A tailess tenrec (Tenrec ecaudatus) in Madagascar. Insects are no slouches when it comes to reproduction and the African driver ant, which can produce 3 to 4 million eggs every 25 days, is thought to be the most generous of all.

5 Unusual Animal Births

• Duck-billed Platypus. Not only is the duck-billed platypus an unusual critter, it has an unusual birth.
• African Cichlids. Fish have a huge diversity of birthing types.
• Gastric-brooding Frogs.
• Hammerhead Sharks.
• Surinam Toad.
• An Update from Untamed Science.

The longest human pregnancy on record The person most widely accepted to hold this title is Beulah Hunter, who, in 1945, at the age of 25, gave birth after 375 days of being pregnant. Yes, you read that correctly: 375 days as opposed to the average of 280 days.

Virtually all human mothers experience pain in childbirth, and delivery takes much longer than in other mammals. For example, in University of New Mexico researcher Leah Albers’s 1999 study of 2,500 full-term births, labor lasted on average almost nine hours for first-time mothers.

According to the 2015 edition of Guinness World Records, the animal with the most nipples is the female shrewish short-tailed opossum, which can boast a 27-gun salute.

Hyenas usually bear litters of two to four cubs, but sadly about 60% of the cubs suffocate on their way out. The mothers are also in danger as the birth canal is only an inch in diameter, often making the birthing process fatal, as evidenced by the high death rate for first-time mothers.

Parasitic worms, like this tapeworm, are among the most horrific animals of the world, according to episode 9. The fastest, highest and best jumpers. The greediest eaters in the world. The fastest animals on land, air and water.

The series airs in Australia on Channel Seven (first run) and on subscription channel Animal Planet (replays). “Earth is a planet of extremes. Extreme places, and extreme animals. But some animals are more extreme than others. Join us as we count down to find the most unusual, the most extraordinary, The Most Extreme.”

One of the members of the world’s most invasive animal, according to episode 41, the Botany Bay cockroach makes its home in Australia. The most disgusting behavior in the wild. The most extreme, unusual and innovative animal architects.

It first aired on July 7, 2002. Each episode focuses on a specific animal feature, such as strength, speed, behavior, anatomy, or diet, and examines and ranks ten animals that portray extreme or unusual examples of that quality. The rankings serve only to give a broad depiction; a scientifically rigorous procedure is not employed to quantify them.