Life expectancy is defined as the entire life of an animal, from birth to death. There are animals that can live for many decades and also others that live only days and have a short life expectancy.
Life seems long but it is short for all the creatures on the planet, especially for a group of animals that go through their life cycle with great intensity, passing in a very short time through all the processes that involves being born, reproducing and dying. They are specialists in synthesizing their moment on earth. Do you want to meet these species that live less time? The animal world surprises us every day, and below we share the ranking of the 10 animals that live the least Continue reading this article on our site and get to know them.
1. Gastrotric
The record for one of the shortest lifespans belongs to a group of microscopicworm-like animals called gastrotrichs. It's amazing! The entire life cycle of these aquatic microorganisms lasts between three and four days, being one of the least living animals.
Although there are many varieties, none surpass this goal, even in the most ideal circumstances. They spend their short lives floating, eating and reproducing (for some of them it means an exchange of genes with another individual). However, many species reproduce by parthenogenesis, in which the offspring is a genetic copy of the adult animal. You die and it's like you have a clone child.
two. Mayflies
An excellent name has been given to these mayflies of the insect order Pterygota. Better to leave them as ephemeral, right? More precise impossible. This animal is listed as the animal that lives the least.
The interesting thing about this animal is that when it is young and remains in its cocoon it can live up to a year, however, when it reaches adulthood it dies within a day or less.
3. Flies
The life of flies is really fleeting compared to hundreds of other creatures in the animal kingdom. In a house they have a better chance of feeding, therefore of surviving. If these animals are found in your home, you may be interested in discovering the following article: "How to drive away flies?"
The specimens found in nature are not so lucky and have an earlier expiration date. In general, their range of expectation is between 15 and 30 days We have these friends practically everywhere in the world, it is the most popular species on Planet Earth and one of those who live less also.
4. Worker bees
The bees, little hardworking soldiers, live short but very intense lives that last approximately a month They come to fulfill their mission and go. What is really interesting is that these bees are all female and have a short and exhausting life, while the queen bee is dedicated to ordering, laying eggs and living up to four years
Bees go through four stages of development: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. The life expectancy of a whole community or hive of bees depends on the survival of a good number of individuals in it. It does not work that only the queen lives since she cannot produce honey or pollinate the flowers and she needs her workers for the subsistence of the hive.
5. Artemia
Brine shrimp are one of the 10 shortest living animals and are known as "Sea Monkeys" because they have a funny and hyperactive tail. These small aquatic creatures can live up to two years and reach about two centimeters in length.
Many people raise them at home in s alt water and feed them yeast and green algae. When they are born, brine shrimp are of a minimal size, almost microscopic, so when they are born they are even difficult to see and you have to wait about 24 hours to see them swim.
6. Monarch Butterflies
These beautiful creatures do not decorate nature for long, since they only accompany us from 1 to 6 weeks, depending on many factors such as: the species, the size, the climate, the diet and the conditions of its habitat.
Although most of them die very "young", their role in nature is of vital importance: they are a fundamental part of the pollination processof flowers and they are also the favorite food of other animal species.
Due precisely to its short life, many people wonder if the monarch butterfly is in danger of extinction, a question to which we answer in this other article.
7. Possums
Possums that are not in captivity and live in the wild have a short life expectancy of one and a half years already that, in the wild, are not protected from any type of danger such as predators, as well as radical change and loss of their habitat.
These marsupial mammals originating from the American continent are very intelligent and creative when it comes to survival. To deter and defend against mortal enemies, they often pretend to be already dead.
8. Ants
And we return with the insects in this list of the 10 animals that live the least. While queens can live more than 30 years, the working class is usually the one that says goodbye to the planet as soon as possible.
These humble and self-sacrificing workers live a little over a month, and that's without thinking about the life expectancy they have when the human being is present. Ants are very sociable and collaborative They are also very strong, they can lift up to 50 times their own weight.
9. Labor Chameleon
One year Lives this curious reptile that can only be found on the island of Madagascar. Its life cycle is quite curious. The species is born every November and the young sexually mature between the months of January or February, when the mating stage begins. Before the next generation is ready to hatch (open or break an egg at birth) the following November, the entire adult population dies.
10. Dragonflies
And how we like dragonflies! As an inspiration for tattoos and jewelry among many other representations, however, in reality it is one of the animals that lives the least.
Many people think that our favorite insects only live for one day but this is a myth. Adult dragonflies are very delicate and can live up to 6 months Fortunately, today, there are still more than 5,000 species of dragonflies on Planet Earth, spreading their great wings in the air.
Now that you know the animals that live the shortest, what is the animal that lives the longest? This video shows the 5 longest living animals:
