Meet the Longest Living Animals and Learn How They Live So Long — How Many Of These Did You Know?
Get ready to be amazed! The lifespan of creatures on this planet can be a real rollercoaster ride, with some animals kicking the bucket after just a few months, while others are still going strong after centuries.
From sea creatures to feathered friends, we're about to take a wild ride through the animal kingdom and discover the species that have cheated death to become the longest-living creatures on Earth. Did any of these surprise you?
Spur-Thighed Tortoise: 120 Years
Spur-thighed tortoises can live over 120 years and weigh up to 1.5 pounds. Despite their long lifespan, they are a popular pet for turtle owners who are willing to make a lifetime commitment to their care.
They are small, only 10 inches long, and relatively easy to care for.
Finback Whale: 110 Years
Finback whales are the second largest species on earth, behind only the blue whale. They can reach 154,000 pounds and live over 110 years.
As of 2019, they were considered a vulnerable species. They can be found in oceans worldwide and are a member of the baleen whale family. Their only predator is the killer whale.
Red Sea Urchin: 30-200 Years
Red sea urchins are found in shallow to deep waters in the northeastern Pacific Ocean. They feed on seaweeds and algae with a mouth consisting of five teeth.
They usually form clumps of 5-10 and have spines that can regenerate, leading to a lifespan of 30-200 years. Some scientists believe they are virtually immortal due to their regenerative abilities.
Humpback Whale: 40-50 Years
Humpback whales have an average lifespan of 40-50 years, but some can live up to 95 years.
They are not endangered and can be frequently seen during whale watching trips off the coast of the US.
Kakapo: 60 Years
Kakapos, the only flightless parrot species, have a lifespan of up to 60 years.
However, their population is critically endangered, with only 100 wild birds left. Conservation efforts are needed to ensure the survival of these unique birds.
Albatross: 65 Years
Scientists once believed that albatrosses only lived around 40 years until they discovered Wisdom, a 65-year-old albatross.
Wisdom isn't done living, either. She continues to shock scientists and mating and giving birth to new offspring in her twilight years. She's the oldest confirmed wild bird in history!
Blue And Yellow Macaw: 30-50 Years
The blue and yellow macaw is a parrot that resides in various parts of South America, including forest, woodland, and savannah of the tropics.
Couples tend to mate for life and live between 30 to 35 years in the wild. However, in captivity, they can live up to 50 years. The oldest ever recorded was 104 years old.
Eastern Box Turtle: 140 Years
The Eastern box turtle can live for nearly 140 years! That's almost double the lifespan of the average human.
Box turtles are considered a vulnerable species since they rarely mate and are very slow-moving, making them easy prey targets.
Elephants: 70 Years
Currently, there are three recognized species of elephants, but besides some physical differences, for the most part, they have similar temperaments, lifestyles, and extreme intelligence.
In the wild, elephants can live to be up to 70 years old, with the oldest elephant being Lin Wang, who is 86 years old in captivity.
Tuatara: 100 Years
Tuatara is a species of lizard that are native to New Zealand. They are part of the special order Rhynchocephalia. Fossil records showed that they could be traced back to the Triassic Period, around 251-199 million years ago.
Commonly referred to as living fossils, they have an average lifespan is 60 years, but they can live to be well over 100.
Orca: 90 Years
The oldest recorded orca was 90 years old and weighed almost 9,000 pounds. Orcas may seem friendly in water parks, but in the ocean, orcas have no natural predators.
They have even been known to attack great white sharks for their fatty liver.
Greenland Shark: 300-500 Years
The Greenland shark, otherwise known as the gurry or grey shark is a "sleeper shark" that is typically found in the North Atlantic and the Arctic Ocean. Estimated to have the capacity to live 300 to 500 years old, it has the longest lifespan of any vertebrate species and is also one of the biggest sharks still in existence.
They can grow to be over 21 feet and weigh over a ton. The Greenland shark lives deep beneath the surface which in turn has caused its meat to become toxic, making it an apex predator eating just about anything it can get its hands on.
Koi Fish: 200+ Years
Koi are a colored variety of Amur carp that are typically used for decorative purposes in ponds and water gardens. While carp were originally found in Central Europe, they were first domesticated in East Asia. Thousands of years ago, they were bred for color mutations in China and became extremely popular in Japan in the 1820s.
In the right conditions, and out the reach of predators, Koi have the ability to live up to 100 and even 200 years. One Koi, named Hanako died in 1977 although she was recorded to have lived for 226 years!
Blue Whale: 80 Years
The blue whale is a massive marine mammal that grows up to 100 feet and weighs around 190 tons, making it the largest animal to have ever existed on Earth. The three subspecies are the North Atlantic, North Pacific, and the Southern Ocean which can be found in the Indian and South Pacific Oceans.
Almost brought to extinction by whalers, they were protected internationally in 1966. Today, there's an estimated 10,000 to 25,000 worldwide although there used to be 100,000. With the whale's only natural predator being orcas, scientists believe that they can live to be up to 80 years old.
Olm: 100 Years
Olm is an aquatic salamander in Europe that differs from other amphibians because it lives entirely underwater. They're commonly found in the underground waters in the caves of the Dinaric Alps and other underground waterways in Central and Southeastern Europe.
Due to its habitat, its eyes are undeveloped although its other senses are extremely acute and trained for living in complete darkness most of its life. The longevity of most olms is estimated to be around 70 years although they have a maximum lifespan of 100. This is incredible considering their rather small size.
American Lobster: 100 Years
The American lobster is a species of lobster that can be found in the Atlantic coast along North America. Typically, they can grow to be over two feet in length and weigh over 44 pounds. Its weight makes it not only the heaviest crustacean in the world but also the heaviest arthropod.
They tend to dwell in murky water at the bottom, of the seafloor, feeding off of claims, snails, and crabs. If undisturbed by predators and humans and unaffected by the disease, some American lobsters can live to be up to 100 years old.
Bowhead Whale: 200 years
The bowhead whale is of the family Balaenide, growing up to 59 feet in length and doesn't have a dorsal fin. It has the largest mouth of any animal and resides in the Arctic and sub-Arctic waters. Unfortunately, it was a whaling target and had its population significantly reduced in the years prior to 1966 before the species became protected.
Believed to live for over 200 years, its considered one of the longest-living mammals. In 2007, one particular whale was discovered which had a harpoon wound that dated between 1879 and 1885. This led scientists to take a closer look into their longevity, coming to the realization they live much older than previously thought.
Ocean Quahog Clam: 500+ Years
The ocean quahog, or Arctica Islandica, is a species of clam that is harvested as a commercial food source in the North Atlantic Ocean. What makes it so different from others is that it lives beneath the ground whereas most other clams can be found above ground and even above water during low tide.
They can grow to have a shell height of over two inches and have exceptional longevity mostly due to them living beneath the earth. Currently, the oldest living specimen is 507 years old and is named Ming the clam since it was alive during the Ming Chinese Dynasty.
Andean Condor: 70 Years
The Andean condor is a South American bird commonly found in the Andes mountains and the coast of western South America. Its weight and wingspan make it the world's largest flying bird. Their wingspan can be as large as almost 11 feet. This is primarily a scavenger bird that feeds on already deceased animals.
They reach reproductive maturity around five or six years of age and make their own nests on rock ledges in elevations up to 16,000 feet. They are one of the longest-living birds with some living up to 70 years.
Galapagos Tortoise: 100 Years
The Galapagos "giant" tortoise is the largest living species of tortoise ever discovered. They reside specifically on the Galapagos Islands and are native to seven of the surrounding islands. The islands were discovered by Spanish explorers in the 16th century who named them the Galapagos which comes from the Spanish word galápago, meaning "tortoise."
They can live to be well over 100 years old, with one tortoise in captivity living to be 170 years old, making them one of the longest-living vertebrates on the planet. They have no true predators except their population has declined drastically due to overexploitation of the species.
Pink Cockatoo: 80+ Years
The pink cockatoo, also known as Mayor Mitchell's cockatoo is a medium-sized species of cockatoo that can be found inland and in arid areas of Australia. Currently, their population is in decline due to development that is occurring in the areas where they naturally reside.
The birds reach reproductive maturity at 3 or 4 years of age although the male and females are essentially identical except males are usually bigger. The oldest pink cockatoo ever recorded was 83 years old showing their longevity.
Aldabra Tortoise: 100 Years
Native to Aldabra Island, the Aldabra tortoise is one of the biggest tortoises in the world. They are able to go without food or water for long periods of time which gives them an advantage while surviving in the wild.
They can reach more than 100 years of age although their age has been difficult to study because they tend to outlive the scientists studying them. Currently, the Aldabra tortoises at the Smithsonian's Natural Zoo are estimated to be 80 years old with one adult pair arriving in 1956 and the other in 1976.
Humans: 100+ Years
In the grand scheme of things, humans are one of the longest-living species on planet earth and are certainly close to the top of the list when it comes to mammals. Currently, the average human lifespan is around 79 years, although there are exceptions of course.
Today, there are more than 500,000 people over the age of 100 at any given time thanks to advances in science and medicine and overall comfort of life. The oldest person to have ever lived was a French woman named Jeanne Calment who lived to be 122 (1875-1997).
Yangtze Sturgeon: 100 Years
The Yangtze sturgeon is considered critically endangered. Over fished to near extinction, when left alone these creatures can live for over 100 years and weigh nearly 800 pounds. Sadly, if more conservation efforts aren't made, these sturgeon might not be around for much longer.
Fisheries have raised and released thousands of new sturgeons into the wild for years, but these once captive fish refuse to breed once out in the wild. No one knows why.
Pacific Ocean Perch: 100 Years
This is one fish you don't want to judge by its size. Although maxing out under two pounds, the oldest Pacific ocean perch ever record was 100-years-old. Widely distributed along the coast, take a dive in the ocean and you'll probably find one.
Aside from their age weight, not much is known about the Pacific ocean perch. Scientists are yet to learn about their mating habits or why they swim as deep as 400 meters deep at certain times of the year.
White Sturgeon: 100 Years
The most common sturgeon in the United States, the white sturgeon is a monster of a fish. And we don't mean that as a joke. The big fish can live for over 100 years and reach nearly 1,000 pounds.
Because of its size and its smooth back, many people believe that white sturgeon sightings are responsible for many of the ocean monster myths we believe in. Wouldn't it be fitting if the Lock Ness Monster was really just an over-sized sturgeon?
Telescope Cardinal: 100+ Years
Not much is known about this bug eyed, shallow bodied fish. The oldest discovered was 104 years old, but scientists are unsure just how big they can grow. Rising from the deep, they look like an animal out of a horror film.
In reality, there is nothing scary about these fish. They are commonly fished and appear to have a steady population. They are most commonly found in the northern Atlantic Ocean along the continental slope.
Coral: 4,000 Years
Coral reefs, including black coral, are ancient organisms with a lifespan of over 4,000 years. However, they are facing population decline due to bleaching and other factors such as pollution.
To combat this problem, coral farms have been established, but addressing other issues, such as pollution, is also important for their survival.
Sablefish: 114 Years
This moderately sized fish is another popular seafood option for those with a taste for the ocean. It can grow up to 69 pounds and left alone in the wild can live to around 114-years-old.
Some other common names for sablefish include black cod, coal cod, candlefish, blue cod, bluefish, butterfish, coal fish and beshow. The fish is such a popular food source than fisheries exist to make sure that it is not in danger of becoming extinct.
European Pond Turtle: 118 Years
Another small animal, the European pond turtle makes up for its lack of size with its incredible lifespan. The oldest record pond turtle ever was 118 years old. With age didn't come size, as it weighed just barely more than two pounds.
In 2019, the European pond turtle was listed as nearly threatened, but not yet endangered. Still, conservation have been made to ensure the survival of this long living, fresh water species of turtle.
Lake Sturgeon: 150+ years
The lake sturgeon can live an extremely long time. The oldest living one ever found was 154 years old, but it is estimated they can live even longer. They are also not as big as other sturgeon species, topping out under 200 pounds.
At one point in time, these fish were considered an endangered species, but successful conservation efforts have led to a growth in numbers. They are not out of danger yet, but are no longer considered vulnerable.
Sea Sponge: Thousands Of Years
Here's an animal that people forget exists; sea sponges. The rarely remembered about animals are content just to be able to live their lives, which can reach thousands of years. That's right, sea sponges can live for thousands of years.
So what exactly is a sea sponge? They are simple animals that lack tissues and organs. And they look nothing like Spongebob, although he is technically supposed to be a sea sponge and not a dish sponge.
Mollusk: 500+ Years
Mollusks can live a long, long time. While we don't know exactly how long they can live, one of the oldest living ones ever discovered was 507-years-old. Another one was 374-years-old. They are also the world's second largest invertebrate.
Amazingly, these resilient creatures have been around for a long time. According to the fossil record, the species goes back at least 500 million years! We don't think any living one today is that old though. It one way, however, it would have quite the story to tell!
