Fastest Reproducing Animals of the World
DOMESTIC CATS A female domestic cat can become pregnant as early as five months of age. One female alone can produce upwards 100 offspring in her life, which can lead to her being directly responsible for as many as 400,000 kittens.
DOMESTIC DOGS With domestic dogs, a litter of puppies can vary in size. However, it is not unusual for one female dog to have ten or twelve puppies at one time. The heat cycle of a female dog can occur every twelve to eighteen months.
CANADA GEESE Most people are familiar with Canada geese. They are the brownish/grayish colored geese that can be seen virtually everywhere in North America. It is not an exaggeration to put them on this list.
SEA TURTLES The number of eggs a sea turtle may lay will vary from species to species. The leatherback sea turtle for instance, the largest of all sea turtles, will lay over 100 eggs per clutch. A female sea turtle may have 2-8 clutches per season. Unfortunately only about 1 in 1,000 sea turtles will survive to adulthood due to predators.
ARCTIC FOXES The Arctic fox has been on record as producing the largest litters in the wild animal kingdom. According to Alaska Fish and Game, the Arctic fox has been known to have as many as 15 pups at a time. The average for this animal however is closer to 7 or 8 pups.
DOMESTIC HAMSTERS As far as animals with the quickest gestation periods, the honor is given to the domestic hamster. It is not uncommon for hamster offspring to be born within sixteen days from conception. In addition, a young hamster is capable of reproducing on its own after just 3-4 weeks.
RABBITS It should come as no surprise that rabbits have an extremely high reproductive rate. Rabbits are known for a breeding season of up to nine months. A typical gestation period for them is roughly thirty days.
GUPPIES Guppies, a species of fish, are some of the fastest reproducing animals. They are ready for breeding within three to four months and stay ready for their short lifespan of two to three years.
SEAHORSES Seahorses are also amongst the fastest reproducing animals. With seahorses, it is the male who carries the eggs after the female inserts them into the male’s pouch. The clutch of eggs can be as few as one-hundred-fifty or a much larger number that can reach two thousand. This is at one time.
NINE-BANDED ARMADILLOS This is over the course of its life, in comparison with the numbers of offspring for other animals during their lifespan. A female will usually give birth to four babies at a time that are identical to each other in appearance.