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Which lives longest: Lion, Nile Crocodile, African Elephant?
Nile Crocodile
Nile crocodiles can live 70-100 years, far outlasting the elephant (~65 years) and well beyond the lion's 15-year lifespan.
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Which lives longest: Bowhead Whale, Blue Whale, Sperm Whale?
Bowhead Whale
Bowhead whales can live over 200 years, harpoon tips from the 1800s have been found embedded in living individuals.
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Which lives longest: Parrot, Crow, Pigeon?
Parrot
Macaws and cockatoos regularly live 80+ years, some outlive the humans who keep them as pets.
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Which lives longest: Greenland Shark, Galapagos Tortoise, Bowhead Whale?
Greenland Shark
Greenland sharks can live over 400 years, the longest-lived vertebrate on Earth. Some alive today were born before the Mayflower sailed.
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Which lives longest: Aldabra Tortoise, Galapagos Tortoise, Koi Fish?
Galapagos Tortoise
Galapagos tortoises can live 177+ years, Harriet, believed collected by Darwin himself, died in 2006 aged approximately 175.
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Which lives longest: Mayfly, Monarch Butterfly, Worker Bee?
Monarch Butterfly
Migration-generation monarchs live up to 8 months, roughly 15 times longer than summer monarchs, surviving a 4,000 km journey to Mexico.
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Which lives longest: Chimpanzee, Gelada Baboon, Mandrill?
Chimpanzee
Chimpanzees are the longest-lived primates besides humans, some wild individuals have reached nearly 60 years of age.
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Which lives longest: Little Brown Bat, House Mouse, Common Shrew?
Little Brown Bat
Little brown bats can live up to 34-35 years, which is extraordinary for a mammal of their size, defying the usual rule that smaller animals live shorter lives.
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Which lives longest: American Lobster, Blue Crab, Mantis Shrimp?
American Lobster
American lobsters can live 60+ years and show little biological aging, they actually become more fertile with age.
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Which lives longest: Wandering Albatross, Bald Eagle, Arctic Tern?
Wandering Albatross
Wandering albatrosses can live 60+ years, still raising chicks in their 50s, Wisdom, a Laysan albatross, is over 73 and still breeding.
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Which lives longest: Ocean Quahog Clam, Greenland Shark, Bowhead Whale?
Ocean Quahog Clam
The ocean quahog clam 'Ming' was confirmed at 507 years old, the oldest individual animal ever recorded, accidentally killed when scientists opened it to count its growth rings.
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Which lives longest: Beaver, Grey Squirrel, Hamster?
Beaver
Beavers can live up to 24 years in the wild, far outlasting most rodents, who typically survive just 1-3 years.
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Which lives longest: Whale Shark, Great White Shark, Shortfin Mako?
Whale Shark
Whale sharks are believed to live up to 130 years, scientists estimate age by counting growth rings in vertebrae, like tree rings.
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Which lives longest: Donkey, Horse, Zebra?
Donkey
Donkeys regularly live 40-50 years, significantly longer than horses or zebras, and known to form lifelong bonds with their owners.
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Which lives longest: Polar Bear, Walrus, Narwhal?
Narwhal
Narwhals live 50-55 years, their iconic tusks contain growth rings that scientists use to determine age precisely.
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Which lives longest: Flamingo, Brown Pelican, Grey Heron?
Flamingo
Flamingos can live over 40 years in the wild, with captive individuals reaching 70+, among the longest-lived birds relative to their size.
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Which lives longest: Sea Otter, River Otter, Stoat?
Sea Otter
Sea otters live about 25 years, significantly longer than freshwater otters and far exceeding the stoat's typical 2-3 years.
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Which lives longest: Spotted Hyena, Lion, Meerkat?
Spotted Hyena
Spotted hyenas can live 25+ years in the wild, nearly twice as long as lions, partly due to their complex social structures reducing fatal injury.
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Which lives longest: Puffin, Emperor Penguin, Arctic Tern?
Arctic Tern
Arctic terns can live up to 31 years and travel as far as 81,600 km a year, seeing more daylight than any other creature on Earth.
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Which lives longest: Cheetah, Leopard, Lion?
Leopard
Leopards typically outlive both lions and cheetahs in the wild, their solitary lifestyle reduces the risk of fatal injuries from social conflict.
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Which lives longest: California Condor, Griffon Vulture, Bald Eagle?
California Condor
California condors can live 60+ years, one of the longest-lived birds, which proved crucial when the species was brought back from just 27 individuals in 1987.
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Which lives longest: Hippopotamus, Giraffe, Plains Zebra?
Hippopotamus
Hippos typically live 40-50 years in the wild, outlasting giraffes and zebras by 15-25 years.
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Which lives longest: Sloth, Giant Anteater, Armadillo?
Sloth
Sloths can live 30+ years, their extremely slow metabolism may actually reduce cellular damage, contributing to their remarkable longevity.
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Which lives longest: Komodo Dragon, Green Iguana, Chameleon?
Komodo Dragon
Komodo dragons can live 30+ years, their massive size deters most predators and their slow metabolic pace supports a long life.
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Which lives longest: King Penguin, Gentoo Penguin, Macaroni Penguin?
King Penguin
King penguins can live over 25 years, the second-largest penguin, outlasting most other species by nearly a decade.
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Which lives longest: Immortal Jellyfish, Ocean Quahog Clam, Greenland Shark?
Immortal Jellyfish
Turritopsis dohrnii, the "immortal jellyfish," can revert to its juvenile polyp state when stressed, theoretically cycling through its lifespan indefinitely.
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Which lives longest: Blue Tang, Clownfish, Seahorse?
Blue Tang
Blue tangs can live over 20 years in the wild, far outlasting clownfish and seahorses, which rarely exceed 5 years.
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Which lives longest: Sun Bear, Giant Panda, Red Panda?
Sun Bear
Sun bears can live 25+ years, outlasting giant pandas and far exceeding red pandas, which rarely survive beyond 10 years in the wild.
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Which lives longest: Giant Pacific Octopus, Cuttlefish, Common Squid?
Giant Pacific Octopus
Giant Pacific octopuses live about 3-5 years, long for a cephalopod, which typically dies shortly after reproducing just once.
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Which lives longest: Wandering Albatross, King Penguin, Arctic Tern?
Wandering Albatross
The wandering albatross can live 60+ years, still gliding over oceans and raising chicks well into its 50s.
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Which lives longest: Red Fox, Wombat, Tasmanian Devil?
Wombat
Wombats can live up to 26 years, far outlasting their fellow Australians the Tasmanian devil and the red fox.
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Which lives longest: Rainbow Trout, Atlantic Salmon, European Eel?
European Eel
European eels can live over 80 years, and they only make their one spawning migration to the Sargasso Sea once in their entire lifetime.
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Which lives longest: African Grey Parrot, Red-tailed Hawk, Ring-tailed Lemur?
African Grey Parrot
African grey parrots can live 40-60 years in captivity and are among the most intelligent birds, noted for their speaking abilities.
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Which lives longest: Saltwater Crocodile, American Alligator, Gharial?
Saltwater Crocodile
Saltwater crocodiles can live up to 70 years, the longest-lived crocodilian and the largest living reptile on Earth.
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Which lives longest: Oyster, Giant Clam, Mussel?
Giant Clam
Giant clams can live over 100 years, they grow throughout their entire lives, eventually reaching over a metre across.
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Which lives longest: Mallard Duck, Canada Goose, Mute Swan?
Canada Goose
Canada geese can live over 24 years, significantly longer than mute swans or mallards, and they famously mate for life.
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Which lives longest: Black Widow Spider, Tarantula, Wolf Spider?
Tarantula
Female tarantulas can live up to 30 years, far longer than almost any other spider, with some individuals still alive decades after being collected.
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Which lives longest: Galapagos Tortoise, Tuatara, Komodo Dragon?
Galapagos Tortoise
Galapagos tortoises outlive even the tuatara, New Zealand's ancient reptile that can reach 100, by nearly 80 years.
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Which lives longest: Great Horned Owl, Tawny Owl, Barn Owl?
Great Horned Owl
Great horned owls can live nearly 30 years in the wild, dramatically longer than barn owls, which rarely survive more than 4 years due to winter starvation.
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Which lives longest: White-tailed Deer, Moose, American Bison?
American Bison
American bison can live over 20 years, outlasting moose and white-tailed deer by a significant margin in the wild.
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Which lives longest: Housefly, Worker Honeybee, Stag Beetle?
Stag Beetle
Stag beetles spend up to 7 years as larvae underground before emerging as adults, making their total lifespan far longer than most insects.
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Which lives longest: Little Blue Penguin, Rockhopper Penguin, African Penguin?
African Penguin
African penguins can live over 20 years in the wild, significantly longer than little blue penguins, which rarely survive more than 6-7 years.
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Which lives longest: Naked Mole Rat, Common Rat, House Mouse?
Naked Mole Rat
Naked mole rats can live over 30 years, extraordinary for a rodent, and they show almost no signs of aging, making them a major focus of longevity research.
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Which lives longest: House Sparrow, European Starling, Rook?
Rook
Rooks can live over 20 years, dramatically outlasting house sparrows, which rarely survive more than 3 years in the wild.
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Which lives longest: Nile Tilapia, Atlantic Cod, Orange Roughy?
Orange Roughy
Orange roughy can live over 150 years, they don't reach sexual maturity until around 30, making them extremely vulnerable to overfishing.
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Which lives longest: Llama, Alpaca, Dromedary Camel?
Dromedary Camel
Dromedary camels can live over 40 years, significantly longer than their South American relatives llamas and alpacas.
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Which lives longest: African Wild Dog, Black-backed Jackal, Fennec Fox?
Fennec Fox
Fennec foxes live up to 14 years in captivity and about 10 years in the wild.
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Which lives longest: Loggerhead Turtle, Leatherback Turtle, Green Sea Turtle?
Green Sea Turtle
Green sea turtles can live over 80 years, the longest-lived of all sea turtles, confirmed by bone growth ring analysis.
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Which lives longest: Atlantic Halibut, Atlantic Cod, Atlantic Mackerel?
Atlantic Halibut
Atlantic halibut can live up to 50 years, the largest flatfish and one of the longest-lived fish in the North Atlantic.
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Which lives longest: Capybara, Tapir, Giant Anteater?
Tapir
Tapirs can live over 30 years in the wild, significantly longer than capybaras and far exceeding the giant anteater's 14-year lifespan.
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Which lives longest: Barn Swallow, House Martin, Common Swift?
Common Swift
Common swifts can live over 21 years, impressive for such a small bird, spending almost its entire life in the air and landing only to breed.
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Which lives longest: Spiny Dogfish, Bull Shark, Blue Shark?
Spiny Dogfish
Spiny dogfish have been observed to live nearly 70 years, with an average lifespan of about 30-40 years.
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Which lives longest: Warthog, Wild Boar, Pygmy Hippopotamus?
Pygmy Hippopotamus
Pygmy hippos can live over 40 years, far longer than wild boars and warthogs, despite being much smaller than their common hippo relative.
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Which lives longest: Stoat, Pine Marten, European Badger?
European Badger
European badgers can live over 14 years in the wild, far exceeding the stoat's typical 2-3 years and outlasting pine martens by several years.
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Which lives longest: Adult Dragonfly, Periodical Cicada, Adult Mayfly?
Periodical Cicada
Periodical cicadas spend 13 or 17 years underground as nymphs before emerging, one of the longest total lifespans of any insect.
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Which lives longest: Prairie Dog, Meerkat, Banded Mongoose?
Meerkat
Meerkats can live up to 12 years in the wild, longer than prairie dogs and most mongoose species, helped by their cooperative social structure.
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Which lives longest: Alpine Ibex, Mountain Goat, Dall Sheep?
Alpine Ibex
Alpine ibex live up to about 20 years in the wild, with females reaching around 20 years and males about 16 years, and are identified by their large, backwards-curving horns.
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Which lives longest: Red-footed Booby, Blue-footed Booby, Masked Booby?
Red-footed Booby
Red-footed boobies can live up to 40 years, significantly longer than their blue-footed and masked cousins, and one of the longest-lived seabirds of their size.
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Which lives longest: Garter Snake, King Cobra, Ball Python?
Ball Python
Ball pythons can live over 30 years, one of the longest-lived snake species, with some captive individuals confirmed past 40 years of age.
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Which lives longest: House Mouse, Naked Mole Rat, Capybara?
Naked Mole Rat
Naked mole rats live up to 30 years, 10 times longer than expected for their size. They appear to not age biologically.
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Which lives longest: Giant Pacific Octopus, Mimic Octopus, Common Octopus?
Giant Pacific Octopus
The giant Pacific octopus lives 3-5 years, the longest lifespan of any octopus, most of which die within a year.
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Which lives longest: Dromedary Camel, Bactrian Camel, Llama?
Dromedary Camel
Dromedary camels live 40-50 years, significantly longer than llamas and their two-humped Bactrian cousins.
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Which lives longest: Sockeye Salmon, Mahi-mahi, Greenland Halibut?
Greenland Halibut
Greenland halibut can live over 50 years, while sockeye salmon typically die right after spawning at age 4.
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Which lives longest: Rockhopper Penguin, Emperor Penguin, Little Blue Penguin?
Emperor Penguin
Emperor penguins typically live about 20 years in the wild, although some individuals may reach up to 50 years of age.
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Which lives longest: Mediterranean Spur-thighed Tortoise, Painted Turtle, Red-eared Slider?
Mediterranean Spur-thighed Tortoise
Mediterranean spur-thighed tortoises can live 100+ years in captivity, easily surpassing freshwater turtles.
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Which lives longest: Giant Anteater, Three-toed Sloth, Tamandua?
Three-toed Sloth
Three-toed sloths can live 30+ years, their ultra-slow metabolism seems to slow down cellular aging.
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Which lives longest: Banded Mongoose, Striped Hyena, Spotted Hyena?
Spotted Hyena
Spotted hyenas can live 20+ years, longer than most African carnivores thanks to their powerful social structures.
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Which lives longest: Vampire Bat, Common Pipistrelle, Brandt's Bat?
Brandt's Bat
Brandt's bat holds the longevity record for a bat at 41 years, extraordinary for a mammal that weighs just 7 grams.
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Which lives longest: Common Starfish, Crown-of-thorns Starfish, Chocolate Chip Starfish?
Common Starfish
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Which lives longest: Red Kangaroo, Tasmanian Devil, Koala?
Red Kangaroo
Red kangaroos live 20+ years, far longer than Tasmanian devils (5-6 years) and koalas (13-18 years).
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Which lives longest: Housefly, Queen Termite, Praying Mantis?
Queen Termite
Queen termites can live 30-50 years, among the longest-lived insects ever recorded, laying 30,000 eggs a day.
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Which lives longest: Atlantic Puffin, Laysan Albatross, Arctic Tern?
Laysan Albatross
Wisdom, a Laysan albatross, is still breeding past age 73, the oldest confirmed wild bird on Earth.
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Which lives longest: Dall's Porpoise, Bottlenose Dolphin, Orca?
Orca
Orcas can live 50-80 years in the wild, Granny, a wild female, was estimated at 105 when last seen in 2016.
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Which lives longest: Goldfish, Koi, Tench?
Koi
Koi can live 40-70 years, one named Hanako was estimated at 226 years old when she died in Japan in 1977.
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Which lives longest: Swan, Mute Swan, Trumpeter Swan?
Trumpeter Swan
Trumpeter swans can live 24+ years in the wild, the largest waterfowl in North America and the longest-lived native swan.
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Which lives longest: Common Snapping Turtle, Alligator Snapping Turtle, Red-eared Slider?
Alligator Snapping Turtle
Alligator snapping turtles can live 100+ years, the largest freshwater turtle in North America, with jaws that can snap a broomstick.
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Which lives longest: Cape Buffalo, Water Buffalo, Yak?
Yak
Yaks can live 20+ years at 6,000 m altitude, longer than most bovids, helped by hemoglobin tuned for low oxygen.
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Which lives longest: Kiwi, Cassowary, Emu?
Kiwi
Kiwis can live 25-50 years in the wild, the longest lifespan of any ratite bird.
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Which lives longest: Golden Eagle, Bald Eagle, Harpy Eagle?
Golden Eagle
Golden eagles live 30+ years in the wild, the longest-lived of the large raptors in the Northern Hemisphere.
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Which lives longest: Red Fox, Arctic Fox, Fennec Fox?
Red Fox
Red foxes live up to 14 years in the wild, slightly longer than arctic and fennec foxes due to wider range and adaptability.
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Which lives longest: Bighorn Sheep, Mouflon, Dall Sheep?
Bighorn Sheep
Bighorn sheep live 10-15 years in the wild, rams growing a new horn segment every year, revealing age like tree rings.
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Which lives longest: Vampire Squid, Giant Squid, Colossal Squid?
Giant Squid
Giant squid live 5 years, short for such a large animal, and they typically reproduce just once before dying.
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Which lives longest: European Badger, American Badger, Honey Badger?
Honey Badger
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Which lives longest: Hyacinth Macaw, Scarlet Macaw, Military Macaw?
Hyacinth Macaw
Hyacinth macaws can live 50+ years, the world's largest parrot and among the longest-lived.
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Which lives longest: Egyptian Cobra, King Cobra, Black Mamba?
King Cobra
King cobras can live 20+ years in the wild, the longest venomous snake and one of the longest-lived snakes.
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Which lives longest: Great White Shark, Shortfin Mako, Tiger Shark?
Great White Shark
Great whites can live up to 70 years, far longer than most sharks and most large predatory fish.
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Which lives longest: Blue Poison Dart Frog, Golden Poison Frog, Red-eyed Tree Frog?
Blue Poison Dart Frog
Blue poison dart frogs can live 10-15 years in captivity, among the longest-lived tropical frogs.
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Which lives longest: Manatee, Dugong, Steller's Sea Cow?
Dugong
Dugongs can live 70+ years, outlasting manatees and any other member of the Sirenia order, including the extinct Steller's sea cow.
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Which lives longest: Bornean Orangutan, Gibbon, Siamang?
Bornean Orangutan
Bornean orangutans have a lifespan of 35-45 years in the wild.
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Which lives longest: Clownfish, Blue Tang, Moorish Idol?
Blue Tang
Blue tangs can live 20-30 years in the wild, far outliving clownfish (6-10 years) and most reef fish.
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Which lives longest: Leatherback Turtle, Green Sea Turtle, Hawksbill Turtle?
Leatherback Turtle
Leatherback turtles are the largest turtles, reaching lengths of up to 2.7 metres and weights of 500 kg.
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Which lives longest: Barnacle Goose, Greylag Goose, Snow Goose?
Snow Goose
Snow geese can live 25+ years, among the longest-lived waterfowl, with populations numbering in the millions.
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Which lives longest: Stingless Bee, Honey Bee, Bumblebee?
Stingless Bee
Queen stingless bees can live 5+ years, far longer than queen honey bees (2-3 years) or any bumblebee queen.
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Which lives longest: Mantis Shrimp, Blue Crab, Horseshoe Crab?
Horseshoe Crab
Horseshoe crabs can live 20-40 years, ancient creatures that haven't changed in 450 million years.
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Which lives longest: Timber Rattlesnake, Sidewinder, Eastern Diamondback?
Timber Rattlesnake
Timber rattlesnakes can live 30+ years in the wild, among the longest-lived venomous snakes in North America.
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Which lives longest: Gila Monster, Green Iguana, Tokay Gecko?
Gila Monster
Gila monsters can live over 35 years, slow-moving venomous lizards that rarely eat more than 5 times a year.
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Which lives longest: Giant Pangolin, Indian Pangolin, Sunda Pangolin?
Giant Pangolin
Giant pangolins can live 20+ years in the wild, the largest and longest-lived of all eight pangolin species.
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Which lives longest: Leafy Seadragon, Weedy Seadragon, Pot-bellied Seahorse?
Leafy Seadragon
Leafy seadragons can live 5-10 years, longer than most seahorses and true syngnathids.
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Which lives longest: African Elephant, Asian Elephant, Forest Elephant?
Asian Elephant
Asian elephants live slightly longer than African elephants, up to 70 years, thanks to smaller body size.
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Which lives longest: Basking Shark, Whale Shark, Greenland Shark?
Greenland Shark
Greenland sharks can live 400+ years, the longest-lived vertebrate, aged by radiocarbon dating of eye lens proteins.
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Which lives longest: Green Anaconda, Reticulated Python, Burmese Python?
Reticulated Python
Reticulated pythons can live 25-30 years in the wild, the longest snake in the world and among the longest-lived.
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Which lives longest: Sumatran Rhino, White Rhino, Black Rhino?
White Rhino
White rhinos can live up to 50 years, the longest-lived of all five rhinoceros species.
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Which lives longest: Quokka, Bilby, Numbat?
Quokka
Quokkas can live up to 10 years, longer than numbats and bilbies, despite their relatively small size.
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Which lives longest: Polar Bear, Grizzly Bear, Giant Panda?
Giant Panda
Giant pandas can live over 30 years in captivity, longer than polar bears or grizzlies in the wild.
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Which lives longest: Nile Crocodile, American Alligator, Gharial?
Nile Crocodile
Nile crocodiles can live 70-100 years, among the longest-lived reptiles, growing their entire lives.
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Which lives longest: Cassowary, Emu, Rhea?
Cassowary
Cassowaries can live 40+ years in the wild, the longest-lived of the flightless birds outside of the ostrich.
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Which lives longest: Boa Constrictor, Green Tree Python, Anaconda?
Boa Constrictor
Boa constrictors can live 25-30 years in the wild, and up to 40 years in captivity.
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Which lives longest: Common Toad, Cane Toad, American Toad?
Common Toad
Common toads can live about ten to twelve years in the wild and have survived for up to fifty years in captivity.