The planet is rich in biodiversity.
Just as we humans live here, also various animals live on this planet.
We have a wide variety of animals living in this world, some of which live for a long
time, while others have animals that live a short time.
In today's episode, we will look at the top 10 shortest living animals in the world, whose
lifespan is very short.
Rabbits are small mammals that live in various parts of the world.
Domestic rabbits only have an average lifespan of 8 to 12 years.
They are found in different sizes and colors, but this lovely species only have a lifespan
of a few years.
Fat deposition and uterine cancer are the primary diseases that affect domestic rabbits.
Female rabbits are more prone to these diseases than males.
The feeding of a high amount of root vegetables and fruits, also leads to many health problems
in rabbits.
They also need a large volume of water every day.
Guinea pigs are cute, lovable, social animals native to South Africa.
Sadly, their lifespan is limited to a short period of 4 years.
Guinea pigs are easily affected by a series of diseases.
We need to feed this cute pet at the right interval of time.
The Veterinary check-up at the right time is also a must for guinea pigs.
With proper care, we could extend the life span of guinea pigs up to 4 years.
But it is quite hard to keep guinea pigs from illnesses like scurvy, bronchitis, and Bumblefoot.
Mosquitofish is the number 8 short-living animal on earth.
They are one of the freshwater fishes native to the United States.
They only live up to two years.
But mosquito fishes that live in captivity show longer lives than those that live in
saline water.
The female fishes also have a slightly larger lifespan than males.
Even though the lifespan in saline water is short, mosquito fishes have some advantages
in living there.
Because not all predatory fishes can live in saline water.
Panther chameleons only have a lifespan of 1 year.
In fact, the Pather chameleon has the shortest lifespan among reptiles and the chameleon
families.
Panther chameleons are native to the Northern and Eastern parts of Madagascar.
They show rapid mating behavior because of their shorter lifespan.
Interestingly, the entire adult chameleons disappear before the next generation emerges
out from the eggs.
The rapid color change is the most noticeable characteristic of chameleons.
The domestic mouse is the number 6 short living animal on earth.
A mouse is a small mammal of the order Rodentia, characteristically having a pointed snout,
large rounded ears, and a long and almost hairless tail.
The average lifespan of the domestic mouse is one year.
But predators like cats and poisoning also could end their life at any time.
Domestic rats are also prone to many health problems during their growing stage.
They are also prolific breeders because of their shorter lifespan.
There are 5000 different species of dragonflies in the world.
The maximum lifespan of dragonflies is about four months.
But most of the dragonflies won’t live that much time because they can be quickly eaten
by spiders, birds, lizards, and frogs.
The strong wind and other harsh climate conditions also stop them from emerging out as a dragonfly
from larvae form.
Dragonflies also can’t fly quickly after the completion of the larvae stage.
This situation makes them eat by reptiles and birds quickly.
Houseflies are the number 4 short-living animals on earth.
Houseflies are the most common and one of the irritating insects found across our house.
The lifetime of houseflies is limited to only a short period of 4 weeks.
The houseflies that live in households have more lifespan than one lives in wild environments.
The female housefly usually mates only once and stores the sperm for later use.
Within their shorter life cycle, every female housefly lays up to 1000 eggs.
Drone Ants are the number 3 short living animals on earth.
Drone ants are the male members of an ant colony.
They have only a life cycle of 3 weeks.
Drone ants follow lazy behavior and never work much.
Females always establish the ant colonies.
Interestingly, drone ants died fast once they mated with females.
Ant societies have a division of labor, communication between individuals, and an ability to solve
complex problems.
Drone ants play a significant role in the existence of ant colonies within their shorter
life cycle.
Gastrotrichs are the number 2 short-living animals on earth.
Gastrotrichs are one of the marine microorganisms that live in marine environments.
They grow up to a maximum size of 3 millimeters.
The life circle of Gastrotrich is limited to just three days.
Gastrotrichs have transparent body structures and swim along with currents.
Gastrotrichs also attach to other water bodies using hundreds of adhesive tubes on the lower
part of the bodies.
Gastrotrichs have both male and female organs for reproduction.
Mayflies have the shortest lifespan on Earth.
Their life lasts only for 24 hours.
Mayflies are also called ‘one-day insects’ because of their shortest life span.
There are 2500 different species of mayflies in the world.
In fact, some members of the mayfly family die within a few hours.
Mayflies spend most of their life as nymphs.
The only purpose of mayflies is reproduction.
Within this short period of life, they form groups and dance together on all available
surfaces.