Top 10 Prehistoric Creatures That Actually Still Exist
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AnimalsTranscript
00:00 10.
00:10 Giant Freshwater Stingray Cruising through the rivers and estuaries
00:13 of Borneo and Indochina is a 1,300-pound, 6-foot-wide, 100-million-year-old monster.
00:20 Known as the giant freshwater stingray, this massive relative to sharks and saltwater kin
00:24 of the same name is one of the largest freshwater fish in the world.
00:28 This fish, like other rays, is disc-shaped, with a serrated spine at the base of its tail,
00:33 which is long and whip-like.
00:34 Scientists believe this big fish once roamed the waters across all of Southeast Asia, though
00:39 a number of hazards have led to its isolated location.
00:42 With the development of human settlements and the resulting structures to support them,
00:46 giant freshwater stingrays have suffered from extensive habitat degradation.
00:50 Deforestation and dams are major issues for the creature, but so is fishing, where the
00:54 stingrays are caught for food, sport, or public display in aquariums.
00:58 In the past 20 to 30 years, regions endemic to this fish have seen its population drop
01:03 from anywhere between 30 and 95 percent.
01:05 9.
01:06 Purple Frog This odd-looking amphibian has been around
01:09 for nearly 130 million years, yet the purple frog went largely unknown to the scientific
01:14 world until 2003.
01:16 Though earlier reports and documented evidence of the creature's discovery have been around
01:20 since 1918, it didn't receive formal recognition until it was found by researchers in the western
01:25 ghats of India.
01:26 Here, the purple frog burrows into the soil, keeping damp and hunting for prey.
01:31 Unlike the stretchy-tongued frogs of your nearest swamp, these amphibians are equipped
01:35 with a long, rigid tongue that shoots through the dirt to snag termites and ants.
01:39 Its flat body, shovel-tipped nose, and stumpy yet strong legs help the purple frog navigate
01:44 through dirt, rarely surfacing from the ground.
01:46 But when it rains, be on the lookout!
01:48 That is the only condition in which these frogs mate, one of the many features that
01:52 are fairly unique to the blob-like critter.
01:54 8.
01:55 Chinese Giant Salamander Salamanders are commonly known as some of
01:59 the most recognizable amphibians in existence.
02:01 But imagine seeing one slink out of a river that's bigger than your dog!
02:05 What would seem like some sort of cryptid akin to a Loch Ness Monster is actually the
02:09 massive amphibious species called the Chinese Giant Salamander.
02:13 This gargantuan river-dweller is local to the mountainous streams and lakes of China
02:17 and grows up to nearly six feet in length.
02:19 They tend to reach weights ranging between 55 and 65 pounds, though individuals as heavy
02:24 as 130 pounds have been recorded.
02:27 If the Chinese Giant Salamander seems like some sort of prehistoric amphibian, that's
02:31 because it is.
02:32 Researchers have found that this beady-eyed swimmer has roamed the Asian region for 170
02:37 million years.
02:38 But the deterioration of its habitats, illegal poaching, and climate change all have forced
02:43 the Chinese Giant Salamander population to face a dangerously high possibility of extinction.
02:48 Number 7.
02:49 Tuatara A reptile endemic to New Zealand named the
02:52 Tuatara is unlike any of its relatives thanks to a number of bizarre behaviors and traits.
02:57 This scaled anomaly is the remnant of an otherwise extinct order that's been around since 200
03:02 million years ago.
03:03 Fairly small, the Tuatara grows to a length of one and a half to two feet and can weigh
03:08 between one and two pounds.
03:09 As carnivores, these animals feast on anything from beetles, spiders, and eggs to frogs,
03:14 birds, and even its own kind.
03:16 Each individual reptile has a lifespan of up to 100 years, and its habits will change
03:20 with age thanks to factors like teeth deterioration, slow maturity, and lengthy pregnancies.
03:26 Tuataras are able to survive for so many years thanks to features like a regenerating tail,
03:31 the ability to survive much colder temperatures than other reptiles, and the development of
03:35 a third eye covered in scales that helps sense changes in light and seasons.
03:39 Number 6.
03:40 Turtles Hardshelled and slow to move, turtles are
03:43 some of the most iconic creatures to have survived the past 250 million years.
03:48 Most species aren't overtly strange, but a few of these creatures definitely seem like
03:52 they would be at home next to a Triceratops or T-Rex.
03:55 One such species is the alligator snapping turtle.
03:58 This sharp-ridged shuffler is among the heaviest freshwater turtles on Earth, with some reported
04:03 weights exceeding 250 pounds.
04:05 Its sharp, beak-like face clamps down on prey such as fish, birds, and amphibians deceived
04:10 by a tongue appendage on the turtle that resembles a wiggling worm.
04:14 Another ancient-seeming species is the massive Galapagos tortoise, which can weigh over 900
04:19 pounds and live for well over 100 years.
04:22 These tortoises are so big, in fact, that an average-sized human can ride atop their
04:26 shell with no issue.
04:27 Unlike the alligator snapping turtle, though, this monstrous reptile is herbivorous, subsisting
04:32 on a diet of cacti, fruit, grass, and leaves.
04:35 Number 5.
04:36 Lamprey Jawless, scaleless, boneless, and lacking
04:39 pectoral and pelvic fins, the slender, sucker-faced lamprey is a strange 360-million-year-old
04:45 order of fish that still traverses the ocean today.
04:48 Thirty-eight different species fill out this order and can be found in coastal and freshwater
04:52 regions ranging from the Great Lakes to the River Thames.
04:56 These eel-like swimmers are mostly known for their slick, elongated bodies and gaping mouths
05:00 filled with rows of teeth.
05:02 Carnivorous species of lamprey use these mouths to attach to other fish, where they scrape
05:07 away at flesh thanks to a pronged, piston-esque tongue until they bore a hole.
05:11 Parasitic in nature, these predatory lampreys will then drain the fish's innards before
05:16 moving on to a next meal.
05:18 In many regions, the creature has become a pest, endangering the ecosystem which it invades.
05:23 As such, population control by means of aquatic barriers and fishing them for food is employed
05:28 in some communities, though eating a lamprey requires careful preparation as some species
05:33 contain toxic mucus.
05:34 Number 4.
05:35 Emperor Scorpion Averaging almost eight inches in length, the
05:38 brawny black West African arachnid known as the Emperor Scorpion is one of the largest
05:43 scorpions on the planet.
05:44 Despite their proportionately hulking size, though, these clawed beasts are actually fairly
05:49 harmless.
05:50 The behavior of Emperor Scorpions is typically docile.
05:52 While the pinch of their claws is still fairly painful for humans, it's much less dangerous
05:56 than it is for the scorpion's prey, which include animals as big as rodents and lizards.
06:01 Its stinger contains a toxic venom, but these toxins don't affect people other than those
06:05 with an allergy.
06:06 Thus, they make for common pets for collectors of creepy crawlers.
06:09 This has created a problem for the species, though, as the accumulation of individual
06:13 specimens spirals out of control.
06:15 While not necessarily endangered, the trends of Emperor Scorpion trading have worried some
06:19 organizations who suggest their trade be highly regulated to curb potential population issues.
06:25 And after being around for more than 400 million years, regulation is the least humans can
06:29 do to respect their elder.
06:31 Number 3.
06:32 Horseshoe Crab While it may be called the Horseshoe Crab,
06:35 this strangely scuttling carapace creature is actually much older than the crustaceans
06:39 of today.
06:40 This sharp-tailed coast crawler is still an anthropod, but it's really a bit closer related
06:44 to its arachnid cousins than it is to traditional shellfish.
06:47 These strange-looking animals make their homes in the soft sand and muddy waters of marine
06:52 and brackish coastlines and have done so for around 450 million years.
06:56 They can be found across the Earth's oceans, either on beaches, on the shore, or swimming
07:00 upside down nearby.
07:02 In modern times, though, the Horseshoe Crab is endangered for the first time in its existence
07:06 thanks to the destruction of its natural habitat along with human harvesting.
07:10 Used as fish bait, fertilizer, and as a source of some medicinal chemicals, and even as a
07:14 delicacy in certain regions, Horseshoe Crabs have seen their population diminish as demand
07:19 for the creature rises.
07:20 Number 2.
07:21 Velvet Worms Crawling in the dark corners of tropical regions
07:24 across the southern hemisphere is an awkward animal that resembles a caterpillar spliced
07:29 with a slug.
07:30 These velvet worms are their own unique type of many-legged anthropod.
07:34 Hundreds of different species of velvet worm exist in the wild, with many believed to still
07:38 be undiscovered.
07:39 While closely related to animals like insects, arachnids, crabs, and even water bears, these
07:43 slithering critters have certain traits that are distinctly their own.
07:47 Aside from existing for more than 500 million years, velvet worms are also recognized for
07:52 their eating and birthing behaviors.
07:54 These worms have the capability to spew a sticky slime that snares prey after stalking
07:58 it slowly and carefully to examine its nutritional value.
08:01 As far as birthing goes, the velvet worm actually varies from species to species, with some
08:06 laying eggs like their relatives while others actually engage in live birth.
08:10 Number 1.
08:12 Jellyfish One of the most enigmatic creatures of the
08:14 sea, the jellyfish has roamed the ocean for the past 6 to 700 million years.
08:18 Fossils of jellyfish and their relatives have been found proving such, but with no solid
08:22 body parts, fossil evidence of the animal is rare.
08:25 This animal could have been around for even longer, and with billions of individuals roaming
08:29 the ocean currently, it looks to be here for many years to come.