10 Animals That Can Live Without Water For Days

OT Staff & Waquar Habib

Camel

Camels can survive for up to two weeks without water. Their fat-storing humps, efficient metabolism, and water-conserving physiology enable this endurance in desert conditions.

Camel cart | Shutterstock

Kangaroo Rat

This desert rodent rarely needs to drink water, deriving all hydration from its seed-based diet and highly efficient kidneys.

A Kangaroo Rat in its habitat | anzaborrego/instagram

Desert Tortoise

Desert tortoises store water in their bladders and reduce water loss through burrowing and slow metabolism, allowing survival for a year without fresh water.

A Desert Tortoise in its habitat | deserttortoisecouncil/instagram

Thorny Devil

This Australian lizard absorbs moisture from dew through grooves in its skin, enabling extended survival without typical drinking.

A Thorny Devil in its habitat | nuts_about_macro__/instagram

Oryx

The oryx antelope tolerates long periods without drinking by using heat regulation and minimal water loss adaptations.

Arabian Oryx in their habitat | discoverqatar/instagram

Fennec Fox

Adapted to desert life, the Fennec Fox relies on moisture from its food, requiring little to no direct water intake.

A shot of a Fennec Fox | grannythefox/instagram

Addax Antelope

This desert dweller rarely drinks free-standing water, instead extracting it from desert plants and tolerating dehydration using metabolic adaptations.

An Addax Antelope in its habitat | brookfieldzoo/instagram

Water-Holding Frog

During droughts, this frog burrows underground, encases itself in a waterproof cocoon, and can survive up to five years without drinking.

A shot of a water-holding frog | australianmuseum/instagram

African Elephant

When water is scarce, African elephants can go for days without drinking, relying on stored moisture and memory of distant water sources.

A shot of an African Bush Elephant | animals.of.africa/instagram

Penguin

Some penguin species in Antarctic regions sustain long expeditions at sea without fresh water by filtering salt from seawater using specialised glands.

A Rockhopper penguin mid air | steffen.foerster.photography/instagram

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A shot of a Thorny Devil | nuts_about_macro__/instagram
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