Cryptomys anselli

Maximum longevity: 20.6 years (captivity) Observations: One male caught in the wild as an adult lived 19.6 years in the lab, making it at least 20.6 years old when he died. Aged animals appear to lose weight, often have a humped backbone, and become less active. The record holding male stopped reproducing 2-3 years before he died. Females have been known to breed until about 15 years of age. These animals become sexually mature in their second year of life, though they generally can only reproduce when somewhat older, depending on body weight and social environment: individuals left within their natal groups grow more slowly than individuals that have been separated early (Philip Dammann and Hynek Burda, pers. comm.). Both female and male breeders live longer and might age slower than non-breeders (Dammann and Burda 2006). The MRDT was estimated from mortality data of breeders. There is some controversy concerning the taxonomy of this relatively new species (Burda et al. 1999). It is also called *Coetomys anselli* by some authors.