Age

[Apokryltaros]

Well, humans did have a short life span hundreds of years ago. With the discovery of medications and cures to some diseases, our life span has increased.

Wolves grow quickly. But they still can't live as long as we do if we took care of thier problems. Like Heart worms and such.

Actually, before the advant of clean drinking water supplies, and easy access to food, one was considered to be an elder if one lived to be older than 30.

And yes, Heartworm (Toxocara) is a big problem among dogs and wolves.

[Kzinistzerg]

Most likely longer; a few years from advanced regenerative processes but also from sheer not-dying-when-humans-would-ness.

[Terastas]

Not that I'm in favor of this idea, but suppose they aged like wolves ? Most would dead or extremely old by age 15.

If we're still assuming lycanthropy negates the symptoms of aging, they'd just stop aging sooner. It's a possibility that they could age more like wolves than humans, but I think this is one of those rare moments where we'd have to abandon genetic accuracy in favor of plot, because... Well, if wolves are extremely old by 15, we could call the prime of their life to be somewhere between 8 and 12... And I don't know about you, but having werewolves stop aging somewhere before 21 sounds like the plot for a made-for-TV Disney movie.

[Wolfboyx]

Iv been reading up on were wolves for a long time and Im positive that there not imortal. However they are supernatural and this fact gives them amazing regenerative abilities. So from what Iv read Id say the the average age of a werewolf woul be between 180 to 200 years old in good health. However the amount of violence in there lives tend to get them killed befor they reach that ripe old age.

[Set]

Well if humans aged like dogs do, (I'm using dogs because I honestly am not sure of the lifespan of a wolf living in the wild) not based on simply the number of years but on the rate of growth in comparison to the rest of its life... Ok so the average dog lives to be 10 years old. They spend about one year growing. So the dog lives ten times longer than the time it takes for them to stop growing. If humans were this way the average life span would be around 200 years.

As to how this affects the werewolf's life span...eh, I dunno. I never thought about it.

[Terastas]

It took me a minute to figure out where you were getting that math from, but I got it eventually.

So... is the formula basically:
average lifespan divided by age of maximum growth = mortality factor

Canine factor is:
12 / 1 = 12

And human factor is:
75 / 20 = 3.75

But assuming the werewolf has human maturity and a canine factor:
Y / 20 = 12
Y = 240

Hmm... Seems a little odd to clarify it that way, but by canine maturity and human factor, werewolves would only live for an average of 3.75 years... So for it to work mathematically and still be realistic, it'd have to be 240.

Still... This was way too easy to come up with -- we definitely need critique. Anyone?

[Silver]

Due to their ability to heal when changing, werewolves would be more healthy than a normal human or wolf.

Therefore, they would surely age slower than humans, becuase they would stay in good health. They would not age a great deal longer, because nature, cells, and DNA designed a human to live only so long. How much longer? 120-180 years.

[Bowtie]

I know this hasn't been replied to in months, but I was just pointed to it, and decided to drop in my two cents after reading.

It's not unheard of for wild wolves to live up to 20 years. By that time, of course, they're usually too weak and brittle to continue supporting themselves, so they'll likely die from something other than old age. It's not a surprise that many wolves die far younger; I imagine most die in their first months.

As for the werewolves, I would imagine the regeneration would keep them looking younger and more fit for many years past the time when a normal human begins to gray and wrinkle. It's all about removing those "free radicals" or something. However, that is *not* to say that a werewolf *would* live longer than a human. They may very well die at a ripe old 100 looking, say, 60.

Given, I don't know what the life of a werewolf in this storyline will be yet, but I imagine that the lifestyle has more to do with death than the lifespan.

[Anubis]

How long do you think werewolves live? Some movies show them as immortal, but I'm not fond of that idea at all. I think they would have an average life span longer than a reguler human. Not sure how much longer though...

i like to think that werewolves live about 120 years average

[Scott Gardener]

Interesting logical arguments favoring an extended life expectancy; all my werewolves generally live in healthy human years, but your method also makes sense.

As for human DNA having a fixed upper limit, remember that the leading interpretation of lycanthropy is a virus-like factor that goes in and either adds to the DNA to change things or goes in and rewrites some stuff, again changing things. Shapeshifting is itself pretty out-there, and some of the ways that we postulate it being possible also imply regenerative healing. Extended life expectancy could be a plausible consequence.

But, a shortened life expectancy could also be seen as plausible.

That's why I average it out and make my werewolves live healthy into their seventies and eighties--like a healthy person (non-obese, nonsmoker and no major condition such as diabetes) in her late fifties and into the sixties--but still lucky to pass the century mark. By not adding immortality to the stack of reasons why a normal person would want to be a werewolf, it helps keep story balance. The existing health benefits are enough to convert at least a few people who aren't interested in living wild and free or being in touch with their spiritual metaphysical hooplah.

[outwarddoodles]

Well to say my Grandpa is 70, he walks everyday and eats quite well. He was a farm boy growing up (its great to hear him talk about eating squirrels, their hunting dogs, and his 9 mules, I can tell grandpa wishes he had his mules.) and got quite fit that way. Grandpa mows the lawn, builds and repairs, shovels most the neighbors driveways (being the neighbors are also 'old people'.) and is just healthy. Then theres the fact that my grandpa does not have the added bonus of extra regenerative abilities. He also is not a werewolf, he started getting bald in his 20's.

Being the fact a werewolf can reginerate a bit helps. But also the healthy exercise from romping in the woods would be like grandpa's mile walks and chores he does. I'd imagine a werewolf at 70 would be as healthy, if not a little more, as my Grandpa in his 70's.

Thus saying they'd could just live as long as a healthy human in my opinion.

[Shadow Wulf]

id see a werewolf would still looks like in its 30s or 40s still by the time it becomes 80 so i would say a werewolf would live at an average of 160 years or so

[outwarddoodles]

id see a werewolf would still looks like in its 30s or 40s still by the time it becomes 80 so i would say a werewolf would live at an average of 160 years or so

First, what did I say about grammer?

And what I said, no. I think a werewolf would just be a healthy human, such as my grandpa. They get healthy romps around the woods for exercise, and with a bonus of some extra regeneration. But I just don't want to over exagerate how healthy a werewolf would be.

[Scott Gardener]

Basically, we have several camps going. Not all are created equal.


1. "Dog years"--werewolves don't live long. Almost no one uses this.


2. "Human years"--lycanthropy does nothing to life expectancy. Either the metabolic changes cancel each other out, or it doesn't involve metabolic changes. (Magic spells and the like, or interdimensional astral phenomena, etc.) Again, not really used.


3. "Preferred Insurance Client years"--werewolves live as long as a human ideally should. If someone does all the right stuff--eats healthy, doesn't smoke, keeps alcohol in moderation, etc.--and manages to avoid random things like cancer or getting hit by a bus--then a person theoretically can live to a hundred or more. This is where the overwhelming majority of us appear to be. But, then again, I haven't read a poll on it.


4. "Elven years"--werewolves can live for hundreds of years or more. A bit reaching, but this goes with the idea that the regenerative capability of werewolves applies not only to shapeshifting but to other metabolic processes, such as aging, cancer, diabetes, and the like. It's not that much of a stretch beyond shifting itself, but creates plot problems unless you actually want ultra-powerful characters.


5. "There can be only one."--werewolves are immortal, unless you cut off their head in a dramatic sword fight, or some equally challenging task, often involving silver. Great if you're aiming for super-powered characters who walk on walls or shoot lightning bolts from their forepaws, but could create problems for low-key stories. A little more far-fetched than "elven years," but not much--by the time human genetic engineering makes shifting possible in the 2740s, we could already have cured old age.

Oh, and, Outwarddoodles:

First, what did I say about grammer?

And what I said, no. I think a werewolf would just be a healthy human, such as my grandpa. They get healthy romps around the woods for exercise, and with a bonus of some extra regeneration. But I just don't want to over exagerate how healthy a werewolf would be.

It's spelled "grammar." "Exaggerate" has two 'g's, and should be hyphenated with "over." (Sorry, but you left yourself wide open.)



Grammar officer: "Nothing to see; move along!"

Obi Wan: These aren't the verbs you're looking for...
Officer: "These aren't the verbs we're looking for... No, wait, I mean, these aren't the verbs for which we're looking...

[Vilkacis]

To tell the truth, I never did like the idea of regeneration, so I'd fall under the 'Human Years' category. But given the small amount of regeneration that is favored by most people here, I would go with the 'Preferred Insurance Client Years' category.

-- Vilkacis

[outwarddoodles]

3. "Preferred Insurance Client years"--werewolves live as long as a human ideally should. If someone does all the right stuff--eats healthy, doesn't smoke, keeps alcohol in moderation, etc.--and manages to avoid random things like cancer or getting hit by a bus--then a person theoretically can live to a hundred or more. This is where the overwhelming majority of us appear to be. But, then again, I haven't read a poll on it.

This is really what I would shoot after.

It's spelled "grammar." "Exaggerate" has two 'g's, and should be hyphenated with "over." (Sorry, but you left yourself wide open.)



Grammar officer: "Nothing to see; move along!"

I'm the grammer llama, or atleast I don't like 'lazy grammer'. Which is qhwn someone just doesn't even use more simple grammer rules. I'm also not a good speller, and to tell you, I'm a very big hypocrite.

[Lupin]

3. "Preferred Insurance Client years"--werewolves live as long as a human ideally should. If someone does all the right stuff--eats healthy, doesn't smoke, keeps alcohol in moderation, etc.--and manages to avoid random things like cancer or getting hit by a bus--then a person theoretically can live to a hundred or more. This is where the overwhelming majority of us appear to be. But, then again, I haven't read a poll on it.

I like this one, since I figure that a werewolf's regeneration would deal with the effects of aging.

[Bowtie]

I still like mine. Werewolves might live to 100 or so .. which really isn't all that uncommon today .. but just look maybe 30 years younger. ;P

[outwarddoodles]

I still like mine. Werewolves might live to 100 or so .. which really isn't all that uncommon today .. but just look maybe 30 years younger. ;P

Well I could see looking 30 years younger at 100, they'd look 70. (but then it would matter if it would be a healthy 70 or more unhealtheir.) but I can't see always looking 30 years younger. What if they were 33?

[Figarou]

WEll i could see looking 30 years younger at 100, they'd look 70. (but then it would matter if it would be a healthy 70 or more unhealtheir.) but I can't see always looking 30 years younger. What if they were 33?

They will look a 3 year old. That or act like one.

[Shadow Wulf]

id see a werewolf would still looks like in its 30s or 40s still by the time it becomes 80 so i would say a werewolf would live at an average of 160 years or so

First, what did I say about grammer?

And what I said, no. I think a werewolf would just be a healthy human, such as my grandpa. They get healthy romps around the woods for exercise, and with a bonus of some extra regeneration. But I just don't want to over exagerate how healthy a werewolf would be.

nah then that will make them pussywolf, i think they would live up to 160 years or more, and besides what good is a werewolf if it doesnt live alot longer than a human would, lets say a werewolf eats right, excercise and all that stuff, they should live up to 200 years

[outwarddoodles]

What makes then live up to 200 years, I just don't see it, unless he's sitting in a wheelchair put up to every machine there is to keep him alive!

[Shadow Wulf]

What makes then live up to 200 years, I just don't see it, unless he's sitting in a wheelchair put up to every machine there is to keep him alive!

regeneration ofcourse, they heal so fast they should be able to outdo the aging process and making new bloodcells faster and getting rid of the old ones. but hey we all have our beliefs about werewolfs, soo it would be no use to argue about them sense they dont exist.

[outwarddoodles]

Its not argueing between what a werewolf is like but your thoughts and rationalities of a werewolf living up to 200 years. I don't think a werewolf's regeneration is going to keep it living for such a long time, especially that it could tire the body out. I think that the regeneration is much quicker and better during shifting but at other times its just above the normal speed. While it may keep a werewolf healthy the werewolf is not going to be so healthy at 200.

Even though I do want to raise a question right here. Does a werewolf ever stop shifting on full moon nights at all? Or would even a crippled 100 year old somehow manage to shift into a werewolf too? (This also being that they don't stop the shifting at all.) I mean, it would be weird to see my granny turning into a werewolf!

[Shadow Wulf]

yes but it could have lead to an arguement.

Me:I think a werewolf can live twice as long
You: It doesnt make sense its not realistc.
Me: yeah well nethier is transforming into a wolf or galstate.

See, if you dont believe a werewolf can live alot longer than a human can, then how can you believe they can transform into something thats impossible for a human can. how can the mouth and foot grow longers, and bones arnt made to shift. see