The Lion, which is considered as the King of the Jungle, is said to be one of the toughest animals in the world. But I don’t think a lion can survive one month without eating or sleeping.
Let’s find out some of the toughest animals on the face of the planet. Some animals are simply extraordinary. These animals can survive the hottest temperature, the coldest temperature. They can live for an enormously long period without eating or drinking. Others can live a very long life.
Bedbugs
Adult Bedbugs are known to survive up to one year without feeding. Based on studies, they can survive for at least five days at temperature of −10 °C.
Ants
Why are ants among the toughest animals on Earth? Well, it may sound impossible, but ants don’t sleep. There are no other known animals that don’t sleep except ants. These social insects that live in colonies as many as 500,000 individuals are also the strongest animals alive when body size is taken into account. If an ant is as big as human, it can carry on its back the planet Saturn.
Cockroaches
Many studies have shown that Cockroaches, which appeared about 295-454 million years ago, are among the toughest of all creatures. They have not almost changed in appearance since they first appeared on Earth. Would you believe that a headless cockroach can survive a few weeks, especially if it had eaten before it was beheaded?
As one of the toughest insect on the planet, it can survive for months without and in addition, it can survive without air for 45 minutes. Tagged as “inheritors of the Earth”, Cockroaches also have higher radiation resistance than vertebrates with the lethal dose 15 times that for human.
Mosquitoes
We have been trying to eliminate mosquitoes for the past centuries because they are responsible for the most human deaths world-wide but we were not able to succeed. That alone is already sufficient to consider them among the toughest animals in the world. Mosquitoes are not just tough but they can smell their target as far as 35 meters away.
Locusts
Plagues of the Desert Locusts are considered the most destructive grasshoppers in the world. People have been trying to completely eradicate this pest in Africa, Middle East and Asia but to no avail. They are considered the most dangerous locust and have repeatedly threatened agricultural production.
Camels
How long can you survive without liquid intake? Amazing as it may seem but a Camel can go for 3 weeks or 21 days without water. A loaded Camel can last up 4 days. Camels are also among the animals with the toughest mouth. Its mouth is very sturdy and is capable of chewing thorny desert plants. In addition, Camels can withstand about 25% weight loss due to sweating while most mammals can only withstand 4% only.
Elephant Seal
Elephant Seals are the largest carnivore in the world. They are among the toughest mammals in the world also especially when it comes to diving because it can hold its breath for more than 100 minutes. It is much longer than any other non-cetacean mammal. The deepest dive record for an Elephant Seal is 2,388 meters beneath the ocean’s surface. In addition, a male Elephant Sea can stay ashore for more than 3 months without food during mating season.
Ocean Quahogs
If you have the longest lifespan in the world, of course you are the toughest animal on Earth. The creature that holds the record for the “longest lifespan” in the world is the Oceanic Quahog. It can live up to 410 years.
Bar-Headed Goose
How high can a bird fly? The Bar-headed Goose, which is one of the most amazing birds, is one of the highest flying birds in the world. Bar-Headed Geese have been seen at heights of up to 10,175 meters. It is said that they breathe more efficiently under low oxygen conditions and are able to reduce heat loss. Bar-headed Geese, which migrate to India during winter, can fly their 1000-mile migration route in just one day.
Snails
Snails are among the toughest animals in the world, especially the snail species locally known in the Philippines as the “Golden Apple Snail”. This variety of snail can withstand the effects of pesticides and have been a perennial problem of Filipino farmers because they do much damage to rice plants. Another snail species that do much damage to plants and crops is the Common Garden Snails. This snail variety holds the record for the “most toothed-tongue” – it has 135 rows of teeth.
****Some fish are simply amazing. They can survive at a very high temperature. Tropical freshwater fish are comfortable between 20-35 degrees Celcius but the highest temperature living fish – the Barbus thermalis of Sri Lanka lives in hot spring 50 degrees Celcius.
****The Eskimo people are among the people in the world that can tolerate the coldest climates in the world. But among fishes, the Polar Cod (Boreogadus saida) is the coldest temperature living fish in the world. This highly unique and hardy fish is safe at temperature of 2º Celsius below zero.
410 years for Oceanic Quahog! I will no longer eat anything that looks like that. Don't want to feel guilty. By the way, your blog is doing well in terms of ranking. Congrats, Papaleng. Long live, Amazing Animals!
ReplyDeleteSnail the toughest? Try Snail vs. Salt.
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