What is Gestation?
'''Gestation''' is the carrying of an [[embryo]] or [[fetus]] inside a [[female]] [[viviparous]] [[animal]], until its birth. [[Mammal]]s can have more than one embryo or fetus at the same period. The time between [[fertilization]] of an [[ovum]] and the birth of the young is called the '''gestation period'''. [[Human]]s have a gestation period of around 37 weeks or about 9 months and 1 week. [[Syrian hamster]]s have a gestation period of 16 days. That is believed to be the shortest gestation period for a [[mammal]]. The time the gestation period takes depends on the size of the animal, smaller ones have short lengths and bigger ones have the opposite. {{biology-stub}} [[Category:Biological reproduction]]