Devoted animal couples

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Wolves

Wolves have family values to which humans can only desire. Living in packs of six to twenty individuals (composed of one pair of adults and their offspring) they all stay together until the cubs are grown up and are ready to commence their own families. In some cases, these families are so closely linked that they form together, forming an extremely large family, where siblings and parents never leave one another.

Of course consisting of large numbers, the wolf kingdom operates on hierarchy. The parents run the show, and give short swipes to disrespectful cubs to show it’s unacceptable. Wolves thoroughly communicate their emotions amongst the pack using a wide range of growls, yelps, snarls, facial expressions and body language. Any cubs that don’t pull their weight or act rebellious are sorted out by the harsh choice from parents of either shaping up or leaving the pack.

[aspundir]

Emperior Penguins

This popular black and white species is famous for its commitment and trustworthiness in returning to the same partner annually. The threats against pairs during breeding and reproduction are so intense, that emperor penguins have to form such tight pairs in order to get through the battle. It’s freezing and demanding, and the mother almost reaches the point of starvation, so commitment really is the only way to push forward.

The resources for nests are nothing but chunks of ice and snow, forcing the male to incubate their single egg for nine long weeks on his flippers. Whilst he survives on fat reserves, the female heads out to sea fishing for food to deliver to the depending father and chick. Her journey to the sea may be up to 100 miles from the breeding colony, and she almost reaches the point of starvation herself. Once the chick has hatched the mother and father take it in turns to guard their hatchling from dangerous predatory birds whilst the other searches for food. This behaviour is repeated for six months until the baby can fend for itself.

[aspundir]

Wolf Eels

The fearsome looking wolf eel may not look so fearsome when you learn about their faithful lifestyles, where the bond between two eels around the age of four begins. Before laying eggs together the wolf eels spend three years together, and when ready lay eggs in a submarine nest, which is devotedly guarded by both parents. One babysitting whilst the other gathers food, taking it in turns. Newborns spend their first few months consuming plankton before graduating to the adult diet of mussels and clams, swimming freely until it’s their time to settle down with a partner. Wolf eels are not as aggressive in behaviour as their appearance suggests, only receiving their bad reputation by scuba divers that often disturb a nest full of eggs and are left snapped at by the care of the parents.

[aspundir]

Sea Horses

The males can appear to get off very lightly in the process of giving birth across the whole animal kingdom, but there is just one little exception, one so sweet and charming it makes you smile. The role of male seahorses is truly an admirable one. After elaborate courtship rituals, the female deposits her eggs in a pouch in the male’s tail, where he carries them for the whole stages of development. As the foetuses mature, the bodily fluids inside the sac are gradually replaced by saltwater. Once the change is complete, the babies are expelled into the sea and left alone to completely fend for themselves. The parents once again, start a new family immediately.

[aspundir]

Harlequin frogs

The key to successful long-term relationships is often mysterious, but for the harlequin frog fidelity to ones chosen partner, and the male’s active involvement in rearing the young, is imperative to the actual survival of this species of South America. The father acts as a taxi, transporting the young to water straight after hatching, providing the mother with time to recover. He then keeps a protuberant eye on them. When they are hungry, leaving them to grab food is not necessary, instead he summons the mother to deposit non-fertile eggs in the pool for them to consume. If either parent were to become lost in the process, all the tadpoles would die. The bond between mother and father is so critical to continue the existence of such a beautiful species.

[aspundir]

Flamingos

Flamingos don’t take pleasure in swapping breeding partners, instead they leisurely mate again and again with the same partner. Within their pairs, they build a reliable nest, one made from wet mud clay that they pile up until it stands a couple of inches above the surface of their lagoon, forming part of the picture across the brightly coloured flamingo flocks along the shores of East Africa. During incubation the one to two eggs laid are tended by both parents for around four weeks