Darlene Peina, age 11, of Zuni, N.M., for her question:

WHAT ANIMAL LIVES THE LONGEST?

Winning all the honors as the vertebrate animal who outlives all others is the turtle. One on record is known to have lived at least 152 years while the common box turtle, found in the Eastern part of the United States, sometimes lives a century.

Turtles come from a large family. They range in size from a few inches long, weighing only a few ounces, to marine trunk turtles that measure eight feet long and weigh more than 1,200 pounds.

You'll find turtles in nearly every type of environment, ranging all the way from the hot, dry desert to fresh waters and the seas. Some species like the land while others can only survive in waterways.