An eastern box turtle’s high rounded carapace and bright coloring make it one of the cutest turtles and, so, a popular pet. Native to states like Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas and Florida, and the official state reptile of both North Carolina and Tennessee, they can also be found in most eastern states and as far north as Maine. Its conservation status is “vulnerable.” Wild eastern box turtles are captured by the thousands for pet store sales in South Carolina, the last state where it’s still legal.
Caring for a box turtle requires continuous access to fresh water and foods such as worms, slugs, berries, flowers, mushrooms, and crickets. Captive eastern box turtles can die in three days without proper care. The eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina) has an incredible lifespan. This turtle can live over 100 years, and, in general, live beyond 50 years. As pets, there may need to be some arrangements made!
Atlantic Halibut
The Atlantic halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus) is a large fish that can live to be 50 to 90 years old. The typical lifespan of this halibut is 25 to 30 years. The Atlantic halibut is a flat fish, making it look like it swims sideways, but with both eyes on the top of its head. As the largest of all flatfish, the Atlantic halibut can grow to 7 feet and weigh up to 720 pounds!
Due to its exquisite cuisine qualities, the overfished Atlantic halibut has become scarce and the fishery has collapsed. Found on both sides of the North Atlantic Ocean and in parts of the Arctic Ocean, its numbers have become so low that in 1996 it was rated “endangered” and put on the Red List for protection.
Kakapo
The kakapo (Strigops habroptilus) is severely endangered. Formerly New Zealand’s third most common bird, today only 154 are known to exist. Because the kakapo is such a fascinating feathered creature, it is the focus of many intensive conservation efforts.
It’s a strange bird. It’s flightless. It’s a parrot. It’s an owl, well, it’s nocturnal. It’s also called an owl parrot. It lives on the ground and it’s the world’s only flightless parrot. It weighs 4 to 9 pounds, slightly more than the macaw. Surprisingly, it’s one of the world’s longest-living birds. The oldest kakapos live 120 years!
Humpback Whale
A humpback whale is the size of a school bus, but it’s a gentle giant feeding primarily on krill and other small fish it sucks in and traps in its baleen. It was hunted to the brink of extinction, down 90%, until the 1966 moratorium saved it. In 2008 its threat for extinction was lowered to “least concern.” Today, the greatest threat to humpback whales are collisions with large ships and becoming entangled in fishing equipment.
Humpbacks can live for a long time. On average, they live 80 to 90 years. They can be found throughout the world’s oceans. Amazingly, they migrate 5,000 miles per year to feed their young. They can be found from Alaska to Hawaii, and across the Atlantic Ocean from the Gulf of Maine to Norway. In California, whale watching is a popular activity, but the graceful beasts can also be viewed from the coast.
Blue and Yellow Macaw
This large South American bird is native to Central and South America. Its bold colors and loud vocalization skills define it. In the wild, macaws usually live 35 years. However, as a captive pet or in zoos they can live over 50 years. In 2011, a blue and yellow macaw was confirmed to be 112 years old! Since macaws are large parrots, you should be careful what you say around them.
Also, taking in a macaw as a pet is a long-term commitment. Expect to have it for up to 60 years. They are extremely loud and infamously messy. These creatures are playful and curious. They’re very social and intelligent and have large vocabularies. They like attention. Macaws thrive on a variety of fruits and nuts. As the largest parrot in the world, blue and yellow macaws grow almost three feet long. In the wild, they live in flocks and use their loud squawks to communicate. Macaws mate for life.