The Quick 10: 10 Gestation Periods in the Animal Kingdom | Mental Floss
The Quick 10: 10 Gestation Periods in the Animal Kingdom
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So, I'm pretty much done being pregnant.  I mean, I'm not "“ I'm only 30 weeks "“ but mentally, I'm over this.  But I really shouldn't be complaining "“ 40 weeks is nothing compared to some of the animal kingdom.  Of course, it's also a really long time compared to others.  By the way, when a pregnant woman tells you she's tired or achy or {insert crappy ailment here}, don't respond with "Be glad you're not an elephant; they gestate for 22 months!" because you will probably get punched.  Just sayin'.
1. Elephants - anywhere from 600-660 days is normal. If you're thinking "You know, I've never seen an elephant give birth," I can help you out .  You know that scene in The Shining where the blood gushes out of the elevator? Yeah, it's kind of like that.  But the part after that is pretty cool.
2. Hippos - eight months. Yes, it takes less time to make a hippopotamus than it takes to make a human. COME ON!
3. Giraffe - 14-15 months. A baby giraffe made the news in December when she was born at the Calgary Zoo in Canada. She was on the small side for a baby giraffe, coming in at a mere 5'10" and 130 pounds. Another fascinating tidbit: giraffes give birth standing up, so it's pretty normal for a baby to fall six feet to the ground.
4. Killer Whale "“ 17 months.  But there's a good reason for that "“ after that 17 months, Baby Shamu emerges weighing anywhere from 265-353 pounds and measuring about 8.5 feet long.  Yikes.
5. Opossum - 12-13 days, which is one of the shortest gestation periods we know of in a mammal. But since the lifespan of an opossum is only two to four years, this makes sense.
6. Gerbils "“ 23-26 days.
7. Gorillas "“ 8.5 months. It's not a huge surprise that their gestational periods are pretty similar to ours, right?
8. Grizzly/Black Bears "“ 220 days. Also less than a human. Not. Fair.
9. Porcupine "“ 112 days, which is the longest gestation period of any rodent. And surely the most painful. I kid "“ porcupine babies (AKA porcupettes) are actually born with soft quills "“ it's not until after birth that they harden up. Picture from ZooBabies.com .  By the way, if you're a fan of CuteOverload, you should definitely check out ZooBorns. They have baby animal pictures of everything from aardvark to zebra. It's pretty fascinating.  There's even a baby beluga.
10. Walrus "“ 15 months. Baby walruses? Not so cute .
And congrats to our own Will Pearson, whose baby recently completed gestation.  We've got a new generation of _flossers coming up!
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