Sex-specific median life expectancies from ex situ populations for 330 animal species

Abstract

We present life expectancy estimates for hundreds of vertebrate species based on carefully vetted studbook data from North American zoos and aquariums. These data include sex-specific median life expectancies as well as sample size and 95% confidence limits for each estimate. Existing longevity data for animals primarily consist of maximum lifespan values, which are single observations rather than statistically derived estimates of longevity. Moreover, all of our estimates are based on the same type of data and calculated using consistent, standardized methods. To derive these estimates, we conducted Kaplan-Meier survival analyses using individual-level demographic data (i.e., records of birth and mortality events) from studbook records for each ex situ population. Our species set represents a range of vertebrate taxa (primarily mammals, birds, amphibians, and reptiles) and diverse life histories. This dataset will have broad utility, not only for informing comparative demographic and life history studies, but also more broadly for any research or conservation application that requires sex- or species-specific life expectancy information.Design Type(s)observation design • data collection and processing objective • species comparison designMeasurement Type(s)life spanTechnology Type(s)digital curationFactor Type(s)sex • SpeciesSample Characteristic(s)Addax nasomaculatus • Dasyprocta leporina • Alligator sinensis • Bubalus depressicornis • Myrmecophaga tridactyla • Hippotragus equinus • Hippotragus niger • Pteroglossus viridis • Argusianus argus • Tolypeutes matacas • Papio hamadryas • Rucervus duvaucelii • Trachyphonus erythrocephalus • Pteropus rodricensis • Eidolon helvum • Tremarctos ornatus • Ursus thibetanus • Ursus arctos • Ursus maritimus • Melursus ursinus • Helarctos malayanus • Bettongia penicillata • Arctictis binturong • Paradisaea raggiana • Irena puella • Chilabothrus subflavus • Lynx rufus • Tragelaphus eurycerus isaaci • Pan paniscus • Damaliscus pygargus pygarus • Syncerus caffer • Galago moholi • Lachesis muta • Lophotis gindiana • Turnix nigricollis • Callimico goeldii • Camelus bactrianus • Hydrochaeris hydrochaeris • Caracal caracal • Paroaria gularis • Paroaria coronata • Casuarius casuarius • Felis nigripes • Prionailurus viverrinus • Felis manul • Felis margarita • Cossypha niveicapilla • Acinonyx jubatus • Tragulus napu • Pan troglodytes • Nasua narica • Colobus angolensis • Colobus guereza • Vultur gryphus • Guarouba guarouba • Zapornia flavirostra • Balearica pavonina • Anthropoides paradisea • Anthropoides virgo • Balearica regulorum • Grus monacha • Grus japonensis • Grus vipio • Grus americana • Pauxi pauxi • Crax globulosa • Rucervus eldii thamin • Mazama temama • Elaphurus davidianus • Elaphodus cehalophus • Madoqua kirkii • Burhinus capensis • Lycaon pictus • Speothos venaticus • Gallicolumba criniger • Ptilinopus pulchellus • Ptilinopus melanospilus • Chalcophaps indica • Ptilinopus jambu • Gallicolumba luzonica • Ptilinopus roseicapilla • Varanus komodoensis • Dendrocygna guttata • Dendrocygna arborea • Asarcornis scutulata • Cephalopus niger • Philantomba monticola • Cephalophus silvicultor • Haliaeetus leucoephalus • Taurotragus oryx • Loxodonta africana • Elephas maximus • Polihierax semitorquatus • Phoenicopterus ruber • Phoenicopterus chilensis • Phoenicopterus ruber roseus • Phoeniconaias minor • Pteropus hypomelanus • Pteropus vampyrus • Vulpes zerda • Vulpes velox • Lithobates (Rana) sevosa • Atelopus varius • Atelopus zeteki • Podargus strigoides • Otolemur garnettii • Nanger granti • Nanger soemmerringii • Gazella leptoceros • Eudorcas thomsonii • Uroplatus fimbriatus • Uroplatus henkeli • Uroplatus lineatus • Uroplatus sikorae • Uroplatus phantasticus • Litocranius walleri • Hylobates lar • Nomascus leucogenys • Giraffa camelopardalis • Branta sandvicensis • Branta ruficollis • Anser cygnoides • Naemorhedus griseus • Gorilla gorilla gorilla • Guttera pucherani • Acryllium vulturinum • Scopus umbretta • Cochlearius cochlearius • Cheoropis liberiensi • Hippopotamus amphibius • Buceros bicornis • Tockus erythrorhynchus • Buceros rhinoceros • Rhabdotorrhinus corrugatus • Equus ferus przewalskii • Crocuta crocuta • Procavia capensis • Capra nubiana • Threskiornis aethiopicus • Eudocimus ruber • Geronticus eremita • Brachylophus bulabula • Pantera onca • Cyanocorax chrysops • Nestor notabilis • Todiramphus cinnamominus cinnamominus • Potos flavus • Apteryx australis mantelli • Oreotragus oreotragus • Phascolarctos cinereus adustus • Kobus kob thomasi • Dacelo novaeguineae • Tragelaphus strepsiceros • Trachypithecus francoisi francoisi • Trachypithecus cristatus ultimus • Vanellus miles • Vanellus spinosus • Garrulax leucolophus • Kobus megaceros • Kobus leche • Leiothrix lutea • Varecia variegata • Eulemur collaris • Microcebus murinus • Eulemur mongoz • Varecia rubra • Lemur catta • Panthera pardus orientalis • Neofelis nebulosa • Unica unica • Panthera leo • Shinisaurus crocodilurus • Heloderma horridum exasperatum • Nycticebus pygmaeus • Lynx canadensis • Macaca fuscata • Macaca silenus • Macaca nigra • Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus • Cyanopica cyanus • Urocissa erythrorhyncha • Mandrillus sphinx • Cercocebus torquatus • Capra falconeri heptneri • Callithrix geoffroyi • Callithrix pygmaea • Suricata suricatta • Callicebus donacophilus • Ateles goeffroyi • Saimiri sciureus • Cercopithecus neglectus • Erythrocebus patas • Ateles fusciceps robustus • Cercopithecus ascanius schmidti • Alouatta caraya • Alces alces • Momotus momota • Leucopsar rothschildi • Ampeliceps coronatus • Tragelaphus angasii • Leopardus pardalis • Okapia johnstoni • Pongo pygmaeus • Pongo abelii • Oryx leucoryx • Oryx gazelle callotis • Oryx dammah • Struthio camelus • Amblonyx cinereus • Lontra canadensis • Enhydra lutris kenyoni & E. l. nereis • Athene cunicularia • Nyctea scandiaca • Ailurus fulgens fulgens • Ailurus fulgens refulgens (styani) • Deroptyus accipitrinus • Rhynchopsitta pachyrhyncha • Afropavo congensis • Pelecanus rufescens • Pygoscelis adeliae • Speniscus demersus • Pygoscelis antarctica • Pygoscelis papua ellsworthi • Spheniscus humboldti • Aptenodytes patagonicus • Eudyptes chrysolophus • Spheniscus magellanicus • Eudyptes chrysocome moseleyi • Polyplectron emphanum • Otidiphaps nobilis • Caloenas nicobarica • Goura victoria • Goura cristata • Pitta sordida • Coendou prehensilis • Pudu puda • Fratercula arctica • Puma concolor • Python reticulatus • Dasyurus maculatus • Gallirallus owstoni • Sistrurus catenatusÃ?catenatus • Crotalus polystictus • Rhea americana • Diceros bicornis michaeli • Rhinoceros unicornis • Cerathotherium simum • Bassariscus astutus • Coracias cyanogaster • Pithecia pithecia • Chauna torquata • Zalophus californianus • Halichoerus grypus • Phoca vitulina • Cariama cristata • Leptailurus serval • Carcharias Taurus • Ovis canadensis nelsoni • Symphalangus syndactylus • Propithecus coquereli • Tragelaphus spekii • Choleopus hoffmanni • Choleopus didactylus • Drymarchon couperi • Pituophis ruthveni • Ajaia ajaja • Antidorcas marsupialis • Callosciurus prevostii • Coccycolius iris • Cosmopsarus regius • Raphicerus campestris • Himantopus mexicanus • Potamotrygon motoro • Ciconia ciconia ciconia • Leptoptilos crumenifer • Mycteria leucocephala • Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis • Mycteria ibis • Eurypyga helias • Budorcas taxicolor tibetana • Tamandua tetradactyla • Saguinus imperator subgrisescens • Saguinus oedipus • Leontopithecus chrysomelas • Sanguinus bicolor • Thraupis episcopus • Ramphocelus carbo • Tangara mexicana • Tapirus bairdii • Tapirus indicus • Brachypelma smithi • Marmaronetta angustirostris • Echinops telfairi • Larosterna inca • Panthera tigris altaica • Panthera tigris jacksoni • Panthera tigris sumatrae • Bufo (Anaxyrus) houstonensis • Peltophryne lemur • Testudo kleinmanni • Ramphastos ambiguus swainsonii • Ramphastos sulfuratus • Ramphastos toco • Dendrolagus matschiei • Tupaia belangeri • Icterus icterus • Musophaga rossae • Tauraco erythrolophus • Musophaga violacea • Tauraco leucotis • Terrapene coahuila • Glyptemys insculpta • Parias flavomaculatus mcgregori • Sarcorhamphus papa • Macropus rufogriseus • Macropus parma • Macropus eugenii • Petrogale xanthopus xanthopus • Macropus robustus • Phacochoerus africanus • Connochaetes taurinus • Chrysocyon brachyurus • Canis lupus baileyi • Canis rufus gregoryi • Phoeniculus purpureus • Rollulus rouloul • Equus grevyi • Equus zebra hartmannae • Equus quagga • North America • zoological gardenMachine-accessible metadata file describing the reported data (ISA-Tab format)