AnAge entry for Macropus rufus

Classification (HAGRID: 02536)

Taxonomy: Kingdom: Animalia
    Phylum: Chordata
        Class: Mammalia (Taxon entry)
            Order: Diprotodontia
                Family: Macropodidae
                    Genus: Macropus
Species: Macropus rufus
Common name: Red kangaroo

Maximum longevity: 25 years (captivity)
Source: ref. 671
Sample size: Large
Data quality: High
Observations: In the wild, these animals have been estimated to live up to 27 years [0434], which is plausible but unverified. There are also anecdotal reports of animals living more than 30 years. These animals are common in zoos, however, and record longevity in captivity is only 25 years [0671].

[1136] Gomes et al. (2011), Comparative biology of mammalian telomeres: hypotheses on ancestral states and the roles of telomeres in longevity determination (PubMed)
[1142] Kohler et al. (2006), Comparative mortality levels among selected species of captive animals
[0671] Richard Weigl (2005), Longevity of Mammals in Captivity; from the Living Collections of the World
[0036] Savage et al. (2004), The predominance of quarter-power scaling in biology
[0420] White and Seymour (2003), Mammalian basal metabolic rate is proportional to body mass2/3 (PubMed)
[0522] Fisher et al. (2001), The ecological basis of life history variation in marsupials
[0434] Ronald Nowak (1999), Walker's Mammals of the World
[0455] Virginia Hayssen et al. (1993), Asdell's Patterns of Mammalian Reproduction: A Compendium of Species-Specific Data
[0731] Zullinger et al. (1984), Fitting sigmoid equations to mammalian growth curves