Which mammal produces the largest litter of babies?

Humans have been known to give birth to up to eight babies at any one time, but that doesn't even bring us close to the biggest mammal litters.


Asked by: Anonymous

Probably the Tailless Tenrec (Tenrec ecaudatus) of Madagascar, although it depends how you measure it. Mammals can have very variable litter sizes, but as a rule, the maximum litter size is the number of nipples, and the average litter size about half that. In their native Madagascar, Tailless Tenrecs (21-29 nipples) have litters of roughly 15 on average, with up to 32 reported in the wild. The naked mole-rat would be another contender, with one litter of 33 reported.

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