1. Royal python: 6 months
The Royal Python or Ball Python (Python regius) is a species of python that lives in Africa. The name “royal python” comes from the fact that the Egyptian queen Cleopatra VII often wore this python on her wrist. Royal pythons are quite picky eaters and can go without food for many months, especially during the winter, the breeding period.
Royal pythons have a very slow metabolism so they can store enough energy to move them around for about 6 months without food. The reason why royal pythons are so good at fasting is because they are cold-blooded animals (thermothermic animals) so they don’t need to eat often, don’t need energy to maintain body temperature like warm-blooded animals. isothermal). Moreover, they also need many days to digest food.
2. Scorpio: 1 year
Scorpions are eight-legged invertebrates belonging to the class Arachnida (arachnids). Scorpio is one of the creatures that can live comfortably in the harshest environments in the world. Scorpions can go without food for 1 year.
After many years of evolution, scorpions can live without eating for 1 year. (Photo: NatGeo)
According to scientists, evolution over millions of years has made scorpions capable of slowing down metabolism in the body. Scorpions can feed on 1/3 of their body weight in just one meal. Therefore, scorpions can still live without eating for a long time.
3. Crocodile: 3 years
Crocodiles are species of the family Crocodylidae (sometimes classified as subfamily Crocodylinae). Crocodiles are known as swamp killers because they have a very flexible and intelligent hunting method. With such a terrifying ability, the crocodile’s hunting rate must be very high, but the crocodile is one of the species that can survive for a long time without eating or drinking.
If you can eat a full meal, the crocodile can completely fast for 3 years and still be healthy. (Photo: NatGeo)Even if they can eat a full meal, crocodiles can completely fast for 3 years without changing their health. Scientists have given the answer to this phenomenon because crocodiles have a mode called summer sleep. This summer dormancy is similar to hibernation but differs in that it helps them conserve energy to survive periods of scarce food.
4. Nemesis: 10 years
The jaguar (scientific name: Proteus anguinus) is the only European burrowing vertebrate of the genus Proteus. They often live in underwater caves in the countries of the Balkans and Italy. The salamander has the ability to live for decades without… no need to eat or drink.
The salamander has the ability to live for up to ten years without needing to eat or drink. (Photo: NatGeo)
A team of scientists from Eötvös University Loránd, Hungary has studied the lifestyle and behavior of this species. They found that calves are so good at fasting because they have very low metabolic activity. Their food is mainly snails and mollusks. However, there are not many of these species in the cave, so the jaguar has absorbed nutrients from its own tissues to provide more energy for the body.
5. Water bear: 30 years
Water bears are the common name for the phylum Tardigrada, they are small, water-dwelling creatures that belong to the group of microscopic eight-legged animals. They were first described by the pastor Johann August Ephraim Goeze in 1773. The name Tardigrada was given three years later by the Italian biologist Lazzaro Spallanzani.
The miraculous ability of water bears is to be able to move without food for decades. (Photo: NatGeo)
At just one millimeter long, the water bear’s tiny body hides many superpowers that help them endure extreme conditions such as being able to live without food for 30 years. According to scientists, when water bears begin to metabolize, they will slow down this process to 0.01% of normal. This miraculous ability has allowed them to move without food for decades.
