# Which animals show wrinkles as a sign of age?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-animals-show-wrinkles-as-a-sign-of-age/653521>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 21, 2013, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-animals-show-wrinkles-as-a-sign-of-age/653521 "2013-03-21T03:45:14Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\
**Post date:** [March 21, 2013, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-animals-show-wrinkles-as-a-sign-of-age/653521/1 "2013-03-21T03:45:14Z")

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See subject. We do. The thought came to me while looking at goldfish in a tank. “How old are you, little fishie,” I asked, and tried to figure it out.

Fish don’t get wrinkles as they get old. Right?

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**Author:** ![rhubarbarin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eb9ed0/32.png) [@rhubarbarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhubarbarin)\
**Post date:** [March 21, 2013, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-animals-show-wrinkles-as-a-sign-of-age/653521/2 "2013-03-21T20:40:19Z")

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All animals with skin will lose elasticity with age. My old dogs both had visible drooping, sagging and wrinkling of various areas; it was less obvious than it is on people, because they have fur.

The furrier, and fattier, the mammal, the less it will show. Also some species have tighter skin naturally. I don’t think old whales and hippos ever look wrinkly. Whereas domesticated cats start out in a skin bag which only gets baggier with time (see pics of hairless cats).

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**Author:** ![Derc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dfb087/32.png) [@Derc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derc)\
**Post date:** [March 23, 2013, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-animals-show-wrinkles-as-a-sign-of-age/653521/3 "2013-03-23T17:15:17Z")

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I asked an elephant how old he was, he couldn’t remember.

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**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\
**Post date:** [March 23, 2013, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-animals-show-wrinkles-as-a-sign-of-age/653521/4 "2013-03-23T17:38:14Z")

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> [@rhubarbarin](#):
>
> All animals with skin will lose elasticity with age. My old dogs both had visible drooping, sagging and wrinkling of various areas; it was less obvious than it is on people, because they have fur.
> 
> The furrier, and fattier, the mammal, the less it will show. Also some species have tighter skin naturally. I don’t think old whales and hippos ever look wrinkly. Whereas domesticated cats start out in a skin bag which only gets baggier with time (see pics of hairless cats).

True. Except for those darn fishies. And certain celebrities and actresses.

Wow, these [dogs](http://www.akc.org/breeds/chinese_shar_pei/index.cfm) must be ancient! Also [this guy!](http://mirandawenselphotography.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/babyeric-b-06.jpg)

I couldn’t find a photo of what I mean,\* but as a dog owner I’ve always associated a big hanging bunch of skin under the sack where a neutered cat’s balls were–I think that’s what I’m seeing–with age.  
\*Yes, I could not find the right photo of a cat, for crying out loud, on the Internet. Water, water everywhere and all that.