Olive age

[Chris1]

I was reading that Olive pythons only get to 11-12 years old whereas bredlis get to 20+ years.

can there really be such a huge difference in ages?

[Chimera]

Doesn't sounds completely right. I've been told that the best breeding results aren't achieved until 8 years of age.

[Chris1]

well, i hope its not right, i really want one...but its gonna devastate me by dying way to quickly according to this.
http://www.aussiepythons.com/wiki/in...l_Sonnemann%29

12 years is so not long enough!

[waruikazi]

I have heard of reliable anecdotal evidence of people having them in captivity of around 25 years. I think the info you have looked up may be based on wild life expectancy.

[Chris1]

it did say captive, but i hope ur right.

Longevity
Frank and Kate Slavens on their internet website list a record of 11 years and 3 months for longevity in a male Olive python reported by Chris Banks at Melbourne Zoo (http://www.drb.org/slavens/longev.html). Moran (198 reports 12 years as longevity in an Olive python. Female number 12 was the longest lived of the original breeders, obtained as an adult in December, 1988 and died on 9 th. July, 2000, a captive age of 11 years and 8 months. Female number 7 was purchased as a hatchling in 1987 and sold in 1998, a captive time of 11 years. Male number 3 lived for 11 years in captivity; it was purchased as a hatchling in 1986 and died in 1997. Female number 4 was purchased as a hatchling in 1986 and lived for twelve years until 1988.


25 years sounds ALOT better
maybe breeding takes it out of them,..!?

[waruikazi]

Well i have only been into herps for about 4 years but i know of a couple olives that i can't be sure of the exact age but are atleast 10 and they looked pretty healthy. I would think atleast 15. But i really don't know much about it at all, just from what others have told me.

[Chris1]

thats cool, thanks fro that, i really cant understand y they'd have such a short life span compared to others,..maybe not enough research into their actual life span,.!?

if anyone else has any knowledge of others living fro longer than that, please let me know,.....

[JJS.]

Dont know exactly. But it is easily plausible that they have different lifespans. Just look at every other animal and the different sub species with varying life spans. Dont get caught up over it.

[Chris1]

11-12 years is just so short, i dont know if i want an pet that can die so soon.

dogs all get within similar ages, these apparently get to half the age of other pythons.

[gillsy]

I know olives suffer alot of over feeding and being to fat, maybe it could be a result of us feeding to much compaired to what they would in the wild

[swingonthespiral]

just thinking that maybe it has something to do with thier size compared to other species???

[cris]

The guy at 'Scales and Tails' in Adelaide said they can live for about 50 years or possibly more. Dunno if its true but definately possible.

[cris]

Originally Posted by gillsy

I know olives suffer alot of over feeding and being to fat, maybe it could be a result of us feeding to much compaired to what they would in the wild

Probably the diet consisting of high fat food like adult rats, in the wild mamals only make a up some of the diet and those mamals would be lower in fat than rats anyway. Lack of exercise may play a role too maybe. 12 years is a short life for any python i would have thought.

[TrueBlue]

sounds wrong to me, maybe they fed them to much/often, olives need metabolic rest for longliveity.
Alot of olives ive seen in captivity are disgustingly over weigth, with an array of fat rings,( creases), around their bodies.
This, imo will cut any pythons life expectancy in half.

[Chris1]

well, i hope its wrong, cos i really like them.

i could see fat rings on a python shortening its lifespan,...so if i get one i'll make sure it grows slowly and i dont over feed.

what would be a lower fat food than rats?

thanks fro the replies everyone!