Wild Lifespans

Fatou the gorilla turns 68 this year. For a gorilla, that’s pretty old! But “old” means something different for different species. Which animals do you think have the longest and shortest lifespans? Explore this timeline to find out.

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God knows the limits of our days. (Job 14:5) Life on Earth doesn’t last forever. Not even for a glass sponge! But there’s good news. God has a forever home prepared just for us. Jesus died so we could live with Him. We know the real human lifespan for believers: eternity!

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1 Day: Mayfly

Mayflies have the shortest known adult lifespan of any animal. They belong to order Ephemeroptera. That name comes from ancient Greek. It literally means “lasting a day” plus “winged.” (That’s the mayflies’ adult lifespan. Before that, they live as larvae for up to a year.) Depending on the species, a single mayfly can lay up to 10,000 eggs in that one day. Imagine many mayflies laying eggs at the same time. During a hatch, swarms cover roads and streetlights. Have you seen them?

Dog lifespan depends on size and breed. On average, most dogs live about 10 years. Some people describe dog age in “dog years.” There’s no real science to this idea. But it can help you understand a dog’s maturity. The first calendar year of a dog’s life, the pup ages about the same amount a human does in 15 years! After that, dogs age at about five to seven years per calendar year. So a three-year-old dog might act the age of a 28-year-old person.

10 Years: Dog

In the wild, bald eagles live between 20 and 30 years. According to the National Eagle Center, 70 to 80 percent of them don’t reach adulthood. They can survive much longer in human care. You probably know this freedom flyer as the national bird of the United States. Killing a bald eagle can result in a $100,000 fine, a year in prison, or both.

25 Years: Bald Eagle

You are here! Psalm 90:10 says: “The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty.” The data agrees. The average human lives about 73 years. As of May 2025, the oldest known living person is 115-year-old Ethel Caterham. She has seen both World Wars and the invention of television!

73 Years: Human

150 Years: Aldabra Giant Tortoise

Wonder why tortoises move so slowly? Well, they have plenty of time! A tortoise named Jonathan is the oldest known living land animal. He hatched around 1832. That makes him roughly 192 years old. You can see him in black-and-white photographs taken with some of the first-ever cameras!

500 Years: Greenland Shark

The Greenland shark is likely the longest- living vertebrate (animal with a backbone). Scientists think it can live as long as 500 years. It’s also one of the largest known shark species. A Greenland shark can grow to about 21 feet long. You’re going to need a bigger boat! (If you don’t get that reference, ask a grown-up.)

Now that’s old. The glass sponge dwells deep undersea on the ocean floor. Scientists believe it can live for over 10,000 years. If true, the oldest glass sponge alive today likely lived through the beginnings of human history. (Good thing it stays underwater. It had to survive the Great Flood!)

10,000 Years: Glass Sponge