Humans carry their babies in their wombs for approximately nine months. But how long does the gestation period last in animals? AnimalSake gives you a list of the gestation period of various animals.
That’s It???
Opossums have the shortest gestation periods of all mammals. Some opossum species are born in less than 10 days!
Gestation period is the time required for the fetus of a species to develop inside its mother and be ready to be born. Gestation is usually seen in mammals, although some non-mammalian species also display this method of reproduction. Non-mammalian species that display gestation carry around developed, rather than developing fetuses in their body.
Humans carry their fetuses for about 9 months. Most animals need less than that, but some far outstrip the human time-frame. As thumb rule, gestation periods depend on the animal’s size, but this characterization is not always true. Blue whales, which are the largest animals in the history of the Earth, do not carry their young for the most amount of time; they are outstripped by relatively ‘smaller’ animals such as tapirs, camels, and elephants.
Here’s a list of the gestation periods of various animals.
Animal
African Elephant (Loxodonta africana)
Gestation Period in Days : 600-750
Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus)
Gestation Period in Days : 550-650
Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus)
Gestation Period in Days : 480-590
Orca (Orcinus orca)
Gestation Period in Days : 450-550
Walrus (Phoca rosmarus)
Gestation Period in Days : 450-500
Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis)
Gestation Period in Days : 420-450
Black Rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis)
Gestation Period in Days : 400-450
Brazilian Tapir (Tapirus terrestris)
Gestation Period in Days : 380-400
Dromedary Camel (Camelus dromedarius)
Gestation Period in Days : 360-420
Plains Zebra (Equus quagga)
Gestation Period in Days : 360-400
Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus)
Gestation Period in Days : 350-370
Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus)
Gestation Period in Days : 300-400
California Sea Lion (Zalophus californianus)
Gestation Period in Days : 350-375
Donkey (Equus africanus asinus)
Gestation Period in Days : 340-380
Horse (Equus ferus caballus)
Gestation Period in Days : 330-360
African Buffalo (Syncerus caffer)
Gestation Period in Days
: 330-350
Harbour Porpoise (Phocoena phocoena)
Gestation Period in Days : 300-350
Long-tailed Weasel (Mustela frenata)
Gestation Period in Days : 280-310
Cow (Bos primigenius)
Gestation Period in Days : 280-290
Humans (Homo sapiens sapiens)
Gestation Period in Days : 260-290
Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla)
Gestation Period in Days : 250-260
Orangutan (Pongo borneo)
Gestation Period in Days : 245-275
Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus)
Gestation Period in Days : 240-250
Moose (Alces alces)
Gestation Period in Days : 240-250
Sambar Deer (Rusa unicolor)
Gestation Period in Days : 230-250
Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes)
Gestation Period in Days : 230-250
Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius)
Gestation Period in Days : 225-250
Black Bear (Ursus americanus)
Gestation Period in Days : 220-230
American Bison (Bison bison)
Gestation Period in Days : 215-220
Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus)
Gestation Period in Days : 210-250
Brown Bear (Ursus arctos)
Gestation Period in Days : 200-220
Sloth Bear (Melursus ursinus)
Gestation Period in Days : 200-220
Brown-throated Sloth (Bradypus variegatus)
Gestation Period in Days :
200-220
Gray Langur (Simia entellus)
Gestation Period in Days : 180-200
Giant Anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla)
Gestation Period in Days : 180-200
White-handed Gibbon (Hylobates lar)
Gestation Period in Days : 175-190
Lion-tailed Macaque (Macaca silenus)
Gestation Period in Days : 170-190
Baboon (Papio hamadryas)
Gestation Period in Days : 170-190
Mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx)
Gestation Period in Days : 165-180
Proboscis Monkey (Nasalis larvatus)
Gestation Period in Days : 160-205
Rhesus Macaque (Macaca mulatta)
Gestation Period in Days : 150-175
Domestic Goat (Capra aegagrus hircus)
Gestation Period in Days : 145-155
Sheep (Ovis aries)
Gestation Period in Days : 145-155
Tree Pangolin (Manis tricuspis)
Gestation Period in Days : 145-150
Yellow Mongoose (Cynictis penicillata)
Gestation Period in Days : 120-130
Beaver (Castor canadensis)
Gestation Period in Days : 115-130
Domestic Pig (Sus domesticus)
Gestation Period in Days : 110-115
Chinchilla (Chinchilla chinchilla)
Gestation Period in Days : 105-115
Porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum)
Gestation Period in Days : 100-120
Lion (Panthera leo)
Gestation Period in Days : 100-115
Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris)
Gestation Period in Days : 100-110
Giant Panda (Ailuropoda Melanoleuca)
Gestation Period in Days : 95-160
Striped Hyena (Hyaena hyaena)
Gestation Period in Days : 90-110
Siberian Tiger (Panthera tigris altaica)
Gestation Period in Days : 90-100
Leopard (Panthera pardus)
Gestation Period in Days : 90-100
Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)
Gestation Period in Days : 90-100
Meerkat (Suricata suricatta)
Gestation Period in Days : 75-80
Egyptian Mongoose (Herpestes ichneumon)
Gestation Period in Days : 75-80
African Wild Dog (Lycaon pictus)
Gestation Period in Days : 65-75
Eurasian Otter (Lutra lutra)
Gestation Period in Days : 60-80
Raccoon (Procyon lotor)
Gestation Period in Days : 60-70
North American River Otter (Lontra canadensis)
Gestation Period in Days : 60-80
Gray Wolf (Canis lupus lupus)
Gestation Period in Days : 60-70
Skunk (Mephitis mephitis)
Gestation Period in Days : 60-65
Cat (Felis catus)
Gestation Period in Days : 55-65
Dog (Canis lupus familiaris)
Gestation Period in Days : 55-65
Guinea Pig (Cavia porcellus)
Gestation Period in Days : 55-75
Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes)
Gestation Period in Days : 50-60
Kangaroo (Macropus rufus)
Gestation Period in Days : 30-40
Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis)
Gestation Period in Days : 30-40
Prairie Dog (Cynomys genus)
Gestation Period in Days : 30-40
Chipmunk (Tamias genus)
Gestation Period in Days : 30-35
Domestic Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus)
Gestation Period in Days : 25-35
Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus)
Gestation Period in Days : 25-30
Wombat (Vombatus ursinus)
Gestation Period in Days : 25-30
Domesticated / Mongolian Gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus)
Gestation Period in Days : 20-25
Black Rat (Rattus rattus)
Gestation Period in Days : 20-23
Mouse (Mus musculus)
Gestation Period in Days : 20-22
Golden Hamster (Mesocricetus auratus)
Gestation Period in Days : 15-20
Animals related to each other usually have similar gestation periods. As can be seen in the chart, apes (including humans), monkeys, big cats, and rodents can be clearly grouped according to their gestation period.
The platypus and 4 species of echidnas do not give birth to live young, despite being a mammal. They are the only mammals who lay eggs.
