15 Prehistoric Creatures That Still Exist Today

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15 Prehistoric Creatures That Still Exist Today

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15 Prehistoric Creatures That Still Exist Today
You thought that all animals today are fairly modern? Oh how wrong you are. There are a lot of animal
species alive today that are practically ancient, unchanged despite surviving for millions of years. The
animal on number one could be the oldest of them all so make sure you stay tuned to find out what it is.
Here are 15 prehistoric creatures that still exist today.

The Gharial
All crocodiles, caimans and alligators are ancient species, and they look the part. But one species of
crocodilian — the gharial, sometimes called a gavial — beats them all in the prehistoric-looking beauty
contest. Gharials have long, narrow, sword-like mouths full of buzzy teeth. Males develop a huge
bulbous nose at the end of their snout, making them look rather comical.
Gharials in some form or another have been around for tens of millions of years, but the modern gharial
is the last remaining species of this lineage. Alas, it too is heading towards extinction, with fewer than
200 individual reproducing gharials left in the wilds of India, Bangladesh

The Komodo Dragon
You can find Komodo dragons in Indonesia today, but that might not be where these iconic lizards came
from originally. Scientists recently unearthed a series of Komodo dragon fossils in eastern Australia
dating back as far as four million years ago.
These gigantic lizards can weigh as much, sometimes even more, than a human — and, in fact, they have
been known to attack humans. Which is not ideal, since these giant reptiles are somewhat venomous.
However, if you’re still feeling brave, you can see Komodo dragons by booking with one of several
outfitters leading excursions to Komodo National Park. The small Indonesian islands that make up this
park are stunning, and offer many amenities for curious tourists.

The Bactrian Camel
You already know about the one-humped camels used as transport in the Middle East before
automobiles existed. But did you know that they evolved from the two-humped bactrian camel, which
still roams the wilds of the Gobi Desert in Mongolia?
Bactrian camels, which kind of look like a cross between Chewbacca and a llama, a Chewballama if you
will, evolved to withstand temperatures below 0°F and above 100°F some two million years ago. Its two
humps are used to store fat, much like its one-humped cousin, which the camel breaks down into
energy and water to sustain it during long, dry, food-free periods.

The Alligator Gar

The freshwater alligator gar is another fish that you definitely do not want to find yourself staring at
while swimming in the southern U.S. Even though they pose no threat to humans (so far…) these fish are
as formidable as their namesake, alligators, with flat snouts full of razor-sharp teeth and a body size that
can range up to 300 pounds.
This interesting animal also swam with the dinosaurs, and is believed to be 100 million years old. Today,
one of the best spots to see alligator gar, aside from serene southern waterways, is at the Tennessee
Aquarium.

The Echidna
Echidnas are amazing and bizarre creatures that look like a cross between a badger, a porcupine and an
anteater. They’re monotreme, a type of primitive mammal that lays eggs instead of giving birth to live
babies, just like their famous relative, the duck billed platypus.

These animals can also be hard to find in the wild, since they’re small, mostly nocturnal, and live a
spaced-out and solitary life, only getting together to mate. Several species of echidna are also highly
endangered — a sad fact, considering that these animals have been roaming the earth for an estimated
17 or so million years.
The Vicuña
Vicuñas are the prehistoric ancestors of the alpaca and, like its descendant, is very well known for their
fur. The two animals look very similar indeed, though vicuñas have a distinctive color pattern, with white
undersides and a brown saddle across most of their body.
Although vicuñas were treasured by the Incas and protected, they were nearly driven to extinction by
hunting after the Inca empire fell. Happily, thanks to the work of many dedicated conservationists, there
are hundreds of thousands of vicuñas in the wild today. You can see them throughout rural roads in
south-central Peru, but one of the best places is in Huascarán National Park, north of Lima.