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which mammal has the longest gestation period

by Anita Zboncak Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago
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Elephants have the longest pregnancy period of any living mammal. If you – or someone you know – has experienced a pregnancy that seemed to go on forever, spare a thought for the elephant. It's the animal with one of the longest gestation periods of all living mammals: nearly two years.

Which animal has shortest life period?

The shortest living animal on Earth has a lifespan of only 24 hours and completes its life cycle within one day of its birth. This is the Mayfly. Within this short time, it only reproduces and dies soon after.

What mammal does not have a gestation period?

Of all the mammals, Virginia opossum or North American opossum, a marsupial, has the shortest gestation period. It carries her pregnancy for approximately 12 days after mating and gives birth to 16-20 babies. Dogs are such complex mammals. Why is their gestation period so short compared to humans'?

Which marine mammal has the longest life span?

Whales are the largest animals on Earth and live longer than all other mammals in the contemporary animal kingdom. While many ocean lovers can easily identify the iconic sperm whale, the charismatic humpback and the wily orca, not all are familiar with the bowhead.

What animal is pregnant for the shortest time?

The stripe-faced dunnart, a tiny carnivorous marsupial found in Australia, has the shortest gestation period of any mammal of just 11 days. Females and males mature at 4 and 9 months of age respectively. They breed from July through February. A maximum of 8 joeys are born per litter as that is the number of teats present in the female.

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Which animal has the longest gestation period?

john michael evan potter / Shutterstock. Elephants have the longest gestation period of all mammals, carrying their young for 18 to 22 months before giving birth. Long developmental periods are common among highly intelligent animals. Since elephants are the largest living and biggest-brained land animal in the world, ...

How long do camels gestate?

Camels. irabel8 / Shutterstock. Camels are known for their stubborn and crabbish personalities, but consider this: camels have a gestation period of 13 to 15 months. The month in which conception occurred can shift the birthdate, with November conceptions pushing the birth 18 days longer than a May conception.

How long do walruses carry their young?

Walruses have the longest gestation period of all pinnipeds (a group of mammals that includes seals and sea lions), carrying their young for as long as 15 to 16 months. Seal and sea lion mothers don't get off easy and carry their offspring for about 330 and 350 days, respectively. Walruses also have the lowest reproductive rate of any pinniped.

How long does it take for a tapir to be born?

A tapir calf is born after 13 months in the womb.

How long do black salamanders live?

They typically bear two fully developed young. This salamander's life expectancy has been estimated to last from 10 to even 20 years.

How long does it take for a giraffe to give birth?

Giraffes. Giraffes have gestation periods anywhere from 400 to 460 days. Despite being the tallest land animal in the world, the mother gives birth standing up — so the baby needs to be big enough to brace for a long fall. (Interestingly, the fall is typically what bursts the embryonic sac.)

How long do portly manatees carry their babies?

You might not know if a portly manatee is pregnant simply by looking at the animal, but this gentle giant carries its young for nearly 13 months. Lounging around in the water all day helps to relieve some of the extra weight, but a manatee mother is still owed plenty of respect for her patience.

Which animal has the longest gestation period?

Elephants, mamma ls with the longest gestation period of all terrestrial mammals, share a close bond with their offsprings. Reproduction occurs in different ways in the animal kingdom which range from egg hatching to cell division.

What is the largest animal in the world?

The African Elephant (Loxidanta) is the genus given to the two species of elephants that inhabit Africa which is the larger African Bush Elephant and the relatively smaller African Forest Elephant. The African elephant is known to be the largest living terrestrial animal on earth with weights exceeding 10,000 pounds.

What is the largest toothed predator on earth?

With sizes exceeding 60 feet in length and an average weight of 63 tons, the sperm whale is the largest of all toothed whales. The sperm whale also has the longest gestation period of all marine mammals amounting to 525 days after which the female gives birth to a 13-foot newborn calf.

How long does it take for a walrus to mature?

The female walrus becomes sexually mature at the age of four and mates with the dominant males. The gestation period of these mammals lasts about 15 months after which a 100-pound calf is born.

What is the period between fertilization and birth?

The period between fertilization and birth is known as the gestation period or pregnancy. The gestation period varies across the different mammalian species. In humans, the gestation period is normally ...

How long does it take for an elephant to mate?

The female elephants are usually in estrus (in heat) for about seven days where they attract males to mate and begin the 22-month period of gestation.

How long does it take for a black rhino to have a calf?

The black rhino has the second-longest gestation period of all African terrestrial mammals lasting 16 months after which a calf is born.

Is a marsupial a placental or a marsupial?

A marsupial has a short gestation period, typically shorter than placental. For more information on how these estimates were ascertained, see Wikipedia’s articles on gestational age. The gestation figures given here are shown in days. They represent average values and should only be considered as approximations.

Do eutherian mammals have longer gestation periods?

There is a positive relationship between mass at birth and length of gestation in eutherian mammals. Larger mammals are more likely to produce a well-developed neonate than small mammals. Large mammals develop at an absolute slower rate compared to small mammals. Thus, the large mammal tend have longer gestation periods than small mammal as they tend to produce larger neonate. Large mammals require a longer period of time to attain any proportion of adult mass compared to small mammals.

Which shark has the longest gestation period?

Source: wikimedia.org. The Frilled Shark has the longest known gestation period of any animal. It is unique among most sharks in that it feeds in very deep waters and serpentines while it moves, swimming in an eel-like manner.

How long do humans gestate?

February 2, 2020 by Nancy Levin. Humans gestate for around nine months on average, and that already seems like long enough! However, that’s actually on the shorter side when you consider the animal kingdom as a whole. Plenty of other creatures gestate their young for much longer, taking a surprisingly long time to develop.

How old are orcas when they have twins?

Only one pair of orca twins has ever been documented since these majestic creatures almost always produce single calves. Orcas reach sexual maturity at around 14 years of age, and the youngest known breeding orca was 11 years old. Female orcas tend to live to around 50 years in total, although some specimens have lived to be as old as 90!

How many pups does a spiny dogfish have?

These fascinating creatures also bear live young and, while they average at around 6 pups per litter, they can have anywhere from two to eleven pups per litter.

How fast can an elephant go?

Elephants are known as “gentle giants” with calm dispositions, although they can reach speeds of over 40 mph if needed without any difficulty! Elephants have the longest gestation periods of any mammal on land or in the oceans, and generally travel in groups of females and their young led by a matriarch.

What do sperm whales eat?

Source: wikimedia.org. Sperm whales are the largest toothed whales in the world, and they feed on a variety of squid, sharks, fish, and various cephalopods. Very little is known about the details of sperm whales’ mating habits, but we do know that each calf is generally born at around 13 feet in length!

Where do elephants live?

Habitat: Forests and Grasslands. Diet: Herbivorous. Number of Young Per Gestation: 1-2. Source: wikimedia.org. Elephants are highly intelligent and sociable creatures, and the Indian variety are located in India, Indonesia, Vietnam, and occasionally other nearby areas.

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