Mothers in the animal world. The strangest mothers in the animal kingdom Large water beetle
It's not just human mothers who take care of their offspring. Excellent parents, ready to do anything for their children, are also found among animals. Moreover, some of them do very strange things so that their cubs can live in peace. You can read more about the most caring mothers among animals in this article.
Pigs
It is pigs that are fundamentally different from how we imagine them. They are not only much smarter than we used to think, but also more caring. Pigs sing lullabies to their babies! While the piglets suck milk, the pig snorts and grunts melodiously, which can be interpreted as a lullaby. It begins with a grunt, which lets the babies know that it is time to start eating, and ends with a quiet grunt, which warns the piglets that the mother is about to leave.
Crocodiles
When we think of crocodiles, we imagine a perfect killing machine with a huge jaw that can break an antelope's neck in one bite. But, despite the fact that alligators are the most dangerous predators on the planet, they are also considered the best parents. Few people know this, but alligators are the only reptiles that take care of their offspring after hatching. Everyone else simply abandons their offspring to their fate. But not crocodiles.
When baby crocodiles begin to peck through the shell, they make high-pitched sounds that are designed to alert their mother that they are ready to be born. After this, the mother crocodile carefully takes the egg into her toothy mouth and carries the babies to the water. Dipping his jaw into the water, he gently shakes his head, encouraging the crocodiles to swim out of his mouth. If they have trouble breaking the shell, she puts a little pressure on the egg to help it. Mother crocodiles and their offspring stay together for up to a year, which is an impressive period of time for the animal kingdom.
Red-bellied Hornbill
Native to Indonesia, these colorful and unique birds can be truly devoted mothers. Female hornbills build their nests in holes in trees and must carefully protect the eggs from predators and lizards who are eager to feast on tasty prey. Therefore, the brave mother never leaves her nest during the entire two months while she incubates the eggs. To make the protection more reliable, she makes a “wall” of her feces, with the help of which she walls up the entrance to the hollow.
Giant octopus
The giant octopus is known as a large and extremely intelligent creature. But who would have thought that female octopuses are also considered one of the most devoted mothers on the planet. After all, they spend about 53 months (that's almost 4.5 years!) laying more than 50,000 eggs in their carefully guarded lair. The octopus lays eggs one by one and then carefully sticks them to the walls of a small, well-hidden cave. Small octopuses form in eggs for quite a long time - from several months to 2 years, depending on the species. And all this time, their mother faithfully carries out her service, guarding the clutch, washing and protecting the eggs from predators. Before spawning, the mother octopus's body stops producing digestive enzymes, since she does not eat anything during the entire growth of the eggs. And all this time she is slowly dying of hunger. After several years of this “fast,” her body becomes exhausted and she dies immediately after the octopuses hatch from the eggs.
Spangled wasps
Wasps with bizarre colors are not just beautiful insects. They are considered one of the most selfless mothers among Hymenoptera. When a mother wasp is ready to lay a clutch of eggs, she goes in search of a cockroach to serve as an “incubator” for her offspring. She finds an insect, paralyzes it with her poison, and then lays a larva in its belly. She hatches and begins to eat the paralyzed cockroach. It sounds pretty disgusting, but this is how the gloss wasps ensure the survival of their larvae.
Cuckoo
These spiders, also known as "desert spiders", raise their babies in the strangest and wildest way imaginable. Just like the octopus, the mother spider dies soon after her children are born. When they are old enough, they inject her with poison and digestive enzymes and then devour her. The spider does this without the slightest resistance, because otherwise her children will not survive.
Opossums
Mother opossums are truly some of the most devoted animal parents. These marsupials carry their tiny newborns in a pouch on their bellies for two months after birth. They feel very comfortable there - it’s warm, their brothers and sisters sleep nearby, and besides, they can always get some food. As soon as the babies grow enough to see the white light, the mother continues to carry them, but on her back. For another three months she carries out her difficult maternal duty, keeping them safe and feeding them. Only when her children become strong and independent does she finally allow them to leave the warm and cozy place on the back.
Koalas
Koala mothers are not afraid to do anything to make their babies feel safe. The koala's diet consists of only one product - eucalyptus leaves, which are very poisonous. Adult koalas can easily digest them because digestive system It is populated by special bacteria that allow it to easily digest this poisonous food.
However, their cubs do not yet have this ability, so their mother selflessly chews her feces and feeds them to the babies. You'd be hard-pressed to find moms who would do this for their kids, which is why the koala has a place of honor on our list.
Harp seals
Little seals with big, round puppy eyes and white fluffy fur are perhaps the cutest creatures on the planet. But you have no idea how much milk they need per day in order to remain as well-fed! When seal pups are born, they are completely dependent on their mothers. They not only protect babies from predators and protect them from other seals. They feed them with their milk, without eating anything. Because of this, a female seal loses about 3 kilograms per day. But her cub is feeding at the same time healthy milk With high content fat and gains about 2.8 kilograms every day, so it's worth it.
As you can see, there are many living creatures in nature who devote themselves to motherhood no less selflessly than humans. Which species seemed the most loyal to you?
Not all animals, when born, can count on the tender care and love of their mothers. But some of them can justifiably call their mother the most caring in the world. Among which animals can you find the most best moms? Which fauna representatives selflessly care for their offspring?
Cat's caress.
The primacy in this ranking is rightfully occupied by mothers of the cat family. They literally dote on their kittens, selflessly dissolving in caring for the babies. At the same time, there are many cases where they tenderly fed representatives of other families, doing this no less devotedly than caring for their own children. There are known cases of a tigress feeding piglets, and a cat feeding a small squirrel.
In one interesting study, German zoologists experimented with a cat raising little chicks! The mother cat looked after them, licked them and put them to sleep, hugging them to her to warm them with her warmth. When, during the experiment, a brood of chickens was attacked by a hawk, the cat, without a second of doubt, rushed to their defense and, even being greatly inferior in “combat power” to the deadly predator, managed to save the helpless babies from inevitable death!
Tigresses are not inferior in their caring to cats. A mother tiger feeds her little tiger cubs with milk for up to six months, even though after two months they are quite capable of eating meat. From the second half of the first year of existence, the tiger mother begins to patiently teach her cubs the wisdom of hunting, without knowledge of which the cubs would simply die in independent life. It is interesting that the entire process of feeding and training lies entirely with the tigress - the tiger dad practically does not take part in this.
Elephant tenderness.
Elephant mothers show no less care for their babies, if elephant calves can be called that. Intrauterine gestation alone is worth it - pregnancy in elephants lasts twenty-two months! And after this, the mother elephant still finds the strength to care for her baby. After all, baby elephants are born blind and are completely dependent on outside help. It’s interesting that in a herd of elephants, it’s not only them who take care of the babies. dear mother, but also any of the females. This allows the baby elephants to be provided with round-the-clock care, giving the mother the opportunity to rest and gain strength.
Caring alligators.
Despite his fierce look and the remarkable strength of their toothy jaws, female alligators are among the most caring mothers points in the animal world. Even before laying eggs, the mother alligator carefully selects the place for laying. At the same time, she cooks two different places- one for future girls, and the other for boys, arranging one in a pile of warm leaves, and the other, covering it with cool moss.
After the eggs are laid, the mother takes up a permanent watch, guarding her future children like a vigilant sentry. It is clear that, being under such protection, almost all eggs remain safe and sound. And immediately after the little crocodiles emerge from them, the mother sends them all into her huge mouth! But not at all in order to have breakfast with them, but in order to deliver them to the water. Mom takes care of her children for another whole year!
White bears.
Living in very harsh conditions Polar bears, however, show a model of care and concern for their babies. A mother bear, preparing for childbirth, actively gains weight, which almost doubles by the time her offspring appear! And all this just so as not to die from exhaustion after the appearance of little cubs - after all, they need not only to be born, but also to be fed! And this is not a matter of one day.
Before giving birth, the bear makes herself a cozy den in the snow, where she falls into a half-asleep - some semblance of hibernation among her mainland counterparts. In this state, childbirth occurs. Once born, polar bear cubs are completely helpless and need round-the-clock care from their mother. This is where the weight gained comes in handy. A mother bear carefully feeds her cubs for eight months and only after that she takes them out of the den to take them to the water and teach them how to fish.
Over the next few years, the mother bear takes care of her cubs, teaching them all the wisdom of life in harsh conditions. arctic conditions, showing an example of maternal love and care for her offspring.
The reproductive instinct in nature usually works in a rather simple way. It all usually comes down to the fact that the male is looking for a female, spinning and spinning in front of her, walking like a goldeneye, or breaking off the horns of evil adversaries (and part-time competitors), shocking the spectators with his power.
When the sweet lady is sufficiently impressed by the exploits of his beloved, he quickly (or not so quickly) impregnates her, after which, waving his hand (or another limb donated by evolution) goodbye, he leaves her, going in search of other pretty and beloved ones. After this, the male no longer remembers his former love, and the fate of the offspring does not bother him at all. However, this does not always happen this way. There are exceptions when males of some species become caring fathers and raise their offspring with enviable patience and diligence.
Some males even bear their offspring (“fathers and mothers”). And in this article we will present to our readers the ten most caring fathers of the animal world.
1. Large water beetle
It is this beetle that is the most caring, one might say, an exemplary mother beetle. He carries his future offspring (which currently exist in the form of testicles) on his back until they reach a certain degree of maturity. But it is not recommended to contact this male. The fact that he is a father-mother does not mean that he is an uncomplaining henpecked man. This beetle can bite very hard and quite painfully.
The most caring animal is the swimming beetle (Dytiscus marginalis).
2. Seahorse
This representative of the aquatic fauna is even more versatile. He gets pregnant and gives birth on his own. In the stomach of seahorses there is a special pouch into which the female throws her eggs, fusing them, like a mother cuckoo, into Orphanage. The seahorse will hatch these eggs for about forty-five days. It should be noted that the number of eggs and, accordingly, embryos can reach a thousand, but can be limited to just two. What is characteristic is that he will give birth to them in approximately the same way as a human female, that is, a woman, does - that is, with contractions. This is such a difficult fate.
Unfortunately, at present, the number of these wonderful and unusual sea creatures is steadily declining due to human activity, expressed on the one hand in overfishing for gastronomic purposes and for the manufacture of souvenirs, and on the other hand due to pollution environment.
3. Pike fish
It cannot be said that this fish is one of the beautiful inhabitants expanses of water, but it is in this fish that the males are distinguished by their amazing nepotism. To provide his offspring with suitable conditions for growth, after the female finishes spawning, the male spreads out along the bottom, covering the eggs with his fins. At the same time, it will remain in this position for a long time until the eggs mature. Moreover, no one will risk approaching him when he is in this strange position, since everyone knows that he will not stand on ceremony and will not organize a warm welcome.
4. Toads and frogs
Everyone knows about frogs and toads, but few people know how devoted the males of these two are to their offspring, perhaps the most known species amphibians. Selected species frogs are represented by males who carry their tadpoles directly in their mouths, which provides them with greater safety. Such miracle fathers refuse food, not accepting it until the tadpoles become capable of independent life. In addition, one of the types of toads - Pouched frog - has special pouches for bearing offspring.
5. Ikana vulgare
All the most important work in the Ikana family is done not by the mother, as is the case with most animals, but by the father. He builds the nest, sits on the eggs and feeds the chicks. Females, on the contrary, lead a wandering, free lifestyle, flying from place to place and attracting numerous males, who, apparently, are only happy to have the opportunity to become a “householder.” However, this is not the end of Ikan nepotism. Ikana fathers who have some experience in raising offspring often help their relatives who do not yet have family experience take care of their children.
6. Arowana
Arowana fathers carry their offspring in their mouths. Many hundreds of fry of this species develop in their father’s mouth, after which the father, with his mouth open, releases them into the open ocean, now to experience life on their own. Is it true complete freedom he does not yet provide them with and constantly watches them, like a teacher from kindergarten. And if he notices approaching danger, he immediately sucks all his cubs back into their house, that is, into his mouth.
7. Emperor Penguin
Things are not easy for penguins. This is not surprising, given the harsh conditions in which these birds live. In penguins, the female who has laid an egg has an extremely acute need for food, and cannot for a long time engage in hatching, therefore, immediately after laying an egg, he, in need of food, goes to a dangerous and long haul in the direction of the ocean, where he can eat plenty of fish and then, with new strength, return to his cub and start feeding him. All this time, her partner remains in place, protecting the egg from the fierce frosts and piercing Antarctic winds. To do this, he performs specific actions, which can most simply be called “covering the egg with the hem of his fur coat.” The male father spends almost the entire winter in this position, eats nothing and practically does not move.
If it happens that dad moves from his place or in some other way makes a mistake that will reduce the amount of heat the egg needs, then the consequences will be sad, and the penguin will die without being born - right in the egg.
Emperor penguin fathers carefully warm and protect the eggs, and after hatching, the little penguins. 8. Nandu (or Rhea)
Rhea is one of those birds that cannot fly and is often called the American ostrich. In fact, it is part of the order Rhea and, despite its truly enormous resemblance to the ostrich, scientists to this day doubt that there is any relationship between them. Their distribution of family roles and responsibilities is approximately the same as that of emperor penguin– the female lays an egg, and the male incubates it. In addition, the father rhea is busy building the nest and incubating the offspring, which will continue for another six weeks.
But his family worries do not end there either. The fact is that each Nandu father contains a whole harem that he must take care of. This harem includes twelve females, who also lay eggs. As a result, it turns out that this bird “sultan” has to hatch about fifty eggs. After the chicks hatch from under the shell, the male also does not lose interest in them and continues to take care of the hatched offspring for about six months without receiving any help from their mothers. Moreover, the male may even attack a female who dares to approach her chicks.
9. Wolf
The male wolf is a formidable animal and has a reputation to match. At the same time, this formidable fighting machine is an exemplary husband and father. The wolf is clearly monogamous and lives together with its offspring for almost its entire life. We can say that a wolf pack is a kind of family, which includes a mother wolf, a father wolf and their offspring. Of course, there are also newcomers there and, so to speak, “ younger families“, but the core is the dominant family and its offspring. After the she-wolf gives birth to puppies, she remains in her den, and her wolf-husband brings prey into the house as an exemplary head of the family and, in addition, makes sure that nothing threatens his family.
When the wolf cubs grow up, their father will take full responsibility for their upbringing. He will also be responsible for ensuring that there is true pack unity in the family.
10. Marmoset
Marmosets are perhaps the cutest primates on Earth. Plus they are very small. However, despite their more than modest size, marmoset males take their functions as the head of the family more than seriously. Together with their older brothers and other males of their tribe, father marmosets jointly raise their offspring: they carry them on their backs, feed them and perform other functions, while the mother marmoset leaves her offspring after giving birth.
However, the family talents of the male marmoset are not limited to caring for the offspring. In addition, he carefully and skillfully delivers babies, processes the umbilical cord and cleans the new mother after childbirth. It is very difficult for the tiny female marmoset to neigh, due to the fact that the mature calf weighs about a quarter of herself. Fortunately, her husband knows how difficult and painful it is for his wife.
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Kittens, elephant calves, tiger cubs and many other baby animals can boast that their mother is the best in the world. Of course, everyone also has dads. But it’s hard to say how caring he will be - it depends on your luck.
Representatives of the cat family are some of the most caring mothers in the world. They are so dissolved in love for their offspring that they are quite capable of adopting not only other people’s kittens, but also other living creatures. For example, there was a case when a tigress fed piglets, and a cat fed a squirrel. Cats are rare clean people, so the issue of “diapers” is immediately removed: kittens are always licked “to a shine,” warmed and fed. The mother takes care of the babies until about three months old - by this age they become completely independent. 
Another mustachioed and striped mother, the tigress, feeds her cubs with milk for up to six months, despite the fact that small predators eat meat from about two months of age. Then it’s time to learn the wisdom of life. At first, the mother brings fresh meat from the hunt. Then he leads from one prey to another. By the age of two, tiger cubs weigh up to 100 kilograms and, under the guidance of their mother, begin to hunt on their own. IN independent life The tigress will send her children away well prepared, strong, strong and healthy. What is typical is that she copes with all these worries alone, although “dad” often lives nearby. 
After the egg is laid, the female emperor penguin very carefully and very carefully delivers it to the father, who hides it in a wide fold of skin under the abdomen and incubates the baby penguin. The female immediately returns to the sea to eat to her heart's content, leaving the male without food for about two months.
Abandoned fathers gather in large groups to stay warm and work together to withstand the harsh climate of Antarctica, where icy wind speeds can reach 200 km/h. They patiently wait for the females to return. And when the “prodigal” parents finally return, each one unmistakably finds her penguin - focusing on the trumpet call of her male. During one reproductive season, a male mates with only one female, a rare example of monogamy. 
It takes a female elephant 22 months to bear the world's largest child. This fact alone evokes endless respect. However, after the birth of the baby, the mother does not say goodbye to the elephant calf, but begins to raise it and literally nurture it. Baby elephants are born completely blind, so they are completely dependent on their mothers. And here’s what’s interesting: in elephant communities, voluntary babysitters are extremely common. That is, a newborn elephant calf, of course, has its own own mother. But at the same time, all the female elephants of the herd are his “mothers,” caring for the baby and protecting him from danger, as if it were their “son” or “daughter.” And at this time, the “main mother” can calmly go in search of food in order to provide milk for her not at all small baby.
We are accustomed to considering these not very attractive animals to be cold-blooded - literally and figuratively - and are least inclined to think that they are characterized by manifestations of tender love and care. However, it is not. By making a nest for herself, the crocodile mother not only prepares to lay eggs, but also “determines” the gender of her future children. For example, a nest made of leaves will be warmer than one made of wet moss, so it will hatch more “boys”. As soon as future mom Having decided on the sex and laid eggs, she takes over guard: she monitors the temperature, humidity, and drives away overly curious and hungry visitors. When the babies hatch, the mother immediately sends them into her toothy mouth - no, not in order to dine on them, but in order to deliver them to the water. She takes care of them for another year - quite a long time. Especially for crocodiles.
A female orangutan can become pregnant once every eight years. Therefore, it is not difficult to imagine how carefully her long-awaited cub is cared for. For the first two years of life, babies are completely dependent on their mother. Moreover, for the first four months, physical contact between mother and child is never interrupted - the baby is carried with them everywhere, without leaving him for a minute. Mother and baby sleep only in an embrace, in a nest that a caring parent builds every evening. And even older children try to stay close to their mother - up to the age of five. Moreover, daughters do not leave their mothers longer than sons. In a word, everything is like people’s! 
Who doesn't worry about what they gain during pregnancy? extra pounds, so these are polar bears. They know for sure that the main thing is the health of future babies. Therefore, the volume of the bear’s “waist” and weight approximately double. This is not surprising: in the harsh conditions of the Arctic, there is no other way to feed a bear cub, but also to survive yourself. With the onset of cold weather, the expectant mother makes a den for herself, which consists of a tunnel with a narrow entrance and three “rooms”. Having settled in the den, the bear falls into a state of light hibernation. And in the same semi-euphoric state it bears offspring. Perhaps this is the easiest and most enjoyable childbirth - childbirth in a dream.
The cubs are born blind and tiny. However, in the spring, by the time they leave the den, thanks to their heroic mother, these buttons eat up to 12 kilograms. And only after eight months of forced starvation will the mother bear and her cubs be able to go to the ice to the sea for real food - fish and Navy SEALs. For the next few years, she takes care of her offspring and teaches them the knowledge necessary for life. But that’s not all - the bear is not averse to “adopting” abandoned or orphaned cubs of others.
Exotic animals That’s why they are called exotic because they are not commonplace and are common in certain geographical latitudes.
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