# If I wanted a pet that can outlive me... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 5, 2010, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-wanted-a-pet-that-can-outlive-me/527855 "2010-02-05T22:08:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-wanted-a-pet-that-can-outlive-me/527855/1 "2010-02-05T22:08:43Z")
Would tortoise be the only answer? I know horses live like 30-40 years, but if I got one at birth I’d still be relatively young when it died. And I’m talking realistic pets, no waterbugs or bears or elephants, Stampy excluded. ---
**Author:** ![badbadrubberpiggy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/57b2e6/32.png) [@badbadrubberpiggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badbadrubberpiggy)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-wanted-a-pet-that-can-outlive-me/527855/2 "2010-02-05T22:15:49Z")
Parrots have pretty long life-spans. Macaws can live 50, or in some cases even 100 years. ---
**Author:** ![Methyl\_Ethyl\_Death](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Methyl\_Ethyl\_Death](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Methyl_Ethyl_Death)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-wanted-a-pet-that-can-outlive-me/527855/3 "2010-02-05T22:16:57Z")
Some parrots can live 85+ years. shakes fist at badbadrubberpiggy ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-wanted-a-pet-that-can-outlive-me/527855/4 "2010-02-05T22:17:41Z")
Some parrots have very long lifespans. Macaws, for example, can live past a hundred. And I believe there are some fish which never grow old. They’ll live forever as long as conditions are right and nothing kills them. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-wanted-a-pet-that-can-outlive-me/527855/5 "2010-02-05T22:18:43Z")
Great. Now we’ve got a meme. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-wanted-a-pet-that-can-outlive-me/527855/6 "2010-02-05T22:18:57Z")
Some species of parrots can live to be 80 years old or maybe much older. You could get a Koi fish. If you take care of it, it can easily pass the 100 year mark or possibly over 200 years. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-wanted-a-pet-that-can-outlive-me/527855/7 "2010-02-05T22:20:48Z")
That’s the problem with the SDMB. We fight and disagree over everything no matter how mundane. Stop the controversy! ---
**Author:** ![wisernow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/13edae/32.png) [@wisernow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wisernow)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-wanted-a-pet-that-can-outlive-me/527855/8 "2010-02-05T22:22:03Z")
Get an elephant. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-wanted-a-pet-that-can-outlive-me/527855/9 "2010-02-05T22:22:21Z")
Humans are the longest-lived of the mammals, with only elephants even coming close. I think there might be some birds in the running, too, though, especially if you’ve already got a few decades on you. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-wanted-a-pet-that-can-outlive-me/527855/10 "2010-02-05T22:23:29Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Great. Now we’ve got a meme. Naw, memes only live a few years tops. ---
**Author:** ![badbadrubberpiggy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/57b2e6/32.png) [@badbadrubberpiggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badbadrubberpiggy)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-wanted-a-pet-that-can-outlive-me/527855/11 "2010-02-05T22:24:46Z")
Awesome. I’m never the first one with the answer. I feel so validated now. ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-wanted-a-pet-that-can-outlive-me/527855/12 "2010-02-05T22:32:09Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > And I believe there are some fish which never grow old. They’ll live forever as long as conditions are right and nothing kills them. Can you be more specific? The only thing I’ve heard of that has this particular trait was a type of shark. One of the ones on the larger end of sharks also, not a small “pet” or fun sized shark. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-wanted-a-pet-that-can-outlive-me/527855/13 "2010-02-05T22:44:57Z")
Or you could take an alternate route and get pet that only lives 20+ years, but you yourself live and extremely risky dangerous life, where your expected lifespan is less than that. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-wanted-a-pet-that-can-outlive-me/527855/14 "2010-02-05T22:51:19Z")
The tiny organ grinder monkey (Capuchins) live 40 years. Ross on _Friends_ had one. They are so tiny and cute. [![](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Organ_grinder_with_monkey.jpg) ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Organ_grinder_with_monkey.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-wanted-a-pet-that-can-outlive-me/527855/15 "2010-02-05T23:00:55Z")
[Cheeta the Chimp](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=463501) is still going at around 75 years. There some doubt, however, that’s he’s the original Cheeta. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-wanted-a-pet-that-can-outlive-me/527855/16 "2010-02-05T23:06:14Z")
Some types of hydra and jellyfish [appear to be immortal](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biological_immortality#Hydra). Something a few millimeters long seems a bit puny for a pet though. ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-wanted-a-pet-that-can-outlive-me/527855/17 "2010-02-05T23:07:30Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Some types of hydra and jellyfish [appear to be immortal](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biological_immortality#Hydra). Something a few millimeters long seems a bit puny for a pet though. Yeah I knew of those and didn’t consider them anything near “pet worthy”. Though if you got a few dozen of them then maybe that would count. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Mtgman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Mtgman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mtgman)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-wanted-a-pet-that-can-outlive-me/527855/18 "2010-02-05T23:15:39Z")
[Blanding’s and perhaps also Midland Painted turtles don’t senesce—deteriorate physically—as they grow old. They simply don’t age.](http://barryyeoman.com/articles/turtles.html) Pretty cool stuff. They’re endangered though, so it may not be a good idea to take one from the wild. Getting one that you could somehow breed, if you could provide a good habitat for it, may be allowed or worth it. Enjoy, Steven ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-wanted-a-pet-that-can-outlive-me/527855/19 "2010-02-05T23:15:42Z")
Get a cobra and boop it playfully on the nose. It will outlive you. ---
**Author:** ![Mtgman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Mtgman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mtgman)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-wanted-a-pet-that-can-outlive-me/527855/20 "2010-02-05T23:25:54Z")
[Baby Midland Painted Turtle](http://www.flickr.com/photos/alumroot/37662053/). The adults have pretty colorations too, but this pic rivals kitten and puppy pictures. And [this baby Blandings](http://www.flickr.com/photos/alumroot/35246365/) is well on its way to becoming the next teenage mutant ninja turtle. Enjoy, Steven [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-wanted-a-pet-that-can-outlive-me/527855.md?page=2)