In comparison to the animals with the longest lifespans—like the sea sponges that can live for 15,000 years and the coral that can live for 5,000—some animals live for only a few months, weeks, or days. Some of these animals with very short lifespans might be surprising, like the chameleon that can only live for three months, while others are known for their short lives, like fruit flies and mosquitos.
All animals need to reproduce to continue the survival of their species. Because of their short lives, many of these animals have highly adapted techniques for breeding and laying eggs before they die.
Let’s take a look at 14 animals that have some of the shortest lifespans in the animal kingdom.
1. Mayflies
Mayflies (order Ephemeroptera) are aquatic insects known for having the shortest lifespans of any creature in the animal kingdom—they typically live for only one day. There are over 3,000 species of mayflies that live in aquatic habitats around the world. In their short lives, mayflies serve a critical purpose for researchers in determining the health of aquatic ecosystems. The presence of mayfly larvae indicates that the water is clean, unpolluted, and highly oxygenated. Some mayfly species can lay more than 10,000 eggs—quite a feat for a single day!
2. Gastrotrichs
Also known as hairybellies or hairybacks, gastrotrichs (phylum Gastrotricha) are microscopic, cylinder-shaped animals that live in freshwater and marine environments. They only live for a few days—one study found that they lived between 2.6 and 18.6 days, lasting on average 10.11 days. Despite their tiny size and very short lives, gastrotrichs play an important role in their ecosystems. They eat bacteria and algae, so without gastrotrichs, populations of these organisms could expand unchecked.
Little is known about gastrotrichs’ reproduction, but some species are known to be hermaphroditic, meaning each individual has both male and female reproductive parts. Some species reproduce using both parts, while the male parts in others are virtually useless, and they reproduce asexually through parthenogenesis. Their eggs can hatch in just a few days.
3. Indian meal moths
Indian meal moths (Plodia interpunctella), also called pantry moths or flour moths, are one of the shortest-living moth species. Their lives last five to 25 days, and in this time, they may feed on cornmeal or grain found in food storage facilities. They live on every continent except Antarctica.
About three days after becoming adults, Indian meal moths mate and lay up to 400 eggs. These eggs hatch in about one week.
