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Faizan
Humans carry their babies in their wombs for approximately nine months. But how long does the gestation period last in animals? This article gives you a list of the gestation period of various animals.
That's It???
Opossums have the shortest gestation periods of all mammals. Some opossum species are born in less than 10 days!
Gestation period is the time required for the fetus of a species to develop inside its mother and be ready to be born. Gestation is usually seen in mammals, although some non-mammalian species also display this method of reproduction. Non-mammalian species that display gestation carry around developed, rather than developing fetuses in their body.
Humans carry their fetuses for about 9 months. Most animals need less than that, but some far outstrip the human time-frame. As thumb rule, gestation periods depend on the animal's size, but this characterization is not always true. Blue whales, which are the largest animals in the history of the Earth, do not carry their young for the most amount of time; they are outstripped by relatively 'smaller' animals such as tapirs, camels, and elephants.
Here's a list of the gestation periods of various animals.
AnimalGestation Period in Days
African Elephant (Loxodonta africana)600-750
Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus)550-650
Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus)480-590
Orca (Orcinus orca)450-550
Walrus (Phoca rosmarus)450-500
Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis)420-450
Black Rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis)400-450
Brazilian Tapir (Tapirus terrestris)380-400
Dromedary Camel (Camelus dromedarius)360-420
Plains Zebra (Equus quagga)360-400
Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus)350-370
Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus)300-400
California Sea Lion (Zalophus californianus)350-375
Donkey (Equus africanus asinus)340-380
Horse (Equus ferus caballus)330-360
African Buffalo (Syncerus caffer)330-350
Harbour Porpoise (Phocoena phocoena)300-350
Long-tailed Weasel (Mustela frenata)280-310
Cow (Bos primigenius)280-290
Humans (Homo sapiens sapiens)260-290
Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla)250-260
Orangutan (Pongo borneo)245-275
Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus)240-250
Moose (Alces alces)240-250
Sambar Deer (Rusa unicolor)230-250
Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes)230-250
Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius)225-250
Black Bear (Ursus americanus)220-230
American Bison (Bison bison)215-220
Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus)210-250
Brown Bear (Ursus arctos)200-220
Sloth Bear (Melursus ursinus)200-220
Brown-throated Sloth (Bradypus variegatus)200-220
Gray Langur (Simia entellus)180-200
Giant Anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla)180-200
White-handed Gibbon (Hylobates lar)175-190
Lion-tailed Macaque (Macaca silenus)170-190
Baboon (Papio hamadryas)170-190
Mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx)165-180
Proboscis Monkey (Nasalis larvatus)160-205
Rhesus Macaque (Macaca mulatta)150-175
Domestic Goat (Capra aegagrus hircus)145-155
Sheep (Ovis aries)145-155
Tree Pangolin (Manis tricuspis)145-150
Yellow Mongoose (Cynictis penicillata)120-130
Beaver (Castor canadensis)115-130
Domestic Pig (Sus domesticus)110-115
Chinchilla (Chinchilla chinchilla)105-115
Porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum)100-120
Lion (Panthera leo)100-115
Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris)100-110
Giant Panda (Ailuropoda Melanoleuca)95-160
Striped Hyena (Hyaena hyaena)90-110
Siberian Tiger (Panthera tigris altaica)90-100
Leopard (Panthera pardus)90-100
Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)90-100
Meerkat (Suricata suricatta)75-80
Egyptian Mongoose (Herpestes ichneumon)75-80
African Wild Dog (Lycaon pictus)65-75
Eurasian Otter (Lutra lutra)60-80
Raccoon (Procyon lotor)60-70
North American River Otter (Lontra canadensis)60-80
Gray Wolf (Canis lupus lupus)60-70
Skunk (Mephitis mephitis)60-65
Cat (Felis catus)55-65
Dog (Canis lupus familiaris)55-65
Guinea Pig (Cavia porcellus)55-75
Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes)50-60
Kangaroo (Macropus rufus)30-40
Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis)30-40
Prairie Dog (Cynomys genus)30-40
Chipmunk (Tamias genus)30-35
Domestic Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus)25-35
Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus)25-30
Wombat (Vombatus ursinus)25-30
Domesticated / Mongolian Gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus)20-25
Black Rat (Rattus rattus)20-23
Mouse (Mus musculus)20-22
Golden Hamster (Mesocricetus auratus)15-20
Animals related to each other usually have similar gestation periods. As can be seen in the chart, apes (including humans), monkeys, big cats, and rodents can be clearly grouped according to their gestation period.
The platypus and 4 species of echidnas do not give birth to live young, despite being a mammal. They are the only mammals who lay eggs.
That's It???
Opossums have the shortest gestation periods of all mammals. Some opossum species are born in less than 10 days!
Gestation period is the time required for the fetus of a species to develop inside its mother and be ready to be born. Gestation is usually seen in mammals, although some non-mammalian species also display this method of reproduction. Non-mammalian species that display gestation carry around developed, rather than developing fetuses in their body.
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| Animal Gestation Period Charts |
Here's a list of the gestation periods of various animals.
AnimalGestation Period in Days
African Elephant (Loxodonta africana)600-750
Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus)550-650
Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus)480-590
Orca (Orcinus orca)450-550
Walrus (Phoca rosmarus)450-500
Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis)420-450
Black Rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis)400-450
Brazilian Tapir (Tapirus terrestris)380-400
Dromedary Camel (Camelus dromedarius)360-420
Plains Zebra (Equus quagga)360-400
Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus)350-370
Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus)300-400
California Sea Lion (Zalophus californianus)350-375
Donkey (Equus africanus asinus)340-380
Horse (Equus ferus caballus)330-360
African Buffalo (Syncerus caffer)330-350
Harbour Porpoise (Phocoena phocoena)300-350
Long-tailed Weasel (Mustela frenata)280-310
Cow (Bos primigenius)280-290
Humans (Homo sapiens sapiens)260-290
Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla)250-260
Orangutan (Pongo borneo)245-275
Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus)240-250
Moose (Alces alces)240-250
Sambar Deer (Rusa unicolor)230-250
Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes)230-250
Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius)225-250
Black Bear (Ursus americanus)220-230
American Bison (Bison bison)215-220
Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus)210-250
Brown Bear (Ursus arctos)200-220
Sloth Bear (Melursus ursinus)200-220
Brown-throated Sloth (Bradypus variegatus)200-220
Gray Langur (Simia entellus)180-200
Giant Anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla)180-200
White-handed Gibbon (Hylobates lar)175-190
Lion-tailed Macaque (Macaca silenus)170-190
Baboon (Papio hamadryas)170-190
Mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx)165-180
Proboscis Monkey (Nasalis larvatus)160-205
Rhesus Macaque (Macaca mulatta)150-175
Domestic Goat (Capra aegagrus hircus)145-155
Sheep (Ovis aries)145-155
Tree Pangolin (Manis tricuspis)145-150
Yellow Mongoose (Cynictis penicillata)120-130
Beaver (Castor canadensis)115-130
Domestic Pig (Sus domesticus)110-115
Chinchilla (Chinchilla chinchilla)105-115
Porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum)100-120
Lion (Panthera leo)100-115
Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris)100-110
Giant Panda (Ailuropoda Melanoleuca)95-160
Striped Hyena (Hyaena hyaena)90-110
Siberian Tiger (Panthera tigris altaica)90-100
Leopard (Panthera pardus)90-100
Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)90-100
Meerkat (Suricata suricatta)75-80
Egyptian Mongoose (Herpestes ichneumon)75-80
African Wild Dog (Lycaon pictus)65-75
Eurasian Otter (Lutra lutra)60-80
Raccoon (Procyon lotor)60-70
North American River Otter (Lontra canadensis)60-80
Gray Wolf (Canis lupus lupus)60-70
Skunk (Mephitis mephitis)60-65
Cat (Felis catus)55-65
Dog (Canis lupus familiaris)55-65
Guinea Pig (Cavia porcellus)55-75
Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes)50-60
Kangaroo (Macropus rufus)30-40
Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis)30-40
Prairie Dog (Cynomys genus)30-40
Chipmunk (Tamias genus)30-35
Domestic Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus)25-35
Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus)25-30
Wombat (Vombatus ursinus)25-30
Domesticated / Mongolian Gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus)20-25
Black Rat (Rattus rattus)20-23
Mouse (Mus musculus)20-22
Golden Hamster (Mesocricetus auratus)15-20
Animals related to each other usually have similar gestation periods. As can be seen in the chart, apes (including humans), monkeys, big cats, and rodents can be clearly grouped according to their gestation period.
The platypus and 4 species of echidnas do not give birth to live young, despite being a mammal. They are the only mammals who lay eggs.
Posted in: animals
