#1: Mayfly — The Shortest Lifespan of Any Known Animal These insects are the shortest living animals on the planet, as the adult lifespan of a fly from this species is only 24 hours.
Labord's chameleon has the shortest lifespan of all land vertebrates. They grow extremely rapidly, reach sexual maturity, breed, and then die. Labord's chameleon is named after a French explorer named Jean Laborde. He was the one who first spotted these reptiles in their forest habitat in Madagascar.
A mayfly will only live for around 24 hours in adult form but a termite queen in Africa can live for up to 50 years! Most insects live for less than a year because they are cold blooded and don't survive winter.
Researchers believe the record for shortest adult life span belongs to the female mayfly called Dolania americana. After spending a year or more living on the bottom of a stream in its aquatic nymph form, it emerges as a flying adult — and lives for less than five minutes.
To date, there's only one species that has been called 'biologically immortal': the jellyfish Turritopsis dohrnii. These small, transparent animals hang out in oceans around the world and can turn back time by reverting to an earlier stage of their life cycle.
#1: Mayfly — The Shortest Lifespan of Any Known Animal
These insects are the shortest living animals on the planet, as the adult lifespan of a fly from this species is only 24 hours.
House flies and other larger flies that usually infest a house can live for days, maybe even months. Mayflies, however, usually only have a 24 hour lifespan.
Species: Muller's Giant Sunda Rat
According to the longevity records, a comprehensive database of animal lifespans, the shortest living of all the mammals is the Muller's Giant Sunda Rat.
There are a number of marine species that outlive humans, and the mammal species that holds the record for longevity is the bowhead whale, which can live for 200 years - or more.
Lithobates catesbeianus is an animal that cannot sleep.
The ocean quahog is a fist-size clam that can live to be 500 years or older. Some researchers believe the sturdy quahog's secret to a long life is its ability to protect its proteins from damage.
Bowhead Whale
Bowhead whales can live more than 200 years–making them one of the longest-living mammals on Earth. Bowhead whales live in the chilly Arctic and subarctic waters year-round.
The shortest known gestation is that of the Virginian opossum, about 12 days, and the longest that of the Indian elephant, about 22 months.
Estimates of sponge longevity vary quite a bit, but are often in the thousands of years. One study in the journal Aging Research Reviews notes a deep-sea sponge from the species Monorhaphis chuni lived to be 11,000 years old. Yes, a sponge is an animal—and it has a remarkable life-span.
Kangaroo rats, according to scientists, are the only animals that can exist without water. According to the findings, they do not have any water in their bodies for any of their digestive functions. Kangaroo rats can survive in deserts without ever drinking.
Why the ostrich is the only living animal with four kneecaps.
House flies can survive without food or water for two to three days.
Over 15 years ago, researchers found that insects, and fruit flies in particular, feel something akin to acute pain called “nociception.” When they encounter extreme heat, cold or physically harmful stimuli, they react, much in the same way humans react to pain.
The spider lifespan can vary as much as the spider life cycle. Most spiders live about two years, but some have been known to live up to 20 years when in captivity. Female spiders tend to live longer than male spiders. Many male spiders reach maturity within two years and die after mating.
Cockroaches are infamous for their tenacity, and are often cited as the most likely survivors of a nuclear war. Some even claim that they can live without their heads. It turns out that these armchair exterminators (and their professional brethren) are right. Headless roaches are capable of living for weeks.
Cheetahs can go 10 days without a drink of water. They take water from their prey. Elephants can go up to 4 days without water but they can also use their trunks and tusks to dig wells if necessary.