10 Amazing Dads From the Animal Kingdom
Red Fox
Male red foxes aren’t just loving mates, but excited & protective fathers. They take on the task of providing food for their mates every few hours for about a month after she gives birth...
After females lay a single precious egg, Emperor penguin dads take over the responsibility of incubating it by balancing it precariously on their feet & keeping it warm under their feathers in the frigid Antarctic weather while mothers go off to feed. Dads can go for about 2 months without eating until the egg hatches, at which point he will feed it before mother’s return to give them a break from baby-duty.
Sea Horse
Seahorses, who are also known to mate for life, have reverse roles; the females compete for males, & the males... actually get pregnant. Females deposit their eggs in the male’s pouch, where he fertilizes & carries them until tiny baby seahorses emerge fully developed. According to Science Daily, the process of male pregnancy is unique to the fish family Syngnathidae, which also includes pipefish & sea dragons.
...sandpipers have been found to reverse roles where female sandpipers establish & defend territory, while taking on multiple male partners. After luring a male to mate with & laying her eggs, she takes off to find another mate. Dad meanwhile stays to incubate the eggs & becomes the primary caregiver for the young for the first few weeks of their lives.
...alpha male are loving, loyal, & protective mates, fathers, & leaders. Also known to mate for life, males who breed will guard their partners & pups while they’re in the den & take on the responsibility of finding everyone food...
Great horned owl dads are the stereotypical breadwinners in their families. After finding the perfect home with their mates, male great horned owls take on the role of provider by hunting enough to feed himself & his mate... before taking on the added responsibility of hunting for their young when they hatch.
North American Beaver
Beaver dads are devoted family men, handymen, & providers in the animal world. They mate for life & take on a co-parenting role in raising their young until they’re about 2-years-old...
Male titi monkeys, who are known for monogamous relationships, are also known for the strong bond they build with their young as primary caregivers. Except for time spent with mom nursing, babies spend the rest of their time being carried around, cared for, & protected by their fathers for the first few months of their lives.
...Males can have up to a dozen or so female partners who all lay eggs in a nest he builds before they leave. Males then take on the role of incubating & guarding what can be more than 50 eggs for close to 2 months before taking on the role of a single parent after they hatch. Males have also been known to adopt orphaned chicks who have been separated from their brood.
Darwin’s frog dads, who are native to South America... breed like other amphibians, where females lay eggs in the water that are fertilized by males, the males of this species take the fertilized eggs into their mouths, store them in their vocal sacs & keep them there until they’re fully developed frogs — at which point he throws them up.”
Alicia Graef
June 18/ 2016
care2.com
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