Abstract
The duration of life in free-living amphibians and reptiles is not really known, but extrapolations can be made from information from captive animals, where the most extensive records are those from zoos (Anon., 1966; Bowler, 1977; Shaw, 1969). Aging degenerative diseases occur in all classes of vertebrates (Andrew, 1971). This chapter will mention some expected diseases of this type in free-ranging herptiles, but specific information on most is almost completely lacking. The fate of aged herptiles in captivity indicates what could occur in wild populations. Arteriosclerosis and gout could be considered the most prominent diseases of this type, but they are covered in the nutritional chapters of this volume.
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© 1984 Plenum Press, New York
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Cosgrove, G.E., Anderson, M.P. (1984). Aging and Degenerative Diseases. In: Hoff, G.L., Frye, F.L., Jacobson, E.R. (eds) Diseases of Amphibians and Reptiles. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-9391-1_24
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-9391-1_24
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