Re: Why does it take my dog two months to have puppies and a human 9 months?

Dear Josh,

That is a very good question. In mammals, the time between conception to 
birth is called gestation . The length of gestation varies from species to 
species. 

For example, the average gestation period for a dog is 61-65 days. A dog 
reaches adulthood after 1 year and typically has an average lifespan of   
8-15 years. A cat has a gestation period of 58-65 days, becomes an adult 
around 10-12 months and the average liferspan is  15 -20 years. Humans, as 
you have already noticed, on average have a gestation period of 266 days 
or nine months. When you reach 21 years old you are considered a legal 
adult.  The average lifespan for a human male is 72 years ( the maximum 
110 years) and for a women it is 79 years ( the maximum is 120 years). As 
you can see, if  you compare the gestation period, length of time to reach 
adulthood and the lifespan of different organisms, there is a large amount 
of variation. Each organism has its own timetable for development.

The longest gestation period on record is the elephant, which is 600 days!



If you have any more questions, please feel free to email me, 
I hope you are having alot fun with your new puppies!
Elsa