Their longest record for any caudate is 40 years for an Andrias japonicus kept at the Zoological Society of London. A long-term study of olms (Proteus anguinus) in a cave in France documented lifespans of 48-58 years, and estimated their longevity at over 100 years (see Live Science article).

How old is the oldest salamander?

The Artis Zoo in Amsterdam, the Netherlands has owned two giant Japanese salamanders (Andrias japonicus), both of whom reached 52 years - the oldest documented age for an amphibian, and indeed the oldest for a salamander.

Where are caudata found?

They are found in a variety of wet or moist habitats including swamps, streams, lakes, ponds, marshes, forests, and caves. The word caudata comes from cauda, the Latin word for tail. Unlike frogs and toads, the species in this order of amphibians have tails.