AnAge entry for Gopherus agassizii

Classification (HAGRID: 03401)

Taxonomy: Kingdom: Animalia
    Phylum: Chordata
        Class: Reptilia (Taxon entry)
            Order: Testudines (Taxon entry)
                Family: Testudinidae
                    Genus: Gopherus
Species: Gopherus agassizii
Common name: Desert tortoise
Synonyms: Xerobates agassizii, Scaptochelys agassizii, Xerobates lepidocephalus

Maximum longevity: 62.8 years (captivity)
Source: ref. 451
Sample size: Medium
Data quality: Acceptable
Observations: Their longevity has been reported to be between 50 and 100 years [0437]. Estimates of longevity in the wild suggest these animals may live over 50 years [0527]. One study found that mortality declines with age in these animals, up to advanced ages, and as such could be a species exhibiting negligible senescence [1150].

: No information is available on life history. Please contact us if you wish to suggest or contribute data.

No information on metabolism is available.

[1308] Myhrvold et al. (2015), An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles
[1150] Jones et al. (2014), Diversity of ageing across the tree of life (PubMed)
[0527] Castanet (1994), Age estimation and longevity in reptiles (PubMed)
[0468] John Behler and F. King (1979), The National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians
[0437] FEIS by the USDA Forest Service
[0451] Frank & Kate's Web Page