What is the oldest living animal in the world?
Any animal that reproduces only by asexual means, such as budding or cell division, can be said to be the same animal (genetically at least) as the first of it’s species, and it could be millions of years old. The oldest complex animal would be one of the large tortoises. My search resulted in this: Meet Harriet, a Galapagos Land Tortoise (Geochelone elephantus porteri). At first glance, the casual observer might not think there’s anything too exciting about this particular reptile. Sure she’s big, weighing in around 150 kilograms with a shell that measures about a square meter. But with her sluggish steps and tendency to spend the days snoozing in her pond, Harriet isn’t the most visually exciting attraction at this small zoo on Australia’s east coast. Visitors who dig a little deeper however, will find there’s far more to this particular tortoise than meets the eye. At 171 years of age, Harriet is the oldest known living creature on earth. However: Professor Chris Richardson of Bango
