Brandt's Bat

Bats comprise 20% of all mammal species and most are remarkably long-lived — on average about three times as long as predicted for their size. Bats, like birds, couple high metabolic rates with exceptional longevity in the wild.

Brandt’s bat (Myotis brandtii) is the longest-lived bat species documented so far. It weighs 7 grams — a bit less than three pennies — based on mark-recapture studies it has a lifespan of at least 41 years in the wild, which is roughly 10 times as long as expected for a typical mammal of its size. You can read more about bat lifespan in the Successful Aging library.

Photo: Jacopo Werther

Naked Mole-Rat

Naked mole-rats (Heterocephalus glaber) are mouse-sized rodents from equatorial Africa. They live in large subterranean colonies with a single reproductive female and several reproductive males. They have exceptional resistance to cancer. The oldest recorded naked mole-rat was trapped as an adult in the wild and lived in captivity for 30 years. Read more about these animals in the Successful Aging library.

Photo: Mehgan Murphy/Smithsonian National Zoological Park