{"id":2191050,"date":"2026-05-15T06:00:42","date_gmt":"2026-05-15T05:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/focusingonwildlife.com\/news\/?p=2191050"},"modified":"2026-05-09T11:52:55","modified_gmt":"2026-05-09T10:52:55","slug":"it-can-live-for-30-years-without-food-survive-temperatures-from-zero-to-boiling-point-8-indestructible-animals-that-are-the-ultimate-survivors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/focusingonwildlife.com\/news\/it-can-live-for-30-years-without-food-survive-temperatures-from-zero-to-boiling-point-8-indestructible-animals-that-are-the-ultimate-survivors\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8220;It can live for 30 years without food &#038; survive temperatures from zero to boiling point.&#8221; 8 indestructible animals that are the ultimate survivors"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>In certain situations, there are animals that seem almost immortal as they not only survive but thrive in extreme circumstances, says\u00a0Sheena Harvey.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The world&#8217;s most indestructible animals on Earth<\/h2>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The animal that can survive fire<\/h3>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-video\"><video src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2025\/06\/echidna.mp4\" poster=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2025\/06\/Screenshot-2025-06-26-at-14.22.44.png\" preload=\"none\" controls=\"controls\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/video><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The\u00a0trick\u00a0the\u00a0echidna, an Australian egg-laying mammal,\u00a0employs\u00a0to stay alive despite\u00a0all around them being destroyed by a wildfire\u00a0was only discovered in 2013. After a catastrophic\u00a0blaze\u00a0in\u00a0Warrumbungle\u00a0National Park in eastern Australia, it was noticed that the population of echidnas was unchanged from\u00a0the numbers\u00a0before the fire.<\/p>\n<p>This prompted researchers to set a controlled burn of a small area where there was a known population of echidnas\u00a0to\u00a0watch what they did. Far from running from the flames, the animals found a safe haven \u2013 a hollow tree stump or an underground burrow \u2013 and went to sleep.\u00a0Their body temperature\u00a0droppedand they entered a state of\u00a0hibernation\u00a0called\u00a0torpor.<\/p>\n<p>Their low temperature made them slightly fire-retardant and the shelter kept them safe until the fire passed over. That wasn\u2019t the end of the story, though. Rather than risk starvation, the clever echidnas stayed in their Sleeping Beauty state until the burnt vegetation regenerated and provided food again.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The animal that can not only survive a bite from one of the world&#8217;s most toxic\u00a0snakes &#8211; but also eat it for dinner<\/h3>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\n<p><figure id=\"attachment_133769\" class=\"thumbnail wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"width: 2570px\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==\" fifu-lazy=\"1\" fifu-data-sizes=\"auto\" fifu-data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2025\/06\/mongoose-and-snake-scaled.jpg?webp=1&amp;w=1200&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=75&amp;resize=75&amp;ssl=1 75w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2025\/06\/mongoose-and-snake-scaled.jpg?webp=1&amp;w=1200&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=100&amp;resize=100&amp;ssl=1 100w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2025\/06\/mongoose-and-snake-scaled.jpg?webp=1&amp;w=1200&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=150&amp;resize=150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2025\/06\/mongoose-and-snake-scaled.jpg?webp=1&amp;w=1200&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=240&amp;resize=240&amp;ssl=1 240w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2025\/06\/mongoose-and-snake-scaled.jpg?webp=1&amp;w=1200&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=320&amp;resize=320&amp;ssl=1 320w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2025\/06\/mongoose-and-snake-scaled.jpg?webp=1&amp;w=1200&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=500&amp;resize=500&amp;ssl=1 500w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2025\/06\/mongoose-and-snake-scaled.jpg?webp=1&amp;w=1200&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=640&amp;resize=640&amp;ssl=1 640w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2025\/06\/mongoose-and-snake-scaled.jpg?webp=1&amp;w=1200&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=800&amp;resize=800&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2025\/06\/mongoose-and-snake-scaled.jpg?webp=1&amp;w=1200&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=1024&amp;resize=1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2025\/06\/mongoose-and-snake-scaled.jpg?webp=1&amp;w=1200&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=1280&amp;resize=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2025\/06\/mongoose-and-snake-scaled.jpg?webp=1&amp;w=1200&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=1600&amp;resize=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w\" class=\"wp-image-133769\" fifu-data-src=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2025\/06\/mongoose-and-snake-scaled.jpg?webp=1&amp;w=1200&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"Getty\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1736\" title=\"\"><figcaption class=\"caption wp-caption-text\">Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The\u00a0king cobra\u00a0is one of the most feared snakes in India because of its venom, which is powerful enough to kill an elephant.\u00a0But the reptile is also a favourite food for a mongoose. How can an animal many, many times smaller than an\u00a0elephant\u00a0be indestructible when bitten by a cobra?<\/p>\n<p>In the first place, mongooses\u00a0try their best to\u00a0avoid being bitten by being speedy and agile. They dance around their snake prey, looking for an opening to pounce on its head and end the confrontation.\u00a0They also have a thick coat so it\u2019s hard for teeth to penetrate through to the skin.<\/p>\n<p>But, if the worst occurs, assuming it doesn\u2019t happen multiple times, mongooses have a defence mechanism against a fatal bite. Cobra venom disrupts nerve impulses by affecting a neurotransmitter in the body called acetylcholine and this disrupts the victim\u2019s heart and breathing muscles.<\/p>\n<p>Mongooses\u00a0have a mutation of the\u00a0acetylcholinereceptors in the membranes of vital organs that stops the venom from penetrating. So long as there isn\u2019t an overwhelming amount of toxin\u00a0delivered,\u00a0the animal lives to hunt another day.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The animal that can live without\u00a0water for long periods<\/h3>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\n<p><figure id=\"attachment_3549\" class=\"thumbnail wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"width: 633px\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==\" fifu-lazy=\"1\" fifu-data-sizes=\"auto\" fifu-data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2018\/09\/iStock_000016101404_Medium_623_PatrickPoendl-43a5d3a.jpg?webp=1&amp;w=1200&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=75&amp;resize=75&amp;ssl=1 75w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2018\/09\/iStock_000016101404_Medium_623_PatrickPoendl-43a5d3a.jpg?webp=1&amp;w=1200&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=100&amp;resize=100&amp;ssl=1 100w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2018\/09\/iStock_000016101404_Medium_623_PatrickPoendl-43a5d3a.jpg?webp=1&amp;w=1200&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=150&amp;resize=150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2018\/09\/iStock_000016101404_Medium_623_PatrickPoendl-43a5d3a.jpg?webp=1&amp;w=1200&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=240&amp;resize=240&amp;ssl=1 240w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2018\/09\/iStock_000016101404_Medium_623_PatrickPoendl-43a5d3a.jpg?webp=1&amp;w=1200&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=320&amp;resize=320&amp;ssl=1 320w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2018\/09\/iStock_000016101404_Medium_623_PatrickPoendl-43a5d3a.jpg?webp=1&amp;w=1200&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=500&amp;resize=500&amp;ssl=1 500w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2018\/09\/iStock_000016101404_Medium_623_PatrickPoendl-43a5d3a.jpg?webp=1&amp;w=1200&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=640&amp;resize=640&amp;ssl=1 640w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2018\/09\/iStock_000016101404_Medium_623_PatrickPoendl-43a5d3a.jpg?webp=1&amp;w=1200&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=800&amp;resize=800&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2018\/09\/iStock_000016101404_Medium_623_PatrickPoendl-43a5d3a.jpg?webp=1&amp;w=1200&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=1024&amp;resize=1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2018\/09\/iStock_000016101404_Medium_623_PatrickPoendl-43a5d3a.jpg?webp=1&amp;w=1200&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=1280&amp;resize=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2018\/09\/iStock_000016101404_Medium_623_PatrickPoendl-43a5d3a.jpg?webp=1&amp;w=1200&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=1600&amp;resize=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w\" class=\"wp-image-3549\" fifu-data-src=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2018\/09\/iStock_000016101404_Medium_623_PatrickPoendl-43a5d3a.jpg?webp=1&amp;w=1200&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"A camel in the desert\" width=\"623\" height=\"624\" title=\"\"><figcaption class=\"caption wp-caption-text\">Dromedary camels in the African and Middle Eastern deserts can live for around two weekswithout drinking water. When they do drink they can absorb the liquid at an incredible rate.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>It takes a thirsty camel only 13 minutes to\u00a0suck up\u00a030 gallons of water. This is\u00a0rapidly absorbedit into\u00a0its\u00a0bloodstream and\u00a0distributed\u00a0through\u00a0its\u00a0tissues to rehydrate\u00a0its\u00a0whole body.\u00a0A camel is also designed to lose as little\u00a0fluid as possible in normal bodily functions. It doesn\u2019t sweat very much\u00a0\u2013 it\u00a0uses\u00a0its thick coat as an\u00a0insulator\u00a0so it doesn\u2019t need moisture evaporation to keep cool.<\/p>\n<p>Its\u00a0urine is thick and its faeces very dry. Even the\u00a0expulsion\u00a0of\u00a0water vapour when\u00a0it\u00a0breathes\u00a0is minimised by the mucus membranes in the camel\u2019s nose. These\u00a0cool the exhaled\u00a0breath\u00a0so\u00a0its\u00a0water\u00a0content\u00a0condenses inside the nose and is reabsorbed, rather than being lost to the desert air.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The animal that can emerge unharmed\u00a0from a nuclear blast<\/h3>\n<p>It has long been said that cockroaches would be the only living things\u00a0to survive a nuclear war, because they were found by scientists at the site of the\u00a0Hiroshima\u00a0atom bomb\u00a0blast in Japan\u00a0in 1945. However, the minute\u00a0habrobracon\u00a0wasp would beat the roach hands down in an extreme radiation event.<\/p>\n<p>A lethal dose of radiation for humans is 1,000 rads (the measure of absorbed radiation), for a cockroach\u00a0it is\u00a0over 10,000 rads.\u00a0Mind\u00a0blowingly, this\u00a0little\u00a0wasphas been observed to survive X-rays\u00a0of\u00a0158,080 rads.<\/p>\n<p>So habrobracon hebetors are the real candidates for who could rule the Earth after nuclear war\u2026 but that would be for only for a limited time. Just over 4,000 rads makes the females sterile, and their lifespan is less than a month in any case, so their reign would be rather short.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The animal that can repel \u00a0\u2013 most &#8211; attacks<\/h3>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\n<p><figure id=\"attachment_16719\" class=\"thumbnail wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"width: 3267px\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==\" fifu-lazy=\"1\" fifu-data-sizes=\"auto\" fifu-data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2014\/11\/GettyImages-461166423-241d5c3.jpg?webp=1&amp;w=1200&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=75&amp;resize=75&amp;ssl=1 75w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2014\/11\/GettyImages-461166423-241d5c3.jpg?webp=1&amp;w=1200&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=100&amp;resize=100&amp;ssl=1 100w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2014\/11\/GettyImages-461166423-241d5c3.jpg?webp=1&amp;w=1200&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=150&amp;resize=150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2014\/11\/GettyImages-461166423-241d5c3.jpg?webp=1&amp;w=1200&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=240&amp;resize=240&amp;ssl=1 240w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2014\/11\/GettyImages-461166423-241d5c3.jpg?webp=1&amp;w=1200&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=320&amp;resize=320&amp;ssl=1 320w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2014\/11\/GettyImages-461166423-241d5c3.jpg?webp=1&amp;w=1200&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=500&amp;resize=500&amp;ssl=1 500w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2014\/11\/GettyImages-461166423-241d5c3.jpg?webp=1&amp;w=1200&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=640&amp;resize=640&amp;ssl=1 640w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2014\/11\/GettyImages-461166423-241d5c3.jpg?webp=1&amp;w=1200&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=800&amp;resize=800&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2014\/11\/GettyImages-461166423-241d5c3.jpg?webp=1&amp;w=1200&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=1024&amp;resize=1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2014\/11\/GettyImages-461166423-241d5c3.jpg?webp=1&amp;w=1200&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=1280&amp;resize=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2014\/11\/GettyImages-461166423-241d5c3.jpg?webp=1&amp;w=1200&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=1600&amp;resize=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w\" class=\"wp-image-16719\" fifu-data-src=\"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2014\/11\/GettyImages-461166423-241d5c3.jpg?webp=1&amp;w=1200&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"Saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) underwater\" width=\"3257\" height=\"1918\" title=\"\"><figcaption class=\"caption wp-caption-text\">Bill Birtwhistle\/Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Nothing beats a crocodile, not even a bullet.\u00a0Their\u00a0skin\u00a0looks like medieval armour with interconnected\u00a0bony, keratin-covered\u00a0scales of various sizes, called\u00a0scutes,\u00a0and with\u00a0further\u00a0bony structures\u00a0called\u00a0osteoderms beneath\u00a0them. As the\u00a0saltwater crocodile\u00a0is an\u00a0apex predator, you\u2019d be forgiven for wondering why it needs such tough skin.<\/p>\n<p>Mostly, it\u2019s as protection in fights with other crocodiles. It\u2019s not unusual to see a croc with bite marks on its back, as their teeth are super sharp. Their jaws are also very powerful, generating enough force to crush a turtle shell, so having that flexible toughness is a good defence against neighbourly disputes.<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, the attractive patterning of the square, flat scales of the crocodile\u2019s belly makes this a desirable material for luxury goods \u2013 bags, belts, shoes and upholstery. The Australian saltwater crocodile\u2019s skin is the most valued, costing around $10 Australian ($7 US\/\u00a35) per centimetre.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The animal that can survive living without\u00a0eating for up to 10 years<\/h3>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\n<p><figure id=\"attachment_95419\" class=\"thumbnail wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"width: 1585px\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==\" fifu-lazy=\"1\" fifu-data-sizes=\"auto\" fifu-data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2024\/02\/Olm.jpg?webp=1&amp;w=1200&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=75&amp;resize=75&amp;ssl=1 75w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2024\/02\/Olm.jpg?webp=1&amp;w=1200&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=100&amp;resize=100&amp;ssl=1 100w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2024\/02\/Olm.jpg?webp=1&amp;w=1200&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=150&amp;resize=150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2024\/02\/Olm.jpg?webp=1&amp;w=1200&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=240&amp;resize=240&amp;ssl=1 240w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2024\/02\/Olm.jpg?webp=1&amp;w=1200&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=320&amp;resize=320&amp;ssl=1 320w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2024\/02\/Olm.jpg?webp=1&amp;w=1200&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=500&amp;resize=500&amp;ssl=1 500w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2024\/02\/Olm.jpg?webp=1&amp;w=1200&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=640&amp;resize=640&amp;ssl=1 640w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2024\/02\/Olm.jpg?webp=1&amp;w=1200&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=800&amp;resize=800&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2024\/02\/Olm.jpg?webp=1&amp;w=1200&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=1024&amp;resize=1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2024\/02\/Olm.jpg?webp=1&amp;w=1200&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=1280&amp;resize=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2024\/02\/Olm.jpg?webp=1&amp;w=1200&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=1600&amp;resize=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w\" class=\"wp-image-95419\" fifu-data-src=\"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2024\/02\/Olm.jpg?webp=1&amp;w=1200&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"Olm in a cave\" width=\"1575\" height=\"1050\" title=\"\"><figcaption class=\"caption wp-caption-text\">Olm. Credit: Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The olm, a blind salamander, not only manage to live in complete darkness in caves in central and\u00a0southeastern\u00a0Europe, but they can do so without eating for up to 10 years. The way they cope with this extreme starvation is by consuming large quantities of small crustaceans, insect larvae and occasionally\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/insects-invertebrates\/facts-about-earthworms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow external noreferrer\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">earthworms<\/a> all in one go\u00a0and whole.<\/p>\n<p>The nutrients from this food are stored in their livers and released slowly as energy. If food is particularly scarce, the olm can slow down its metabolism and reduce its physical activity until it finds its next meal. In acute cases, it can reabsorb part of its own body tissue to keep itself going. Theoretically, as an\u00a0olmcan live into its 50s, it might only need to eat a dozen times in its life, but that would be extreme.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The animal that can survive a flood<\/h3>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-video\"><video src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2025\/06\/GettyImages-1B02573_0019.mp4\" preload=\"none\" controls=\"controls\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/video><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Raft of fire ants lands on shore of Amazon river. Getty<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>South American\u00a0fire ants\u00a0have\u00a0a clever\u00a0strategy for surviving a flood without losing any of the members of the colony to the rising waters. They clump together, tens of thousands strong, and flatten out into a living raft.<\/p>\n<p>The members of the raft constantly swap places to ensure no ant is underwater for too long. Because the weight of the group is distributed over an area, they don\u2019t sink, and they can float around in that way for weeks until the floodwaters have receded or they wash up on a suitable piece of dry land.<\/p>\n<p>They are so adept at dealing with watery hazards they have a different strategy for dealing with heavy rain. In that case they form themselves into a tall, pyramidal tower around a plant stem and\u00a0this allows\u00a0the water\u00a0to\u00a0pass over them\u00a0safely without carrying off any ants.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The animal that is the ultimate survivor<\/h3>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\n<p><figure id=\"attachment_27442\" class=\"thumbnail wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"width: 2810px\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==\" fifu-lazy=\"1\" fifu-data-sizes=\"auto\" fifu-data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2019\/11\/GettyImages-940425076_fruttipics-1f5b384.jpg?webp=1&amp;w=1200&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=75&amp;resize=75&amp;ssl=1 75w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2019\/11\/GettyImages-940425076_fruttipics-1f5b384.jpg?webp=1&amp;w=1200&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=100&amp;resize=100&amp;ssl=1 100w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2019\/11\/GettyImages-940425076_fruttipics-1f5b384.jpg?webp=1&amp;w=1200&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=150&amp;resize=150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2019\/11\/GettyImages-940425076_fruttipics-1f5b384.jpg?webp=1&amp;w=1200&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=240&amp;resize=240&amp;ssl=1 240w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2019\/11\/GettyImages-940425076_fruttipics-1f5b384.jpg?webp=1&amp;w=1200&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=320&amp;resize=320&amp;ssl=1 320w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2019\/11\/GettyImages-940425076_fruttipics-1f5b384.jpg?webp=1&amp;w=1200&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=500&amp;resize=500&amp;ssl=1 500w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2019\/11\/GettyImages-940425076_fruttipics-1f5b384.jpg?webp=1&amp;w=1200&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=640&amp;resize=640&amp;ssl=1 640w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2019\/11\/GettyImages-940425076_fruttipics-1f5b384.jpg?webp=1&amp;w=1200&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=800&amp;resize=800&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2019\/11\/GettyImages-940425076_fruttipics-1f5b384.jpg?webp=1&amp;w=1200&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=1024&amp;resize=1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2019\/11\/GettyImages-940425076_fruttipics-1f5b384.jpg?webp=1&amp;w=1200&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=1280&amp;resize=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2019\/11\/GettyImages-940425076_fruttipics-1f5b384.jpg?webp=1&amp;w=1200&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=1600&amp;resize=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w\" class=\"wp-image-27442\" fifu-data-src=\"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2019\/11\/GettyImages-940425076_fruttipics-1f5b384.jpg?webp=1&amp;w=1200&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"Getty\" width=\"2800\" height=\"2240\" title=\"\"><figcaption class=\"caption wp-caption-text\">Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The closest lifeform to indestructability is the microscopic\u00a0tardigrade, found in freshwater mosses and lichens around the world. This little creature combines all the superpower capabilities of our other seven candidates. It has a cuticle skin that resembles the exoskeleton of an insect and covers it in a tough protective barrier against external pressures.<\/p>\n<p>It can live up to 30 years without food and can survive in temperatures from absolute zero to boiling point. It can withstand the pressures of the deepest ocean trench and the lack of atmosphere and radiation of outer space.<\/p>\n<p>Although\u00a0its\u00a0ideal habitat is moist, if\u00a0its\u00a0home dries up\u00a0it\u00a0can just wait out the drought. In order to do this\u00a0the tardigrade will\u00a0dehydrate\u00a0itself.\u00a0It\u00a0forces\u00a0all the water out of\u00a0its\u00a0body, curls\u00a0up\u00a0its\u00a0eight legs, rolls\u00a0into a ball and goes\u00a0into a deep sleep.\u00a0Most definitely a case of survival of the fittest!<\/p>\n<p><em>This <a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/indestructible-animals\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow external noreferrer\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">article<\/a> <\/em><em>by Sheena Harvey was first published by Discover Wildlife on 5 May 2026.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<h2>Help to protect wildlife<\/h2>\n<p><em>Protect wildlife by making a monthly donation as little as $5.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><script type=\"text\/javascript\" defer=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/donorbox.org\/install-popup-button.js\" id=\"donorbox-popup-button-installer\"> <\/script><a id=\"preview_inline_popup_button\" class=\"dbox-donation-button\" style=\"background: #0dc5dc; color: #ffffff; text-decoration: none; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; display: flex; gap: 8px; width: fit-content; font-size: 16px; border-radius: 5px; line-height: 24px; padding: 8px 24px;\" href=\"https:\/\/donorbox.org\/focusing-on-wildlife-needs-your-support?default_interval=m&amp;amount=25\" data-reminder-widget-enabled=\"true\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow external noreferrer\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">PROTECT WILDLIFE<\/a><script type=\"module\" src=\"https:\/\/donorbox.org\/widgets.js\" async><\/script><\/p>\n<p>It only takes a minute!<\/p>\n<hr style=\"border-top: 1px solid white;\" \/>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In certain situations, there are animals that seem almost immortal as they not only survive but thrive in extreme circumstances, says\u00a0Sheena Harvey. The world&#8217;s most indestructible animals on Earth The animal that can survive fire \ufeff &nbsp; The\u00a0trick\u00a0the\u00a0echidna, an Australian egg-laying mammal,\u00a0employs\u00a0to stay alive despite\u00a0all around them being destroyed by a wildfire\u00a0was only discovered in [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1178,"featured_media":2206104,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2025\/04\/Short-beaked-echidna.jpeg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6985,5],"tags":[12136,12146,313,11762,649,4066,2650,1994,5803,2786,4505],"class_list":["post-2191050","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-wildlife","tag-cockroaches","tag-crocodiles","tag-crocodylus-porosus","tag-echidnas","tag-insects","tag-invertebrates","tag-mongoose","tag-mongooses","tag-salamander","tag-saltwater-crocodile","tag-snakes"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/focusingonwildlife.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2191050","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/focusingonwildlife.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/focusingonwildlife.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/focusingonwildlife.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1178"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/focusingonwildlife.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2191050"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/focusingonwildlife.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2191050\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/focusingonwildlife.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2206104"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/focusingonwildlife.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2191050"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/focusingonwildlife.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2191050"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/focusingonwildlife.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2191050"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}