Image by Globalpix/iStock Sure, we humans live a lot longer than most of other animals on Earth. But what if the secrets to immortality have already been unlocked by an unassuming creature of the deeps? Read on to find out the longest living animals and which ones might be immortal. 28. American lobster – 100 years While memes touted the lobster as immortal, scientists aren’t saying that. Lobsters do live quite a long time — possibly up to 100 years — and some think they have negligible senescence, but they do die. However, for the American lobster, the cold waters off the East Coast slow its metabolism, giving it a longer lifespan than its warm-water cousins. Image by Whitney Hayward/Portland Press Herald via Getty Images Lobsters do grow continuously until they die, shedding exoskeletons as they go, but this shedding process does pose a fatal risk to the lobster each time. At a certain point, the lobster can’t muster the energy to shed its exoskeleton anymore and this creates an opportunity for disease to kill the animal. 27. Olm salamander – 102 years Like a tiny, blind dragon, the olm salamander can probably live to around 102 years (or […]
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