Have you ever wondered how long that spider
that constantly weaves a web around one of
the external mirrors on your car can go without
food, given that you regularly remove the web?
What about animals in droughts or areas that
get covered in snow in winter?
It appears that going without food is not that
uncommon out there in natureland. We eat
regularly because we have to and we can, but
not all animals have it so easy.
Camel
Time without food: 40 days
The camel has a great capacity to survive for
long periods without food or water. In fact they
can live longer without water than without
food.
Part of the reason for this is the large amount
of water they store in their hump. No, it’s not
all water; it’s fatty tissue. When there is no
food or water around the fat in the hump is
metabolized and water is released as a part of
this process. In fact the amount of water
released into the body is about the same as the
amount of fat burned.
The fat is stored in a hump rather than evenly
spread over the body so the fat doesn’t act as
insulation and keep the body warm. While
metabolizing the fat releases water and energy,
there are still nutrients.
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Homo Sapien
Time without food: 116 days
There are numerous cases of humans going for
extended periods without eating. In some cases
it has even extended beyond weeks into
months.
The longest recorded case was Bhagat Singh
who was a significant figure in the
revolutionary movement that led to India’s
independence from Britain in 1947.
1929 Singh led a hunger strike while he was in
prison for murder, demanding better conditions
for the Indian inmates. His hunger strike lasted
for 116 days, only ending it after receiving
concessions from the government and urgings
from his father. He had lost 60 kg’s (133
pounds) but showed that the human body is
capable of surviving an incredible amount of
time without food.
Dog
Time without food: 117 days
Unlike most of the other animals on our list
the dog is a mammal and has to maintain a
certain body temperature to remain alive. The
dog’s metabolism acts to maintain the body
temperature in times when the external
environment is colder than the minimum
temperature the dog needs. It therefore needs to
eat to fuel its metabolism.
However there are cases of dogs living for
exceptionally long periods without eating food.
Dogs, and their wild relatives such as wolves,
dingos and coyotes, have a strong survival
mechanism that allows them to endure extreme
conditions and survive.
There are a number of cases where dogs have
been known to survive for weeks and one case
where a dog went for almost three months
without food.
Emperor Penguin
Time without food: 120 days
The male emperor penguin gets the dubious
honor of staying with the couple’s sole egg for
the winter while the female goes and finds
herself some food. During this period of
incubation the male, who shelters the egg with
his feet, doesn’t eat or drink.
Luckily for the male he can store large amounts
of energy in his substantial body fat to keep
his metabolism going for warmth. He loses up
to half his body weight doing this.
But wait, that’s not all.
When the female returns and the male can go
and get some food he has to walk up to 120
km’s (75 miles) to get to the sea. That’s no
small walk for any creature, much less one that
has to waddle on its short little legs.
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