrapin/Ornate Diamondback Terrapin
  • Wood Turtle
  • Blanding's Turtle
  • Bog Turtle/Muhlenberg's Turtle
  • Central American Wood Turtle/Painted Wood Turtle
  • Ornate Wood Turtle
  • Spotted Turtle
  • Big-Headed Turtle
  • Matamata Turtle
  • Pig-Nosed Turtle/Fly River Turtle/Pitted-Shelled Turtle
  • Alligator Snapping Turtle/Alligator Snapper/Loggerhead Snapper
  • Common Snapping Turtle/Common Snapper/Eastern Snapping Turtle/Snapper
  • Florida Softshell Turtle
  • Smooth Softshell Turtle
  • Spiny Softshell Turtle
  • African Softshell Turtle
  • Black Softshell Turtle/Bostami Turtle
  • Chinese Softshell Turtle
  • Indian Peacock Softshell Turtle

petshun

Turtle lifespan in the wild vs in captivity

Turtles are reptiles of the order Testudines, and they are divided into two major groups: the Pleurodira (side-necked turtles) and Cryptodira (hidden-necked turtles). They are found on most continents and in the ocean, and they are long-lived animals.

In the wild, turtles can live for more than a century. The giant tortoises of the Galapagos Islands and Aldabra, for instance, have lived for over 60 years. Some species, like the Galapagos tortoises, Aldabra tortoises, and Seychelles tortoises, routinely live for more than a century. Smaller species, such as box turtles and red-eared sliders, have wild lifespans of 20 to 30 years, though some can live to be 50 or older.

Captive turtles, on the other hand, tend to live longer than their wild counterparts due to factors such as unlimited food, veterinary care, and protection from predators. For example, the Seychelles giant tortoise named Jonathan, who is believed to be the world's oldest living turtle and land animal, turned 187 in 2019 and has likely survived so long due to human care since the 1880s.

Gorillas, in contrast, tend to live 35-40 years in the wild, and they may live for 50 years or more in rare circumstances, such as in captivity. The lifespan of a gorilla is typically between 35 and 40 years, but zoo gorillas can sometimes exceed this, reaching 50 years or more.

Therefore, while both turtles and gorillas can live for several decades, turtles tend to have longer lifespans, especially in captivity, where they are provided with veterinary care, unlimited food, and protection from predators.

How Do Turtles Mate and Reproduce?

You may want to see also

Frequently asked questions

The lifespan of a turtle depends on the species. Most aquatic turtles live into their 40s, while smaller species have a lifespan of about 25 years. Some turtles, like the Greek tortoise and the Leopard tortoise, can live for over 100 years.

The lifespan of a gorilla is about 35-40 years in the wild. In rare cases, zoo gorillas can live up to 50 years or more.

No, turtles generally have longer lifespans than gorillas. While most gorillas live up to 40 years, many turtle species can live beyond that, and some turtles have been known to live for almost 200 years.

For turtles, their slow metabolism contributes to their long lives. They also have a low requirement for food and water, and can enter hibernation-like states. Gorillas, on the other hand, face threats to their survival such as poaching, habitat destruction, and disease, which can reduce their lifespan.

Written by
Reviewed by
Share this post
Print
Did this article help you?

Leave a comment