10 Animals that live Longest- Erakina

Animals are one of the richest fauna that surrounds us. The word ‘animal’ is basically derived from the Latin word ‘animalis’ which means ‘having soul or living being’. Animals are mostly eukaryotic and multicellular which makes them different from human beings to a great extent. They do not produce their own foods but are dependent on plants or the dead remains of other animals. 

Animals are generally of two types i.e. herbivores and carnivores. Herbivores animals mainly feed only on plants like Cow, Buffalo, Rabbit, Sheep, Goat, etc. While Carnivores animals like Cheetahs, tigers, Hyena, Crocodiles, sharks, etc. depend mainly on meat and the flesh of other animals. There are various types of animals around us, some of them are small in size while others are much larger than we can imagine. Animals are one of the amazing creations that we are witnessing regularly. 

Animals generally range from 8.5 micrometers (0.00033 in) to 33.6 meters (110 ft). There are over 7 million animal species that dwell on our Earth. And all of them are different in appearance and complexion. No one animal is the same as the other. Some animals live for a very short period of time while others live for the longest. The longest-living animals have been described below:

10 longest-living animals

1) African Elephant

• Scientific name: Loxodonta
• Lifespan: 60-70 years
• African animals are generally the largest walking animals on the Earth. They mainly graze over 37 countries in Africa. They are mainly known for their big trunks which they basically use for communication and to handle other things. Their big ears allow them to scatter the excess heat from the sun. There are two types of African elephants:

1. African bush Elephants: these elephants are larger than the other species i.e. the forest elephants and also their trunk curves outward.
2. African forest Elephants: these elephants are much darker than the bush elephants and also their trunks are straight and pointed downwards.

Both these elephants also differ in size and shape. Forest elephants can be found in the dense forest of the Congo basin but due to poaching for their ivory, they are becoming extinct. It is also said that nearly one-quarter to one-third of elephants in Africa comprises of mainly Forest elephants. These elephants are very popular among poachers because of their costly ivory which costs nearly in crores to millions in international markets.

2) Macaw

• Scientific name: Psittacidae
• Lifespan: up to 60 years
• Macaw is a group of parrots with long tails and generally are in varied colors. These birds are mostly found in Central and South American rainforests. The birds have large and powerful beaks which help them to easily crack nuts and seeds while their scaly tongue has a bone through which they can easily tap into fruits. Their loud scream echo throughout the forest canopy and some species of them even can mimic the speech of a person.  There are at least 17 species of Macaws and most of them are endangered and also the rainforest which used to be their home was also disappearing gradually. These birds are very beautiful and attractive in appearance and one can continuously gaze at them for hours and appreciate its beauty.

3) Galapagos giant Tortoise

• Scientific name: Chelonoidis niger
• Lifespan: more than 100 years
• The Galapagos giant Tortoise is one of the most famous animals found on the islands and that island has been named after this tortoise. The Galapagos appeared here from South America nearly 2-3 million years ago. Giant tortoises vary in size and shape and they spend nearly 15 hours resting and sleeping. They also enjoy bathing in water and also can live up to 1 year without food and water. 

Small Galapagos finches can be seen sitting in the back of the giant tortoises and they have formed a mutual relationship where the birds take out the ticks from the tortoise’s skin. Breeding occurs during the month of January to May but sometimes it can take place any time of the year. During mating, the male tortoise makes a loud roaring sound throughout. After mating the female goes to her nesting area where she lays 2 to 16 eggs, each the size of a tennis ball.

4) Red Sea Urchin

• Scientific name: Mesocentrotus franciscanus
• Lifespan: up to 100 years
• Red sea urchins are mainly found in the Pacific Ocean, from the coast of Alaska and the Aleutian Islands to Baja California in the east, and in the west, from Siberia to the northern reaches of Japan. These are mainly spherical in shape and their body is made up of pointed spines all over. Their colors varied from purple to red, reddish-brown, or dark burgundy. They move with their special tube feet and have a mouth with five teeth. The major source of food for these urchins is kelp which basically found in the Kelp forests. Sea urchins do not have a heart or brain. 

5) Koi Fish

• Scientific name: Cyprinus rubrofuscus
• Lifespan: 25-35 years
• Koi fish are the most colorful and popular fish among the other species. They are mainly kept as pet fish in ponds and house gardens. They are often referred to as Japanese koi or Nishikigoi. Nishikigoi means “swimming jewel”. In Japanese culture, they believe that keeping Koi fish at home will bring them good fortune and prosperity. Koi are temperate freshwater fish and can adapt between 49-95 F. A Koi fish was first displayed in Tokyo in the year 1914 – just because of its popularity. The most popular variety of Koi fish is – Kohaku, Sanke, and Showa.

6) Bowhead whale

• Scientific name: Balaena mysticetus
• Lifespan: up to 200 years
• Bowhead whales have strong body and large skulls and it is capable of breaking through sea ice at least seven inches thick. Adult bowheads are mainly black in color except for the front part of the lower jaw which is white. They can grow up to 60 feet long but still can leap out of the water with the same speed and energy. They can be found only in oceans and they mainly feed on ocean animals like plankton.

7) Greenland Shark

• Scientific name: Somniosus microcephalus
• Lifespan: 250-500 years
• The Greenland shark is one of the largest living vertebrates. It can be spotted also in the western Caribbean apart from the Greenlands. Due to a certain chemical compound that acts as an anti-freeze, these sharks can live in deep cold waters. It is also one of the slowest sharks and can be identified as the most dangerous predator. Greenland sharks have sharp and pointed teeth which help them to kill their prey by tearing them apart. The animal’s slow growth rate and population make it less vulnerable to humans. This is one of the most dangerous animals living underwater as it can rip apart any human who falls prey to it. 

8) Ocean Quahog

• Scientific name: Arctica islandica
• Lifespan: up to 100 years
• The ocean quahog can be seen underneath the sand in parts of the UK. They are very slow-growing and also longest-lived for up to 100 years. Ocean quahog is a species of marine bivalve mollusk and is mainly gathered for food purposes. These are generally filter-feeders that survive on food particles from the water. Quahogs can also be used for human consumption as well. They basically give birth by releasing eggs and sperm in the water column where the eggs are fertilized.

9) Immortal Jellyfish

• Scientific name: Turritopsis dohrnii
• Lifespan: potentially forever
• The name of the jellyfish itself reveals that it is immortal. It is now officially identified as the only immortal creature on earth. These jellyfish don’t die but they regenerate themselves into a new polyp which gradually transforms into a full-grown jellyfish. The only known way through which they can die is either eaten by another fish or some disease that affects the jellyfish. They basically survive by feeding on tiny sea creatures and are temperate to tropical saltwater worldwide. Their threat is mainly from the underwater big animals which can attach them anytime and anywhere. For this reason, their population is declining at a very fast rate.

10) Longfin fish

• Scientific name: Carangoides armatus
• Lifespan: up to 60 years
• Longfin fish is a marine inshore animal native to the tropical and subtropical waters of the Indo-Pacific, ranging from South Africa in the west to Japan in the east. It has canine-like teeth and protruding jaw. They have a deeply strong body and they grow maximum to a length of 57 cm and weigh up to 3.5 kg. This type of fish is also used as food items to eat which has a good taste and flavor and is generally liked by many people. 

The longest-living animals have therefore been explained above in a very detailed manner through which one will get to know about the most fascinating features, appearances, food habits, and hunting tools. These animals are also very popular in the world because of their uniqueness and characteristics. They are the most talked about animals among the population and also because of their declining population over the recent years.