10 of the Amazing Animals with Shortest Life Span

I thought writing about animals with the longest life span is depressing when I tried to compare it to human’s current mortality rate. I felt that with our mortality rate that low, there’ so little time to enjoy life. But that thinking was changed when I was writing this featured article about animals with the shortest life span.

Some live for several years that when you compare it to our age, it will not even reach the human’s adolescence period. Some lived for several months and the unfortunate ones only lived for a few days, few hours… and even few minutes. Be thankful that we do not have the same life span with these animals Enjoy life, enjoy it to the fullest!

10 – Hamster

This small mammal’s name was derived from the Old High German word “hamustro’. By the way, if you are thinking of having hamsters as pets, I seriously do not recommend especially if you really are a pet lover who becomes easily attached with pets. As I evaluate the lifespan of most hamster types, these mammals have an average life span of two (2) to four (4) years and they reach maturity in such an early age. Although they have a short life expectancy, the hamster can give multiple births a year and they can bear multiple baby hamsters each time. Some hamsters reach their maturity age and can begin reproducing after 4 to 5 weeks only. The female’s ability to reproduce is shorter than the male, it lasts for 18 months only.

9 – Rabbit

Rabbits live in groups and most of them lived in underground burrows which are commonly known as rabbit holes. These long-eared mammals even though they are cute and fluffy have a very short life span. But even if they have that not-so-long life to live, these animals are excellent breeders. If you think your kids will love this pet (I bet they surely do) but prepare yourself to explain to them if their pets died after nine (9) to twelve (12) years. The oldest rabbit that ever lived was 18 years old.

8 – Mouse

These pointed snout rodent has a life expectancy of three (3) years. Although some people made some species of mice as pets there are some species such as the house mice which was exterminated by humans. Are these animals capable of reproducing so much? Actually, yes, a female mouse has a great breeding capability, as a matter of fact they can breed once or twice a month. They can have four (4) to ten (10) offspring when giving birth. But these females won’t have estrus when living together with the other females, but when they are with a male, most of the female mice will go estrus in just 72 hours.

7 – Mosquito Fish

Also known as Gambusia or gambezi, this fish can be found in the Gulf of Mexico. How does it obtain that name? It is from its diet, the mosquito fish eats large amounts of mosquito larvae. Although unlucky to be short-lived, mosquito fish has unique capabilities, one is the ability to survive in very saline waters and live for short periods of time in water with a temperature of forty-two (42) degree Celsius. Female mosquito fish can grow up to seven (7) centimeters while the male ones are smaller, growing up to four (4) centimeters only. The mosquito fish can breed four times in a season and each breed can have 50 to 100 of its kind.

6 – Chameleon

Who would have thought that this color-changing type of animal has a short life span similar to some insects and smaller animals? Although not all chameleons have a short life expectancy, the Labord’s chameleon (Furcifer labordi) which can be found in Madagascar has the same life span with brines and shrimps. This type of chameleon hatch in November each year but because of the rapid life cycle, these mature ones will be dead in January of February of the following year. It lives only for only four (4) to five (5) months, and considered as the shortest living four-legged vertebrate.

5 – Dragonfly

Beautiful and looks like a miniature helicopter, dragonflies really add beauty in nature. Their beauty became an inspiration in art and even in tattoo designs. But sadly, these insects which hover over ponds have a life expectancy of four (4) months. But they can stay on their larval stage up to five (years) waiting to become a full grown dragonfly. They remain a pupa as long as the conditions were satisfied before they break free. After they broke free, they only have an approximate of four months (but the larger species can live as long as five to six months) to enjoy the outside world, including the task to breed.

4 – Bees

I do not know if the saying “live life to the fullest” is suitable for these insects that lived a very busy life. With a life expectancy of just four (4) weeks, aside from being hardworking, these bees are very good defenders, when encountered danger, they sting their attackers but that will just shorten their lifespan, or even make them dead instantly.

3 – Drone Ants

Male drone ants have a luxurious life. From the moment they were hatched, all they do is eat and breed together with the females. During the mating season, male and female drone ants take flight out of their colony just to mate in flight. After mating, the female will look for a place to establish a colony while the male just wait for its life to end. Drone ants lived approximately in just three (3) weeks.

2 – Gastrotrichs

Gastrotrichs are water microorganisms with a life expectancy averaging three (3) days. This creature is abundant in marine and fresh water environments and has lots of species but all of them have short lives. Its body is transparent and flat but it was bilaterally symmetric. They are hermaphrodites, meaning they obtain both female and male sex organs. When gastrotrichs reproduce, they produce eggs and these eggs will hatch after four days and after being hatched it will reach sexual maturity in just 3 days.

1 – Mayflies

Mayflies are also known as shadflies and with over 2,500 species known worldwide. These mayflies are the unfortunate insects that ever lived. Depending on the species, some mayflies lived for only several minutes and some may live for just a few days. These aquatic insects’ sole purpose in life is to reproduce because their survival depends on their quantity. They lay eggs on the surface of water and sink to the bottom and these eggs will hatch after a day or two. In some languages the mayfly is called ‘one-day’ or one-day fly’ because of its short lifespan.