Succeed with Healthy Animals

Comparison of Animal Ages

About 2 min read

(updated 18 January 2022)

Most animals age more rapidly than humans. Just as humans need different nutrition, exercise and health care at the various phases in their lives, so too do your pets need different care as they age. Older animals suffer from the same ailments as elderly people, such as arthritis and loss of hearing and vision.

A comparison of the actual age of the pet and the corresponding of a human can give you a good idea of how to take care of your pet and also to understand its behavior.

Questions you may have include:

  • What is the life span of various animals?
  • What are the age phases in a cat?
  • What are the age phases in a dog?

This lesson will answer those questions. Animal Health Disclaimer


Longevity of various animals

The longevity of various animals ranges from about 193 years to 6 months. Usually, the larger animals live longer than the smaller ones.

Animal Typical Maximum Life span
Mammals
Elephant 70 years
Camel 50 years
Donkey 45 years
Horse 40 years
Lion 35 years
Deer 35 years
Bull 28 years
Pig, wild 25 years
Cat 23 years
Tiger 22 years
Cow 22 years
Ox 20 years
Wolf 18 years
Dog, small 17 years
Sheep 15 years
Goat 15 years
Fox 14 years
Dog, large 12 years
Rabbit 9 years
Mouse 4 years
Birds
Amazon Parrot 80 years
Macaw 50 years
Pigeon 26 years
Blackbird 18 years
Chicken 15 years
Reptiles
Galapagos Land Tortoise 193 years
American Box Turtle 123 years
Crocodile 45 years
Rattlesnake 22 years
Insects
Ant, queen 3 years
Ant, worker 0.5 year
Bee, queen 5 years
Bee, worker 1 year

Ages of cats

See: Comparison of Cat Ages.

Ages of Dogs

See: Comparison of Dog Ages.

Summary

Most pets and other animals have a shorter life span that humans. With dogs and cats, a relationship between their age and the equivalent human age has been estimated. As they age, they require different care, as do humans when they age.


Live a long and fruitful life


Resources and references

Websites

Pet doctor – animal life span

Pet Health Resources