The complete pet lifespan chart
How long do pets really live? This chart pulls the typical lifespan from every one of our 427 charted profiles - species, dog and cat breeds, and fish varieties - and lines them up on one scale, from fish measured in a few years to parrots and tortoises that can outlive their owners. Sort it, filter by type, and click any animal for the full care guide.
Figures are the typical ranges given in each species profile, shown here as the midpoint with the low-to-high span. Real lifespan depends heavily on care, diet, genetics and luck, and good husbandry often pushes an animal to the top of its range. Treat these as averages, not promises.
Average lifespan by type of pet
Averaged over the species we profile in each group, so it reflects popular pets, not every animal in the wild.
Why some pets live so much longer
Body size and metabolism drive a lot of it: within a species like the dog, smaller breeds often outlive giant ones, while cold-blooded reptiles and long-lived parrots play by different rules entirely. A tortoise or a macaw is a decades-long commitment, so it is worth knowing the number before you fall for the animal. For the full picture on any species, open its care guide, and see the 2026 Dog Data Report for how size and lifespan interact in dogs.
Where the numbers come from: each is the typical range stated in that animal's profile, and a profile names its source where it has one. A source that gives only a ceiling ("up to 20 years") is shown in the profile but not drawn here.