4. Tuatara
Making our way out of the ocean world, we find a variety of land-based animals that have impressive lifespans. No. 4 on our list of the longest-living animals is tuatara, a species found only in the Marlborough Sounds and on 32 islands off the northeast coast of New Zealand’s North Island.
These rare reptiles are nocturnal species, and they keep growing until they are around 35 years old. According to researchers, a tuatara’s average lifespan is approximately 65 years, but they probably live up to and above 100 years.
Moreover, they are the last survivors of a reptile species that thrived 200 million years ago, in the age of the dinosaurs. Today, only two tuatara species exist, and they have pretty much the same form as their ancient ancestors.
Keep reading to discover more longest-living animals!
