The 10 longest-living animals

10. Elephants come in 10th place: they can live for up to 60 years in the wild.

9. It might be a surprise to discover, but flamingos can get to an even older age than elephants: they make it to 80 years.














8. The river pearl mussel can outlive even the ravens - they can make it up to 110 years old.



7. You have probably been desperately waiting for this one: humans! Thought to have been the oldest human, a French woman reached the grand old age of 122.



6. With their hard shells, lobsters can live up to 140 years. It’s believed that they can reach such an advanced age due to their slow way of living.

5. It’s been on the earth for more than 250 million years and while it may seem like just a fish, the female sturgeons can reach an impressive 150 years old.

4. They may be slow, but giant tortoises beat even sturgeons and whales when it comes to age - they can live for up to 182 years. Similarly to lobsters, giant tortoises also have a very energy-efficient way of living, which is believed to be the reason for their longevity.

3. Whales can live up to 200 years in the cold ocean waters of the northern hemisphere.

2. Living for up to around 507 years, the ocean black clam (Arctica islandica) is the animal that can almost live the longest.

1. But with a huge lead, it is the Scolymastra joubini, a sponge, that tops the list. It has been growing in the cold sea waters of Antarctica for at least 10,000 years.