Brief Lives: 10 Animals with Shortest Lifespans

Zee Media Bureau
Dec 26, 2023

Mayfly (Ephemeroptera)

The mayfly, a delicate insect known for its ephemeral existence, takes the top spot on our list. With a lifespan ranging from a mere few hours to a few days.

Adult Drone Ants

While the queen ant may live for several years, the male drone ants have a much shorter journey. Once they fulfill their sole purpose of mating, these winged males typically die within a few weeks

Gastrotrichs

Measuring only a fraction of a millimeter, gastrotrichs are microscopic marine animals with a lifespan that spans mere hours.

Pacific Salmon

The Pacific salmon embark on an extraordinary journey, swimming upstream to spawn in the very waters where they were born. Their lifespan is a testament to resilience, but it's a race against time.

Houseflies (Musca domestica)

Known for their annoying presence in our homes, houseflies live for only a few weeks. Rapid reproduction and a quick life cycle ensure their population remains abundant

Adult Worker Honeybees

While the queen honeybee may live for several years, the life of a worker bee is short and intense.

C. elegans (Caenorhabditis elegans)

Meet the tiny roundworm C. elegans, a model organism in scientific research. Despite its microscopic size, this nematode boasts a short lifespan of about two to three weeks

Jumping Spider (Phidippus spp.)

These agile arachnids are known for their exceptional jumping abilities and keen eyesight.

Short-Lived Mammals: The Shrews

Shrews, small and elusive mammals, have some of the shortest lifespans of their kind.

Annual Killifish

Closing our list is the annual killifish, a fish species that thrives in temporary water bodies.

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