When I was a kid I bought an eel from the local Chinese grocery store. We went away one weekend and came back to it dried up and covered in hair on the floor. I thought it was dead because it was so dried out but the thing was still kicking when I went to bag it.
Damn, that's a tough bastard! Says online in "cool damp wet" conditions, they can live for days outside of water. It might have been cool, but I doubt it was that damp!