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How Long The Organisms Live
How Long The Organisms Live
Sometimes the lifespan can vary between the males and the
females of the same species. In octopuses, females live 2 years
on average, dying after breeding, while males can live up to 5
years. Most algae, some grass plants and small aquatic or ground
animals live for several months during the warm season,
spending the cold winter, until the next vegetation season, as
resistant spores, eggs, seeds and so on.
Amongst plants, some of them have life cycles of two years (like
onion or beet), flowering during the second year of life. Other
plants live longer and are called perennial. Bushes like wild roses,
bilberries, redcurrant and blackthorn live for about 30 years.
Trees are the longest-lived organisms. Fruit trees live less: pear
trees, cherry trees or sour cherry trees live for about 70 years.
Junipers and pines live for 400 years, lime (linden) trees live for
500 years and beeches, fir trees and spruces can reach 1000
years. Oaks can live up to 2000 years, while the baobab is
claimed to reach 3,000 years, although there is no proof of that.
Giant Sequoia can live up to 3,500 years, but they are not the
oldest trees on Earth. The 'title' belongs to two pine species from
the mountains of southwestern USA: Great Basin Bristlecone Pine
(Pinus longaeva) and Rocky Mountains Bristlecone Pine (Pinus
arista) - an individual of Pinus longaeva was found to have 4,900
years! Yet, the trees are not impressive through their size. A
recent research study carried out in the Swedish county of
Dalarna discovered an 8,000 year old Norwegian spruce. This is
not only the world's oldest living tree, but it's also the oldest
being on the planet.
The great white shark lives up to 36 years, while the whale shark
lives up to 70 years. The carp reaches 40 years, and the barbs
15. The pike and the catfishes can live up to 70 years. The
sturgeons can live 80 years, while the beluga sturgeon, the
largest of all, up to 100 years. A clam recovered off the Icelandic
coast seems to be the longest-lived animal ever found: it is an
ocean quahog clam aged between 405 and 410. The animal's age
was assessed by counting its shell rings, as the clam adds a new
one each year.
Mice live 5 months in the wild and 2 years in the lab. The same
size naked mole-rat lives 28 years. Dogs live for 12 years on
average, while large cats (tigers, lions) about 16 years. Sheep
can live up to 20 years. Cows can live for 25 years and horses for
up to 30 years.