Animals with the longest lifespans
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Animals with the Longest Lifespans — Daily trivia Thursday, August 27, 2026: questions and answers
All 10 questions with answers and explanations. Play this daily
Q 01A fairground prize named Tish lived to 43, a record for which kind of pet?
- AA goldfish
- BA rabbit
- CA hamster
- DA budgie
Show answer
A goldfish
A goldfish. Tish was won at a fairground in 1956 and lived until 1999, so long that his scales turned silver.
Q 02Which rodent can live more than 30 years?
- ANaked mole rat
- BCapybara
- CBeaver
- DGuinea pig
Show answer
Naked mole rat
Naked mole rats have lived past 30 in laboratories, about ten times longer than a mouse of similar size, and show almost no rise in death risk with age. They also seem nearly immune to cancer.
Q 03Which animal can age backwards, returning to its juvenile form?
- AA jellyfish
- BA starfish
- CA sea cucumber
- DAn octopus
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A jellyfish
A jellyfish smaller than a fingernail, Turritopsis dohrnii, can turn its adult body back into a polyp when stressed or injured, then grow up again; in theory the cycle could repeat indefinitely, earning it the nickname immortal jellyfish.
Q 04Which island group is famously home to giant tortoises that can live well over a century?
- AHawaiian
- BCanary
- CMaldives
- DGalápagos
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Galápagos
Galápagos tortoises live over 100 years in the wild, and a captive one, Harriet, was estimated at more than 170 when she died in 2006.
Q 05Which North Pacific kelp grazer, once thought to live about a decade, can reach 200 years?
- ASea otter
- BRed sea urchin
- CAbalone
- DDungeness crab
Show answer
Red sea urchin
Red sea urchin. Ageing studies showed they can live more than 100 years, and some found off Canada were around 200 years old.
Q 06Which New Zealand reptile, Henry, became a first-time father at about 111?
- ALeatherback turtle
- BTuatara
- CKomodo dragon
- DSaltwater crocodile
Show answer
Tuatara
Tuatara. Once so aggressive he had to be kept alone, Henry changed after a cancerous growth was removed, and in 2009 he fathered hatchlings with Mildred.
Q 07Which bony fish has been aged to 205 years?
- AAtlantic Cod
- BBluefin Tuna
- CRougheye Rockfish
- DAtlantic Halibut
Show answer
Rougheye Rockfish
Rougheye rockfish have been aged to 205 years. Slow growth in cold, deep North Pacific water is what allows the long lifespan.
Q 08Which whale can live past 200 years?
- ABowhead Whale
- BSperm Whale
- CGray Whale
- DHumpback Whale
Show answer
Bowhead Whale
Bowhead Whale. A whale caught in 2007 still carried the tip of a bomb lance made between 1879 and 1885, fired into it over a century before.
Q 09Which vertebrate has been estimated to live roughly 400 years?
- ABlue Whale
- BGreenland Shark
- CKiller Whale
- DBeluga Whale
Show answer
Greenland Shark
Radiocarbon dating of eye-lens proteins in 2016 put one Greenland shark at roughly 400 years old, the longest-lived vertebrate known. They grow about a centimetre a year and may not mature until 150.
Q 10Which sea creature was found to be 507 years old by counting rings in its shell?
- AA sea turtle
- BA clam
- CA lobster
- DA sea snail
Show answer
A clam
A clam. The ocean quahog nicknamed Ming, dredged off Iceland in 2006, was first dated at 405, then 507, but it had died when researchers froze it.
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