Which Animals Have the Shortest Lifespans?

What We're Showing

This infographic shows the animals with the shortest lifespans in the wild, featuring species that live from just days to weeks.

The data comes from the International Fund for Animal Welfare and spans various animals including insects, fish, reptiles, and mammals.

Nature’s Briefest Lives

• Mayflies live for just one day, making them the shortest-lived animals on Earth. However, some mayfly species can lay over 10,000 eggs in day, allowing them to reproduce quickly.
• Gastrotrichs are microscopic animals that live in freshwater and marine environments for about 10 days, feeding on aquatic algae and bacteria.
• Fruit flies and Mosquitos are commonly-encountered animals that live for about 12 and 14 days, respectively.
• The Seven-Figure Pygmy Goby, a tiny coral reef fish, holds the record for the shortest lifespan among vertebrates, living just 56 days.
• House mice have the longest lifespan among the shortest-lived animals. While they only survive for 105 days in the wild, they can live up to 2.5 years in captivity.