Survival Masters: 5 Animals That Could Survive Without Eating

In many environments, resources and food aren’t always easy to come by and the availability of food can differ depending on the seasons. So how do animals deal under such demanding conditions? Let’s take a closer look at 5 animals that could survive without eating.

1. Grizzly Bears

Grizzly bears are known as some of the fiercest bears around. Females can grow up to 300 kg and males up to 700 kg (that’s over 1500 pounds!). If you’ve ever seen one, you’d notice they have a large hump over their shoulders. This hump is made of mostly muscle and used by the bears to dig and kill prey. Armed with long front claws, it’s no surprise the grizzly is considered to be an apex predator.

Grizzlies are omnivores, so they eat meat and veggies. Their diets consist of fruits, berries, grasses, fish, and hoofed animals including caribou and elk. In preparation for the winter months, the bears will consume as much food as possible and build up their fat reserves. They will then dig dens in which they hibernate for weeks on end. In these dens, grizzlies slow down their heart rate, lower their metabolism, and survive off of their hard-earned fat stores. When spring rolls around, they emerge from their dens, ready to feast once again.

2. Galapagos Tortoise

According to National Geographic, there are 13 living species of Galapagos tortoises. Because of their size, they are also known as “giant tortoises” and they make up some of the longest-living land animals known to man. Like turtles, tortoises take life slow, often seen resting for over 16 hours daily. During the remaining hours of the day, they feed on leaves, grass and other vegetation while relaxing under the warm rays of the sun.

Tortoises not only move slowly, but they digest slowly as well. Their laid-back lifestyle is paired with a slow metabolism and an ability to store substantial amounts of water in their bodies. At the roof of their necks is an area called the pericardium that acts like a second water bladder. Galapagos tortoises have been documented to be able to survive up to a year without any food or hydration. Amazing, right?

3. Emperor Penguins

Of all penguin species, emperor penguins are the largest and tallest—they truly are the king of penguins. If you’ve ever seen the movie Happy Feet, you’d know that emperor penguins exist in massive hordes called colonies. Against their harsh snowy surroundings that can often reach temperatures below -70 °F, these flightless birds will huddle together to conserve warmth and brace the cold.

Like grizzlies, emperor penguins will go on a summer buffet and gorge themselves on krill, squid, and fish. They build their fat stores so that when the time comes, they can rely on these stores for energy. Male penguins in particular undergo a fasting period of 4 months each year where they do not eat in order to find a mate and rear their young. They will guard and incubate their eggs, battling severe winds and freezing chills, while mothers go off to feed. Fathers also serve as babysitters as eggs usually hatch before the mothers return from their meal. They’re in charge of the chicks, protecting them from predators like large seabirds and leopard seals. This task is so grueling that in a single mating season, male emperors might lose up to half of their body weight! Talk about being a good dad!

4. Scorpions

While they might be scary to look at, scorpions are actually fascinating creatures. They can thrive in almost any type of environment, including deserts, mountains, tropical rain forests, and grasslands. Scorpions are, for the most part, nocturnal, and they do not rush to hunt for their prey. Rather, they are opportunistic feeders that patiently wait for their food to come to them. Like spiders, scorpions mainly consume other insects—some even eat other scorpions.

In times of need, scorpions can slow down their metabolic rates to alarming low levels. In this state, they can survive for a full year after eating just one insect. Studies have suggested that scorpions may have the lowest metabolism of all insects when they are in this condition. To preserve their energy even more, scorpions will stay sedentary unless it is absolutely necessary to engage in an activity. What’s more? Some species make enzymes used to break down prey before eating them, so they don’t need to spend energy on digestion.

5. Tardigrades

Have you ever heard of tardigrades? These adorable creatures are microscopic animals that look like tiny water bears. There are approximately 1300 distinct species of tardigrades, and they are tanks when it comes to survival.  In 2007, a Russian space mission brought tardigrades up to outer space. They were able to survive in the extreme vacuum and temperatures of space and return to Earth safely! Furthermore, they can survive under pressures 6 times that of the ocean’s deepest depths.

Tardigrades are generally accepted as omnivores, but more specifically, they are detritivores. This means they feed on fluids made by animal or plant cells as well as decomposing materials. Using an incredible process called cryptobiosis, tardigrades defy the laws of biology by entering a state where all metabolism is put on standby. In cryptobiosis, their metabolic status is lowered to less than 0.01% of its normal level. Their water levels are decreased to less than 1%. Then, once environmental conditions are more optimal, they come out of cryptobiosis and become active again.