Pregnancy in animals is a special physiological state of the female, which occurs as a result of fertilization and ends with the birth of offspring. However, in terms of gestation period in mammals, it can differ significantly from other viviparous creatures.
Oralizing animals
In the fifth place in the ranking of animals with the longest pregnancies are domestic donkeys, which bear offspring longer than horses - for 360-390 days (on average). After birth, the cub feeds on breast milk up to 6-9 months, and begins to consume a small amount of grass already two weeks after birth. The colt is fully grown by the age of two.
The duration of pregnancy directly depends on the size of the animal and its level of development, as well as on the environmental conditions in which it lives.
The fourth place rightfully belongs to the two-humped camels, the pregnancy of which lasts from 360 to 440 days. Female bactrian camels give birth to young only once every few years in a standing position. A newborn camel begins to follow its mother two hours after birth. There are also known cases when the pregnancy in two-humped camels lasted for 411 days.
In third place is the female badger, which bears offspring depending on the period of conception. If mating occurred in the summer season, then the birth of cubs will occur after 271-300 days, whereas after mating in the winter season, little badgers will be born only after 400-450 days. This duration of pregnancy, in contrast to the pregnancy of other animals, is not associated with the small size of the badger (50-90 cm).
Ranking winners
The second place is taken by female giraffes, which are among the largest land animals in the world. Their gestation lasts 428-459 days, and the height of a newborn giraffe is approximately two meters. The birth of a baby takes place while standing, in the process of which he steps forward with his feet and falls to the ground from a two-meter height. Only one giraffe is born at all times.
Most often, the duration of pregnancy in large animals exceeds the duration of bearing offspring in smaller animals - however, there are exceptions.
In the first place are elephants - the duration of their pregnancy is almost two years. For this reason, female elephants give birth to one calf (very rarely, two) every four to five years. The fetus in the womb develops completely by the 19th month of pregnancy, and the rest of the time it only increases in size. The gestation period in this case is the same for both African and Asian elephants.
