How long do monkeys live?

Monkeys, they are our closest ancestors, the animals that look more like humans and behave the most like us. They can be either huge and intimidating, or small, cute and very, very smart.

Today, we’re going to talk about them and their life expectancy, a subject that can be quite tricky, specially when you realize their lifespan can dramatically vary depending on what species of monkey we’re talking about.

Monkeys lifespan

Like we just said, there are many different types of monkeys (and pay attention, we’re talking about monkeys, not about gorillas or chimpanzees; we will talk about those in another blog). They have slightly different life expectancies.

You see, usually, monkeys get to live anywhere from 12 to 20 years. This number can vary depending on the type of monkey we’re talking about, and you’ll see that later on.

Amongst wild animals (besides from sea turtles, of course), monkeys have a very long, great life expectancy, something that isn’t very common in the animal kingdom, specially amongst mammals.

Related posts: How long do orangutans live?

How long do monkeys live in the wild?

Like we said before, monkeys tend to live anywhere from 12 to 20 years in the wild, although some types of monkeys are expected to live longer, reaching up to 45 years.

There’s a reason why monkeys have such a huge life expectancy, and it’s because they live a pretty calm life, if you could say so, not to mention, they are very smart, and know how to get away from their natural predators.

Talking about those, monkeys have various natural predators, from tigers, to lions, to all kinds of wild cats, monkeys have to deal with them almost constantly. They also have to deal with the humans hunting them or capturing them, something that’s becoming very common lately, and be extremely harming for them.

All of these factors, of course, influence the life expectancy of these animals, making them live significantly less than what they should, with some monkeys even dying at a very, very early stage.

How long do monkeys live in captivity?

Like we said before, monkeys are known for their longevity, and they can live many, many years in captivity when they’re taken care of correctly and given all the proper cares and attention.

These mammals can easily live up to an average of 30 years in captivity, with some species making it up to 45. Meaning their life expectancy significantly improves when they’re pulled out from a natural habitat full of dangers.

As to what are their diets during captivity, monkeys tend to eat the same thing they would do out in the wild, meaning plant-based foods such as nuts, various kinds of fruits, seeds and even some flowers and insects.

Life expectancy of monkeys according to the species

Mandrill and lion-tailed macaque

They have a 20 years life expectancy.

Japanese macaque

They can live up to 27 years.

Goeldi's marmoset or Goeldi's monkey

They have the shortest lifespan, making it able to live up to 10 years.

Guinea baboon

They have the longest lifespan, being able to live from 35 to 45 years.