The number of offspring a species can produce is influenced by numerous factors, and this topic is more complex than you might think.
The “Champions” of Reproduction in the Animal Kingdom
There are millions of animal species on our planet, each with its own reproductive strategy suited to its environment.
The ocean sunfish can carry up to 300 million eggs (Photo: Getty).
For example, aquatic species have an advantage when it comes to spawning because they require less energy to release unfertilized eggs and can produce more eggs compared to live-bearing animals.
The ocean sunfish (scientific name: Mola mola) has been found to contain up to 300 million eggs at one time in its ovaries.
However, since the eggs are fertilized outside the female’s body, once these eggs are released into the ocean, it is impossible to know how many will develop into healthy offspring.
When it comes to the sheer number of fertilized eggs in a single batch, insect species take the lead.
Some ant species, such as the African driver ant (scientific name: Dorylus wilverthi), can lay 3 to 4 million eggs in a month. However, the queen ant will only choose to fertilize a portion of these eggs, depending on how many males and females she wants in her colony.
African driver ants can lay up to 3 or 4 million eggs in a month (Photo: Getty).
Among bird species, the gray partridge (scientific name: Perdix perdix) is one of the highest egg layers, with 22 eggs per clutch.
However, when it comes to live birth, seahorses are champions, as they can give birth to up to 2,000 young at once. They incubate and nourish their young via a pouch-like structure.
The Gaboon viper (scientific name: Bitis arietans) is the leader among terrestrial live-bearers. According to Live Science, it can give birth to 156 baby snakes in a single pregnancy, and these will develop into healthy individuals.
Why Do Some Species Have More Offspring Than Others?
One of the factors influencing clutch size is lifespan.
Typically, species with short lifespans, which may not survive long enough to see their young grow up, tend to produce many offspring at once. “Short life cycles force them to make their mark quickly,” says Kathleen Cole, a marine biologist at the University of Hawaii.
In contrast, species with exceptionally long lifespans, like elephants or whales, usually only give birth to one offspring at a time.
Elephants only give birth to one calf at a time (Photo: Getty).
Additionally, species like bats must remain lightweight to fly and carry their young while doing so. This means that bats often can only care for one offspring at a time.
Whether a species lays eggs or gives live birth is also a crucial factor. Young that require more effort to develop typically mean that live-bearing species will have fewer young.
Another factor is that social animals, like ants, can produce more offspring than solitary animals because they are better protected as a group.
However, there are always exceptions to trends. For example, rabbits and mice are known for their large litters, while dung beetles, which lay eggs, typically only produce three eggs at a time.
According to Alex Pyron, an evolutionary biologist at George Washington University, the emergence of such unique evolutionary events remains a mystery that science has yet to unravel.
