How Long Pregnancy Lasts in Different Animals

We all know that pregnancy in humans lasts for 9 months. But things are different with the representatives of the animal world — the duration of pregnancy differs in different species.

5-Minute Crafts found out how much time some representatives of our planet’s fauna require for gestation.

Marsupial mouse

Also known as the stripe-faced dunnart, it carries its offspring for only 11 days — this is the shortest gestation period among all mammals. After birth, the cub stays in the mother’s pouch for 40 more days, feeding on her milk.

Hamster

The average gestation period in hamsters is 20 days. As a rule, newborn hamster cubs are blind and don’t have fur on their bodies. But after one week, they start to explore the space outside their nests. Females hamsters are capable of producing offspring every month — these animals are known for their fertility.

Rabbit

Females bear offspring from 28 to 36 days, on average about a month. The longer the pregnancy lasts, the more likely it is that the number of cubs is small, and vice versa, the shorter the gestation period, the more rabbits in the litter. A rabbit can produce from 4 to 12 cubs at a time.

Guinea pig

Unlike hamsters, the cubs of guinea pigs are born with fur on their bodies, with developed teeth, and claws, after the female’s 2-month-pregnancy. As curious as it sounds, guinea pigs can get pregnant again 6-48 hours after giving birth.

Pig

The average gestation duration in pigs is 112-120 days (3.7-4 months). Cubs are born with sharp teeth and oftentimes fight with each other to get a place at their mother’s breasts — pigs’ front nipples produce more milk than the rest. Archaeological evidence suggests that medieval European pigs gave birth to piglets once a year. However, this number increased by the 19th century, and the female pig gained the ability to carry 2 litters per year. It is not clear when this shift occurred.

Chimpanzee

The gestation duration in these monkeys is similar to humans’ - 8 months. Newborn cubs are helpless and they tightly hold on to their mother’s tummy for the first 30 days. Their survival and health depend on maternal care. Mothers provide the cubs with food, warmth, and protection.

Horse

As a result of a pregnancy that lasts for about 340 days (about 11 months), the female horse produces 1, or more seldom 2 calves. Normally giving birth happens in the spring. Soon after their birth, calves can stand on their feet and run.

Bactrian camel

The 2-humped camel, or Bactrian camel, carries their offspring for about 13 months. Just like horse calves, camel cubs can stand and even run soon after their birth and they weigh about 79 lbs. The female camel feeds it with milk for approximately 1.5 years.

White rhino

The gestation of the white rhino lasts for 16 months. They give birth to one calf that normally weighs between 88 and 143 lbs. Rhinos’ calves are quite weak during the first 2-3 days of their lives and can’t stand firmly on their feet. Mothers avidly protect their calves and will fight for them severely in the case of a threat.