Why do turtles live so long?
For grown-ups: the science
Some turtles use very little energy, and some have cells where damage doesn't build up easily. Along with being hard for predators to eat, these things together may be why some turtles live so long.
Turtle longevity likely depends on a mix of factors that vary by species: lower metabolic rates, slower buildup of cell damage, resistance to cell aging and cancer, and defensive traits like a shell that reduce predation risk. An evolutionary history favoring individuals that lived long enough to reproduce also plays an important role. However, researchers are still studying how much low metabolism versus cell repair and resistance contributes to longevity, and the aging mechanisms differ from species to species.
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Transcript
A turtle can bask on a warm rock for years and years - why do turtles live so long?
Some kinds of turtles use very little energy every day. That may mean the tiny damage inside their cells builds up more slowly.
A turtle's hard shell makes it harder for other animals to eat it. Scientists think that over time, turtles who lived long enough to have babies became more common.
Some kinds of turtles are known to have cells where damage doesn't build up as easily. Nobody knows exactly how that works yet.
So there are several reasons turtles can live so long. There's still more to learn, and scientists keep studying it.