Prehistoric animals that still roam the Earth

Oldest animals

Some animals seem out of place at first glance. Sometimes that can be chalked up to the limits of imagination, but other times its because the animal in question truly is from an era so distant it might as well have taken place on an alien planet. Here are some of the oldest animals that still share our world today.

Frilled Shark

The ancient and intimidating frilled shark is at least 150 years old, meaning it swam the oceans at the same time of the Jurassic periods most famous dinosaurs. Today, frilled sharks lurk in the deepest depths of the ocean, far from any human activity.

Komodo dragon

One of the most famous remnants of an ancient, reptilian Earth, is the Komodo dragon of Indonesia. Today, they are the largest lizards on Earth, and have been around for nearly four million years.

Shoebill stork

The shoebill stork is a huge bird with a strikingly unique profile. The massive beaks of these birds help them hunt larger prey than most of their stork and waterbird relatives.

Bactrian camel

While there are hardly more than 1,000 Bactrian camels left on Earth, they have proven to be one of the most resilient animals on Earth for the past two million years.

Echidna

The platypuss close relative, which looks like a cross between a porcupine and a hedgedog, is at least 110 million years old, making it the oldest surviving species of mammal in the world.

Musk oxen

Native to the upper regions of North America, musk oxen have been around for nearly 200,000 years, making them nearly as old as modern humans.