Survivalists of Animal Kingdom: 10 Animals That Can Survive for Months Without Food

King Cobras

The king cobra, the worlds longest venomous snake, can survive for up to a year without food. Their slow metabolism and ability to conserve energy allow them to endure long periods of fasting.

Polar Bears

Polar bears are apex predators that thrive in the Arctics frigid conditions. During the winter, when food is scarce, they can enter a state of torpor, reducing their metabolic rate and living off their stored fat reserves.

Gharials

Gharials, fish-eating crocodiles native to India and Nepal, can survive for up to a year without food. They have a slow metabolism and a specialised digestive system that allows them to extract nutrients from their prey efficiently.

Box Turtles

Box turtles, known for their ability to completely retract their heads and limbs into their shells, can survive for up to a year without food. They have a slow metabolism and can utilize stored energy reserves during periods of food scarcity.

Komodo Dragons

Komodo dragons, the largest lizards in the world, can survive for up to a year without food. They have a slow metabolism and can store large amounts of fat in their tails, allowing them to endure long periods of fasting.

Emperor Penguins

Emperor penguins, the largest penguins in the world, can survive for up to four months without food during their breeding season. They rely on their thick layer of blubber and the ability to huddle together for warmth and energy conservation.

Scorpions

Scorpions, known for their venomous stingers, can survive for up to a year without food. They have a slow metabolism and can extract moisture from their environment, allowing them to endure long periods of food scarcity.

Tortoises

Tortoises, known for their slow movements and long lifespans, can survive for up to a year without food. Their slow metabolism and ability to store energy in their shells allow them to endure periods of food scarcity

Crocodiles

Crocodiles, known for their powerful jaws and armoured hides, can survive for up to a year without food. Their slow metabolism and ability to bask in the sun to conserve energy allow them to endure long periods of fasting.

Tardigrade

Tardigrades are also known as water bears or moss piglets. They are a phylum of eight-legged segmented micro-animals. A tardigrade goes into cryptobiosis or lowered metabolism – as much as up to 0.01% of their normal rate. Thanks to this, they can go without food for more than 30 years.