We know larger animals tend to have longer lifespans. But why do big cats(like leopards, etc)have such a short life(about 15 years) compared to humans(about 80 years)?

Question

p.s.Big cats and humans have similar body weights, if not higher.

In: Biology

Answer 1

There’s some correlation between body size and lifespan in animals, but it’s mostly driven by the fact that insects are small and short-lived and the vast, *vast* majority of animals are insects. That correlation doesn’t hold up nearly as well when you start looking at animals vertebrate animals. Some of the longest-lived vertebrate animals are various species of parrot and rockfish, each of whom are about the size of a house cat and can live up to about 100 years.