Caudate Longevity
How long do salamanders, newts, or axolotls live in captivity?
Longevity is not an easy topic! Longevity information is rarely recorded in scientific literature. Any attempt at an answer requires long-term captive care and record-keeping, or marked-recapture of wild specimens across many years.
A long-term study of olms (Proteus anguinus) in a cave in France documented lifespans of 48-58 years, and estimated their longevity at over 100 years (see Live Science article).
Very few amphibians in captivity live to their potential age. In most cases, this is due to captive care catastrophes. It's rare for anyone (even a zoo) to care for an amphibian for 40 years and never have an accident.
I've attempted to compile as many records as possible for long-lived caudates documented in captivity, either as published studies or as personal anecdotes. In many cases, the animal was wild-caught when it was obtained, and thus the age listed is only their stay in captivity; their actual age may be much older.
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Species
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Years: Source
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Ambystoma mexicanum
Axolotl
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17: Reptile & Amphibian Longevity Project
18: forum post by Ian Rigg
19: Personal experience, Jennifer Macke
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Ambystoma tigrinum
Tiger Salamander
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15: forum post by "Pete"
20: Reptile & Amphibian Longevity Project
32: Personal communication, D. Lamkin, 2/2022
34: Press article recorded in a forum post
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Amphiuma means
Amphiuma
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14: Bowler 1977
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Andrias japonicus
Japanese Giant Salamander
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40: Reptile & Amphibian Longevity Project
70: Köhler et al., 2023
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Cynops ensicauda
Sword-tailed Newt
Gold Dust Newt
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17: Reptile & Amphibian Longevity Project
19: forum post by "Joost"
21: Personal experience, Jennifer Macke
36: forum post by "MN99"
43: Köhler et al., 2023
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Cynops orientalis
Chinese Firebellied Newt
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9: Reptile & Amphibian Longevity Project
14: forum post by "Eileen MP"
14: forum post by "mslrtpnc"
16: forum post by "kellsnotokay52"
22: forum post by "spoons"
22: forum post by "alexps"
32: Köhler et al., 2023
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Cynops pyrrhogaster
Japanese Firebellied Newt
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22: Reptile & Amphibian Longevity Project
23: forum post by "E Ellwood"
25: forum post by "cblockus"
29: forum post by "Normans Mum"
36: Dr. John McKinley Hill, personal communication
40: Bogaerts 2013
47: Köhler et al., 2023
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Ichthyosaura alpestris
Alpine Newt
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15: Reptile & Amphibian Longevity Project
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Necturus maculosus
Mudpuppy
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5: Reptile & Amphibian Longevity Project
22: forum post by "NecturusLindsay"
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Notophthalmus viridescens
Red-spotted Newt
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12: Reptile & Amphibian Longevity Project
15: forum post by "Erin"
21: Personal experience, Jennifer Macke
33: Personal communication, Erin Kelso, 1/2024
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Paramesotriton spp.
Warty Newts
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10: Reptile & Amphibian Longevity Project
21: forum post by "Michelle"
22: forum post by Richard Kingham
24: P. chinensis, H. Janssen
29: P. deloustali, H. Janssen
31: P. caudopunctatus, H. Janssen
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Paramesotriton labiatus
(formerly Pachytriton)
Paddletail Newt
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10: forum post by "hotsauce"
12: forum post by "Demoniac38"
13: forum post by "rachelh"
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Phaeognathus hubrichti
Red Hills Salamander
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36: Raines 2014
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Plethodon neomexicanus
Jemez Mountains Salamander
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17-18: NMDGF 2013
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Plethodon glutinosus
Slimy Salamander
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20: Reptile & Amphibian Longevity Project
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Pleurodeles waltl
Spanish Ribbed Newt
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19: Reptile & Amphibian Longevity Project
22: Personal communication, Mark Aartse-Tuyn
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Proteus anguineus
Olm
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70-100: Choi 2010; Voituron et al. 2011
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Pseudotriton ruber
Red Salamander
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20: Reptile & Amphibian Longevity Project
30: forum post by Frank Indiviglio
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Salamandra salamandra
Fire Salamander
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24: Reptile & Amphibian Longevity Project
>50: Warburg 2007
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Siren lacertina
Siren
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14:Bowler 1977
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Taricha spp.
Rough-skinned Newt
California Newt
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20: forum post by "CutiesMom"
21: Reptile & Amphibian Longevity Project
23: forum post by "Min"
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Triturus cristatus
Crested Newt
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25: Reptile & Amphibian Longevity Project
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References
Bogaerts S., 2013. Bejaarde salamanders bij Loeky Groenevelt. Salamanders 5:14, pp. 2-3.
Bowler, JK, 1977
Longevity of reptiles and amphibians in North American collections. Herpetological Circulars No. 6:1-32.
Choi, C.Q. Long-lived Salamanders Offer Clues to Aging. LiveScience.com, July 2010, Accessed June 2013.
Köhler, J., Gage. M., Janssen, H., Rauhaus, A., and Ziegler, T. "Longevity in salamandrid newts - a rule, not an exception? Verified cases of Japanese Fire-bellied Newts (Cynops pyrrhogaster) reaching a lifespan of more than 40 years," Revue suisse de Zoologie 130(1), 121-124, (25 April 2023). https://doi.org/10.35929/RSZ.0093
Max Planck Institute Life Spans of Mammals, Birds, Amphibians, Reptiles, and Fish.
NMDGF, New Mexico Wildlife News, 2013. Biologists find oldest endangered Jemez Mountains Salamander. Accessed April 2022. [Photo on Flickr]
Raines, B., 2014. 36-year-old Alabama Red Hills salamander discovered at Cincinnati Zoo. Accessed January 2016.
Slavens, Frank and Kate. Reptiles and Amphibians in Captivity - Longevity. Records systematically collected from 1995-2003. Accessed April 2022.
Voituron,Y., de Fraipont, M., Issartel, J., Guillaume, O., Clobert, J.
Extreme lifespan of the human fish (Proteus anguinus): a challenge for ageing mechanisms. Biol. Lett., 23 February 2011, 7:105-107.
Warburg, M.R. 2007. "Longevity in Salamandra infraimmaculata from Israel with a partial review of life expectancy in urodeles" (PDF). Salamandra. 43 (1): 21-34. https://www.salamandra-journal.com/index.php/home/contents/2007-vol-43/110-warburg-m-r/file
© Caudata Culture. Posted June 2013. Most recent revision January 2024. Compiled by Jennifer Macke.
