Top 7 Animals With The Shortest Lifespan

As we all know, there are various species of animals living in this world today. Some of them can live for many years long and in fact, some of them can exceed 100 years. However, there are animals out there that have been created to have a relatively short lifespan.

Their lifespan is definitely different from us humans as their biological systems also differ. For instance, a 7-year-old human is comparable to a 1-year-old cat. Despite some of these animals having several months of lifespan which is considered short, it might be quite similar to an adult human.

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Here we would like to share with you the top 9 animals with the shortest lifespan in the world.

7. Chameleon (4 - 5 Months)

Chameleon has the shortest lifespan among reptiles and it is well known all over the world for its camouflage capability. There are various species of chameleons out there with the Labord's chameleon having the shortest lifespan of the species with 4 - 5 months of its life.

They can leave you in awe with their bright colors which can change according to the surrounding environment. They can commonly be found in tropical and temperate climates and despite their short lifespan, they can breed pretty fast making them less vulnerable to extinction.

6. Worker Bee (8 Weeks)

When we say worker bee, we are referring to the female and their inability to fully breed like the queen. They can only live for several weeks or months depending on the current weather and temperature.

On top of that, they will maintain a temperature of 34.4 °C inside their nest to incubate the eggs. Depending on the situation, these worker bees will either bring water into the nest or use their own bodies to warm up the nest.

Unlike ants, bees have a queen which can live up to 5 years long. Most of the worker bees are born during the fall and will live up to the next spring.

5. Dragonfly (7 - 56 Days)

With some dragonflies being able to live for several months, most of the adults typically live for up to 7 weeks and some even a few days. Dragonflies have known to exist on earth since 300 million years ago and we commonly see this critter flying in green areas with more than 5,000 species have been recorded.

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We commonly see them lying dead on the ground due to the weather or even being a victim to other predators. This insect spent half of its life inside the larva but after being fully matured, they usually don't last long due to external factors.

Their lifecycle is somewhat similar to that of a butterfly.

4. Housefly (4 Weeks)

These annoying pest is commonly found living in our homes and has been known to exist for thousands of years. Regardless of that, houseflies are known to have one of the shortest lifespans which is merely 4 weeks as they reach adulthood.

A female housefly can generally produce more than 100 eggs at a time whether on top of food or droppings. Throughout their lifetime, they are capable of producing more than 500 eggs.

This common insect can be found pretty much anywhere and everywhere around the world with numbers more or less the same.

3. Drone Ant (3 Weeks)

Drone ants only consist of male ants in their colony. They were born from an unfertilized egg. They are also different from regular ants and they do not perform any specific tasks for the colony. Drone ants look somewhat like a wasp compared to an ant due to the wings they have.

There are more than 12,500 species of Drone ants known today and it is believed to have been revolutionized for more than millions of years ago by their ancestors who looked like a wasp.

This insect can be found all over the world except for Antarctica. It has one of the shortest lifespans in the world approximately living for 3 weeks.

2. Butterfly (2 Weeks)

This mesmerizing creature is known to have colorful patterns on its wings but is known to have a very short lifespan. An adult American copper butterfly in particular is known to have a lifespan of roughly 2 weeks.

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There are many species of butterflies around the world as they fly everywhere. They are known to migrate from one place to another depending on the season.

1. MayFly (24 Hours)

The animal with the shortest lifespan in the world will be the Mayfly which typically lives for merely 24 hours. This insect can be categorized as an aquatic animal and a type of dragonfly,

Mayfly which is in a state of imperfection typically lives in freshwater areas. It is considered a nymph and there are around 3,000 species of Mayflies with them living from as short as 30 minutes up to 24 hours.

What's more surprising is that this animal has a mouth that only serves the purpose of breeding. As of now, the Dolania Americana species is identified as having the shortest lifespan of them all which is barely 5 minutes.

Source:

• Earth & World

• It's Nature

• ListAmaze

Also read: Top 7 Animals With The Strongest Bite Power In The World