Which animal has longest pregnancy?

Which animal has longest pregnancy?

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.

How long does it take for an African elephant to be born?

22 months
In her lifetime (elephants can live for up to 70 years in the wild!), a female elephant can give birth to as many as 12 calves. Not as many as babies you might think? Well that’s because the average gestation (pregnancy) period for a female elephant is a whopping 22 months. That’s a long time!

Why is an elephant pregnant for 2 years?

The mystery of the elephant’s long pregnancy has been unravelled by scientists. A quirk of biology allows the unborn calf to develop in the womb for almost two years, giving it the brain power it needs to survive from birth.

How long does it take for elephant to give birth?

Asian elephant: 18 – 22 months
African bush elephant: 22 months
Elephant/Gestation period

What animal is born pregnant?

Aphid. Aphids, tiny insects found the world over, are “essentially born pregnant,” says Ed Spevak, curator of invertebrates at the St. Louis Zoo.

How do elephants sleep?

Elephants can sleep both lying down and standing up. Experts say elephants in the wild more often sleep standing up because it’s easier to move. Another reason is that as elephants are heavy animals, lying down may hurt some of their organs.

How long is a rhino pregnant?

White rhinoceros: 16 – 18 months
Indian rhinoceros: 15 – 16 monthsBlack rhinoceros: 15 – 16 months
Rhinoceros/Gestation period

Do elephants have twins or triplets?

Unlike other animals, elephants usually only have one baby at a time. However, there are cases where elephants can have twins, but this only happens in one per cent of elephant births. This is only slightly smaller compared to humans, where 1.6 per cent of births are twins.

What animal is pregnant for 9?

Elephants have the longest gestation period of all mammals. These gentle giants’ pregnancies last for more than a year and a half.

What was the longest pregnancy?

1. The longest recorded pregnancy was 375 days. According to a 1945 entry in Time Magazine, a woman named Beulah Hunter gave birth in Los Angeles nearly 100 days after the average 280-day pregnancy.

Which animal is pregnant the shortest?

The shortest known gestation is that of the Virginian opossum, about 12 days, and the longest that of the Indian elephant, about 22 months. In the course of evolution the duration of gestation has become adapted to the needs of the species.

What animal has the most painful birth?

Perhaps the most horrifying birth is that of the spotted hyena. Females of this species give birth through a narrow, penis-like, enlarged clitoris. Their offspring emerge from this unusual birthing organ, almost indistinguishable from the male penis of the species, after 120 days of gestation.

How long does it take for an elephant to have a baby?

Elephant Breeding and Reproduction. This is why most zoos often have a male and a female or two females instead of two males. Elephants hold the record for the longest duration of time from conception to when they offspring is born. This period is 22 months. They can weigh up to 260 pounds at birth.

Why are elephant pregnancies the longest in the world?

Elephant pregnancies are the longest of all mammals and one of the longest of all living animals. One of the reasons elephant pregnancies are so long is because elephants are big. Due to their size, the development of elephants in the womb is slow. Elephants are also highly intelligent.

How long are African elephants dependent on their mothers?

This prolonged dependency period is vital to the elephant. As a minimum, the African elephant calf is entirely dependent (emotionally and physically) on his/her mother for three to five years. The elephant is an amazingly social creature. This particular period in development can be viewed as extended social contact.

How much milk does a new born elephant eat a day?

Did you know… New-born elephants are born with an incredible mass of 77-113 kg. But they weight only 4% of an adult female’s weight and only 2% of an adult male’s. New-borns may consume 11.4 litres of milk a day.