Apr 16, 2025
While some animals have long lifespans, other animals only spend days or weeks on Earth, including insects and amphibians, these creatures go through quick life cycles, often existing to reproduce and die. Here are 10 animals that live for just a few days or weeks.
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Gastrotrichs are microscopic aquatic animals that live just 3–4 days. Despite their tiny size and brief lifespan, they play a vital role in aquatic ecosystems by feeding on bacteria and helping with nutrient cycling.
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Another species of mayfly, this one only exists for a few hours in its adult form. It is popularly known for its brief existence as it spends most of its life in the larval stage underwater before emerging briefly to reproduce, after which it dies.
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While salmon typically live for several years, the adult phase of their life cycle is incredibly brief. Once they reach spawning grounds, they focus solely on reproduction before dying within days to weeks. Their journey ends shortly after they lay or fertilize eggs.
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Turritopsis dohrnii, who is often referred to as the "immortal jellyfish," can revert to an earlier life stage when injured or stressed, theoretically giving it infinite life. However, when it dies, it only lives a few days in its adult form.
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The common fruit fly lives for only 8-10 days, during which they undergo rapid reproduction cycles. Known for their short life and high reproduction rate, they are often used in genetic research, helping scientists study inheritance patterns.
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A worker honeybee is essential to the hive, but has a short life span of only about 5 to 6 weeks. Their lives are spent gathering nectar, protecting the hive, and taking care of the queen and young bees. Their wings wear out after constant foraging and they succumb to it.
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Male praying mantises typically live only about one week after reaching adulthood. Their primary purpose is to mate, unfortunately most males often become prey for the females, as some species show sexual cannibalism after mating.
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Periodical cicadas are famous for emerging in massive swarms every 13 to 17 years, and have a brief adult lifespan of just a few weeks. After spending years underground as nymphs, they emerge, mate, and die soon after and make loud calls as part of this mating ritual.
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Drone ants are the male ants of a colony who live only for a few days, sometimes just a week. Their purpose is to simply mate with the queen. After mating, they die, their short life is only focused entirely on reproduction and do not contribute to the colony's everyday work.
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Mayflies are famous for their ultra-short life span, often living just 24 hours. Their main purpose is to mate, and they do so frantically before their time runs out. These insects are important for ecosystems, serving as food for many fish and other aquatic creatures.
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