females can produce viable litters well into the latter years of adulthood...


I can also tell you this, there is a big difference if what you are asking about is reflectant of WILD populations versus captive collections.

Either sex, and either ssp will live much longer in captivity than in the wild.

In the wild, certain ssp's would not last as long as others, due to their climate, natural enemies/predators and natrual habitat. Whether it be a volcanic island, nature preserve, or out in the florida everglades.

Another thing is that in the wild, a male may live longer or shorter than a female would because of his ways and activities, which will likely differ. I would bet the males wouldn't last as long as the females.

Think about this analogy...

It's like saying a man will spend lots of time traveling to go find and be with women, and in most cases the woman will stay home or at one location. This greatly enhances the chance of the man getting hit by a car or attacked by a stray dog or something like that while going to meet women, and the chances of that happening to the average woman would be much lower.


Well, back to work...

Take care, Bci Joe
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Thanks and take care - Joe Rollo
'Tis not the stongest of the species that will eventually survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change' Charles Darwin

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