Which animals are actually the most loyal? Interesting fact about wolves. Wolf and she-wolf Monogamous animals

1. Swans

Perhaps this is the most shining example creating a pair for life in the world of birds. They raise and care for their young together for two years. Swans can change partners only if one of them dies. But there is also a sadder ending to such love: the remaining partner soon dies of sadness and melancholy. This feature gave rise to the well-known saying about swan fidelity, and beautiful and graceful birds are the heroes of fairy tales, legends, and songs.

2. Wolves

Despite their menacing and stern appearance, when paired these predators are an example of eternal tenderness and fidelity. They lead a typical family life, when the male first courts and flirts with the female, then together they look for a place to breed their offspring. Caring for the offspring is the responsibility of both parents, or even the entire flock. The couple will stay together as long as nature allows them. Or until a person intervenes.

3. Penguins

The male declares his love and desire to create a pair with the help of the most beautiful pebble that he can find on the coast. If his gift is accepted, then a common area can be set up for incubating eggs and breeding offspring. They also raise their chicks together, replacing each other in this important position.

4. Lovebirds

The name of these birds already says a lot. They build their nests together, bringing any suitable material from everywhere: blades of grass, twigs, tree bark. Even after the hatched chicks have grown a little and can get food themselves, the parents continue to care for them and feed them. At the same time, the female and male do not skimp on tender feelings for each other, huddling closely on a branch.

5. Sea Horses

These needle-shaped fish are distinguished by the fact that the male is responsible for breeding offspring in a pair. And the female throws eggs at him during the mating dance, clinging first to one side and then to the other. This is the division of labor.

6. Barn owls

These predator birds They set an excellent example to follow in terms of arranging a family nest. First, the male finds a suitable place, arranges it, and only then begins to look for the female, flying around the hollow and making hoarse sounds. Which “young lady” will answer this invitation with a squeal, will breed offspring with that one. The female will sit on the eggs, and the partner should bring her food. Complete idyll!

7. Albatrosses

During the mating season, the largest of the flying birds do not move far from their habitat, although they could well. It takes them several years to court and create a couple, but then they do not separate. Together they hatch the eggs, feed the hatched chicks, raise them and send them on their first flight. This takes almost a year.

8. Whales

Despite the herd instinct of these largest animals on Earth, they are mostly monogamous. The created couples experience pregnancy together, which can last up to a year and a half, then swim away together warm waters for the birth of offspring. Highly developed maternal instinct makes the female a thunderstorm for everyone who gets close to her only cub. And for him, she is a guarantor of safety and a source of tasty full-fat milk for at least a year.

9. Beavers

Thanks to their luxurious fur, these large rodents are not afraid of the cold and conduct their mating games under the ice. The female dominates the pair, but there is work for the male as well. After all, it is necessary to take care not only of the new generation, but also to look after the grown-up young animals of previous years. So they live as a friendly family in a hut on the shore of a reservoir.

10. Two-horned kalao

Beauties from the hornbill family demonstrate an example of sacrifice for the sake of their offspring. Having chosen a suitable hollow, the female kalao immurs herself in it for the period of incubating eggs and feeding the chicks. The male is responsible for providing everything necessary. First, he brings building materials to seal the entrance to the nest. Then, through a narrow opening, it delivers food to the nursing and molting mother. Later, the portions increase as growing chicks join the eaters. It is not surprising that by the time the female and her children emerge from captivity, the male looks significantly thinner. But the whole family is together now.

Through these and other monogamous pairs of animals and birds, wise nature teaches us fidelity and tenderness, how to build relationships and care for offspring. The art of love is not just sitting on a branch. You have to work for your partner, receiving the same portion of attention in return.

Loyalty is not only the prerogative of people; animals often demonstrate amazing examples of loyalty and devotion to their soulmate...

1. Gibbons

Gibbons are the closest relatives to humans and mate for life. Their unions are unusually strong, and they exhibit low sexual dimorphism, meaning males and females are approximately the same size. This is proof of the fact that both sexes have approximately equal rights in relationships.

2. Swans

Swans form monogamous pairs that exist for many years, and in some cases, for a lifetime. Their devotion is so well described in literature that the image of two swans swimming with their necks curved in the shape of a heart has become an almost universal symbol of love.

3. Black vultures

Pleasant view is not prerequisite for committed relationships. Black vultures confirm this fact. They have been known to attack other vultures when they become wanton!

4. French bristletooth

It is unlikely that you will ever find a French bristletooth alone - these creatures live, travel and even hunt in pairs. These fish create monogamous relationships that often last as long as the partners live. Moreover, they act as a team, resolutely defending their territory from neighboring pairs.

5. Wolves

In folklore, wolves are portrayed as swindlers and swindlers, but in reality these animals lead a family life that is more faithful and pious than many human relationships. Typically, packs are made up of males and females and their offspring, essentially making wolf packs similar to a nuclear family.

6. Albatrosses

The albatross can fly a long distance over the ocean, but despite such long journeys, this bird will always return to the same place - and to the same mate - when it comes time to breed. Bonds between males and females are formed over several years and last a lifetime, cemented by stupid but loving ritual dances.

7. Termites

In an ant colony, the queen mates with one or more males, stores gametes all its life, and the male ant dies soon after mating. In contrast, male and female termites can mate for life, literally giving birth to an entire kingdom.

8. Steppe voles

Although most rodents are known to be sexually promiscuous, prairie voles break this reputation by forming typically monogamous pairs that sometimes last a lifetime. Moreover, prairie voles are considered an animal model of monogamy in humans. They cuddle and groom each other, share nesting and young-rearing duties, and generally display high levels of supportive behavior.

9. Bald eagles

They are the national emblem of the United States, and when it comes to maintaining relationships, bald eagles rise much higher than the country they symbolize. As a rule, bald eagles mate for life, except in cases of death or sexual impotence of the partner.

10. Beavers

Believe it or not, beavers are extremely loyal animals. These rodents live, on average, about 25 years. The head of the family is the beaver, so we can talk about a peculiar form of matriarchy. The mating season lasts from mid-January to the end of February.

Only one family lives in beaver lodges. Until the female gives birth to offspring, the father beaver provides her with food. Newly born beaver cubs live in their parents' house for up to two years, and then go off to build their own home.

By the way, “tenants”, for example, a muskrat, often move into the hut of a pair of beavers. Neighbors arrange their own housing so as not to disturb the owners.

11. Wild dogs

These inhabitants African steppes and savannas are another example of monogamy in the animal kingdom. Being the closest relatives of red wolves, wild dogs lead a lifestyle very similar to that of a wolf.

The flock is led by one dominant pair, which regularly produces offspring. Moreover, the male and female in this pair are faithful to each other throughout their lives and often lose their dominant position after the death of one of the partners.

12. Barn owls

These birds, found on the territory of Russia only in the Kaliningrad region, create a couple of times and for life. Moreover, oddly enough, it is the male who takes care of the development of relationships.

The courtship period lasts about a year, and during the mating season, the male builds a nest in a place suitable for breeding offspring and actively invites his chosen one to become the mistress of the nest. The final chord is the gift of specially caught prey.

While the female incubates the eggs and guards the hatched chicks, the male completely provides them with food - this is his main duty, which he seems to perform with pride.

13. Emperor penguins

Another extraordinarily loyal and caring lover of the animal world. Finding a partner for them is a responsible and far from quick task. But the resulting couple has an amazing mutual understanding.

The male penguin completely shares the care of the offspring with the female: he helps to hatch the egg, brings food if the female cannot leave the cub. Watches the cub while the female feeds. If suddenly the female dies for some reason, the father penguin completely takes over the educational functions.

This mating dance male The female is a little perplexed, but courtship makes her joyful, and she wants to fly:

One of the most amazing and very sad stories love occurred in 2006 on one of the lakes in Germany. A rare black swan named Petra became very friendly with a bicycle boat made in the shape of a white swan. He showed all the signs of falling in love - he circled around the object of his passion, sang songs to her and looked at her for a long time.

Reports were made about him, newspapers wrote, T-shirts with the image of the non-standard “couple” were sold in the park. There was no end to those wishing to order that same bicycle boat. But soon tourists began to rent it less and less, as Petra, who was in love, began to react rather jealously and aggressively to people who were vying for the attention of his beloved.

Ornithologists hoped that by winter the black swan’s strange infatuation would pass, and they seriously feared for it, knowing that swans are monogamous animals and if they fall in love, it will be for life. Their fears came true. When the boat was put away for storage in winter, the swan did not want to leave his beloved and still did not fly away from the freezing lake. As a result, the park management decided to allocate the couple a winter enclosure, where pelicans had previously lived.
Next summer the black swan's love and vehicle It was also strong!

2. Steppe voles - the male remains faithful to his female throughout his life, showing no interest in other females.

3. Dik-dik antelopes (we passed them “in January”):

Each of them is very gentle and affectionate towards their partner. Unusual is the fact that when the female is pregnant, the husband carefully takes care of her. And when the cubs are born, the father is not interested in them; he continues to devote all his attention to his beloved.
And when children reach 40 centimeters in height, i.e. of their adult size, the male sends them to the stump so as not to interfere.

4. Wolves lead a family lifestyle. They live in pairs that form forever until something separates them.

5. Bald eagles remain faithful throughout their lives. In the first weeks after the chicks appear, the female is constantly with the cubs, and the male is engaged in obtaining food.

6. Penguins form married couples for many years. One pair returns to the same colony each season to breed. Both parents alternately take part in incubating and feeding the chicks.

7. Hammerhead Shark:

8. Male red salamanders are monogamous and very jealous. Suspecting their female of infidelity, they begin persecution. Females have learned to skillfully avoid all kinds of harassment.

9. For black vultures, maintaining monogamy is a family matter. They not only live in pairs, but also nest together, incubate eggs together and care for their offspring. Cheating on one of the partners can cause the wrath of an entire flock.

10. Crows are together until the end of their days, but even if the male dies, the widow will never tie the knot with another raven again.
When a couple has offspring, the children live with their parents for a long time, helping them raise the next generation of chicks. Such a friendly crow family can reach 15-20 individuals.

11. Gibbons create incredible things strong couples for life. When a male and a female find each other, they look for a free area for themselves. Having found it, the male begins to sing loudly, notifying everyone within an area of ​​3-4 kilometers that the place has been reserved. However, some scientists believe that the famous songs of gibbons are serenades.

Young gibbons separate from their family in search of their mate. Often, such searches take several years, but the animal does not give up and never exchanges for “casual connections.” Parents often help unlucky bachelors by occupying vacant plots for them.

Another confirmation that love works miracles was a real sensation that happened in 2011 at the Zurich Zoo. An elderly pair of black-capped gibbons have given birth to offspring. It is worth noting that the spouses were not just mature age. The new mother was 37 years old, and the father was already 52 years old! And this despite the fact that in wildlife The average lifespan of such animals is about 25 years.
In St. Petersburg, gibbons sang lullabies to their son.

12. Our parrot remained faithful to her deceased husband for 10 years. The other males we provided her made her irritated and angry.
Only towards the end of her life was she able to fall in love for the second time.

13. Pigeons remain faithful to each other throughout their lives. These birds can be called true romantics. Their mating dances are incredibly beautiful and touching.
And they also kiss. There is no physiological practicality in the touch of pigeon beaks.

A male kisses a female during courtship:

The female pressed her paw - when happiness tickles from the inside, it is impossible to stand on two:

This is how gentle he is:

He's so brave, like a soldier. This will protect:

It’s so big and rainbow-colored, there’s nothing scary with it:

That's the kind of goiter he has, you won't go hungry with that:

They divide all responsibilities in half. Nest construction – collaboration pigeons.
The dove collects the material and the dove lays it down to form a nest.
The nest is used repeatedly, strengthening it each time.
Pigeons hatch future chicks in turns, but in to a greater extent This is still the responsibility of the female. As a rule, the male incubates them during the day, when the dove flies to water.

14. There are many other monogamous animals: beavers, arctic foxes, foxes, badgers, ermines, geese, ducks, albatrosses, clown fish, angelfish and even some types of spiders.
They are all capable of loving each other and creating strong, friendly families.

And through courtship they demonstrate reliability and responsibility. So that the female understands that she has got the best male, with whom she and the offspring will be protected, fed, and caressed.
The longer the courtship lasts, the more the female understands that this male will not leave her to her fate.
And if you exchange for everyone, then it will be like this:

--------------
IN post-war world, when the remaining men were few, and many of them were wretched (the smartest, strongest, most responsible and spiritually mature specimens went to the front), and women worked in the rear, and they needed to be strong, there was a program to revive the population.
Families with anyone were valued (drunks and parasites were sanded and educated), strong women were valued, wise, forgiving, patient, who became nannies, mothers, educators, etc. for males.

And nothing was required from men. They are already beautiful in themselves, even stinking under the fence. If only they didn’t go under the fence completely. If only they illuminated the family with their presence. If only they chose the one that

and completely gave up on everything except themselves.

These generations produced their own kind.
Currently, the evolution of men is divided into two branches:
1) men of the old type, the way they were shaped by millions of years of evolution from fish. They behave like the animals described above. They have "mating dances", courtship, gifts, a reliable shoulder, and in some cases even a neck.

2) men of a new type - they are sure that they are valuable because they are male. They are cowardly, deceitful, hysterical, incapable of empathy and other things...
They owe nothing to anyone, and least of all they owe it to the one they chose as their mate. Everyone owes them this.
They demand from women “mating dances”, courtship, gifts, reliable shoulders, and in some cases, necks. They are outraged and angry when a woman expects masculine behavior from them. They may also begin to take revenge. How dare she expect anything from the sweetheart? Let her be glad that they paid attention to her at all.

And generations strong women who raise strong women, instill in them that “even if it’s bad, it’s yours” as soon as possible - it’s more important than waiting for something good in the future.
If nature reasoned this way, we would now live in a world without animals.
And it’s very interesting what will happen next.
For now, species2 is thriving due to the influence of the post-war generation on subsequent generations.
And therefore

Created 04/13/2011 11:34

Humans like to think of themselves as loyal and devoted creatures, but upon closer examination, it turns out that many animals demonstrate better examples of maintaining cooperative relationships. Although monogamy is family bonds for life - in general, a rare event in the animal kingdom, below is a list of animals that transcend trends.

Gibbons

Gibbons are the closest relatives to humans and mate for life. Their unions are unusually strong, and they exhibit low sexual dimorphism, meaning males and females are approximately the same size. This is proof of the fact that both sexes have approximately equal rights in relationships.

Swans

Swans form monogamous pairs that exist for many years, and in some cases, for a lifetime. Their devotion is so well described in literature that the image of two swans swimming with their necks curved in the shape of a heart has become an almost universal symbol of love.

Black vultures

Looking nice is not a requirement for a committed relationship. Black vultures confirm this fact. They have been known to attack other vultures when they become wanton!

French bristletooth

It is unlikely that you will ever find a French bristletooth alone - these creatures live, travel and even hunt in pairs. These fish create monogamous relationships that often last as long as the partners live. Moreover, they act as a team, resolutely defending their territory from neighboring pairs.

Wolves

In folklore, wolves are portrayed as swindlers and swindlers, but in reality these animals lead a family life that is more faithful and pious than many human relationships. Typically, packs are made up of males and females and their offspring, essentially making wolf packs similar to a nuclear family.

Albatrosses

The albatross can fly a long distance over the ocean, but despite such long journeys, this bird will always return to the same place - and to the same mate - when it comes time to breed. Bonds between males and females are formed over several years and last a lifetime, cemented by stupid but loving ritual dances.

Termites

In an ant colony, the queen mates with one or more males, stores gametes throughout her life, and the male ant dies soon after mating. In contrast, male and female termites can mate for life, literally giving birth to an entire kingdom.

prairie voles

Although most rodents are known to be sexually promiscuous, prairie voles break this reputation by forming typically monogamous pairs that sometimes last a lifetime. Moreover, prairie voles are considered an animal model of monogamy in humans. They snuggle and groom each other, share nesting and young-rearing responsibilities, and generally display high levels of supportive behavior

Common turtle doves

In many works, doves appear in pairs, and over time they have become a symbol of love and devotion. They even inspired Shakespeare to write The Phoenix and the Dove.

Bald eagles

They are the national emblem of the United States, and when it comes to maintaining relationships, bald eagles rise much higher than the country they symbolize. As a rule, bald eagles mate for life, except in cases of death or sexual impotence of the partner.

There is a common misconception among most people that love and fidelity are phenomena unique to humans as the pinnacle of evolutionary development. But if you become familiar with the way of life of some species of living beings, you can learn from their example of real devotion, which amazes the minds of people and destroys ideas about the wild world. Many of the monogamous animals even acquired the status of a real symbol (or even a talisman) of family relationships.

Monogamy in the animal world is a type of relationship in which a male individual is in connection with only one female for a more or less long period of time (at least one mating season). Very often, such relationships last for several years, during which the male participates in the conception of the offspring, and then helps in raising them. In exceptional cases, the love of animals in natural environment habitat continues throughout life, until death.

Swans

Graceful snow-white birds from the duck family have been representing strong family ties for people for many decades; their image is used as a symbol of love and romantic relationships. First of all, this is caused by their appearance and behavior: the male and female affectionately press their heads to each other, and their long necks gracefully bend, forming the universal symbol of love - the heart. But it's not easy Nice picture, depicted on many romantic and wedding attributes, because swans are truly monogamous and faithful to their couple until the end of their lives.

Owls

IN fiction and in cinema, the image of owls has long been loved by millions of people, but they are depicted mainly as solitary birds. In reality, this is not entirely true. They do not form flocks, as many birds do, but their family ties in pairs are strong and long-lasting: both parents carefully take care of their offspring, providing their chicks with food until “coming of age.” Owls have brothers who are close in spirit and way of life, the owl-like birds, barn owls - pretty animals with a heart-shaped muzzle, which also form strong pairs.

Wolves

These beasts of prey often become the main anti-heroes of fairy tales, but the craft of happy family life they have developed to the highest level. Not only do they find a partner for the rest of their lives, but they also form real family groups of related individuals. Wolves are animals with high level intelligence, and in their flocks there is a clear hierarchy, headed by the strongest male and female. IN mating season they actively protect each other from lone wolves and she-wolves. After the death of one of the partners, the other no longer enters into a relationship, remaining faithful until death.

Gibbons

These primates are sometimes called small primates great apes, because they have a lot common features with us people. Just like humans, gibbons do not have specific mating periods, and the number of offspring per pregnancy rarely exceeds one cub. The child requires long-term care from his parents and becomes completely independent only by the age of 8-9 years. Gibbons are very picky in choosing a partner: in the wild they can search for a mate for a long time, and in zoos and artificial reserves they can ignore all individuals of the opposite sex if they are not to his (her) taste.

Foxes

Beautiful red mammals from the canine family are also good family men and parents. Social behavior These animals are highly developed, they form strong pairs and entire flocks of relatives. Male exhibits true love and tenderness towards the female: during pregnancy, he protects her, shows signs of attention and builds a family nest. Both the mother and father of the cubs take care of the offspring. But there is one nuance here: foxes are truly monogamous and remain faithful to their chosen one, but in the event of the death of a partner, the place of the father of the offspring can be taken by a “stepfather” who helps the female protect the little foxes.

Penguins

Male penguins are real heroes and role models. They share all economic and educational issues with the female: they tenderly care for the female during the period of incubation of the egg, bring food, and if the female needs to leave, she takes over the function of incubation. The hatched baby is also protected by both parents. In tragic cases, when the father or mother of the family dies, an individual of the opposite sex nurses the offspring alone, without accepting outside help or entering into new relationships.

Albatrosses

These seabirds choose their mates very carefully, and it takes them more than 10 years to find a life partner. Individuals are monogamous and remain faithful to each other even after the death of their partner. In exceptional cases, the union of these birds may end in a break: if the “lovers” for a long time If it is not possible to have offspring, then one of the partners may fly away in search of another couple. If fertilization was successful, then the partners together arrange their family home: collecting dry branches, moss and flowers, they build an attractive and cozy nest for their future family.

Beavers

Beavers build themselves small houses with real canopy roofs made from collected branches. Each structure houses only one seed: the parents and their young. In beaver families, real matriarchy reigns, because the female takes into her paws not only the initiative for mating, but also completely controls the upbringing and training of the offspring. Meanwhile, the father is engaged in construction and obtaining food for the family. But the pretty relatives of beavers, sea ​​otters(sea otters) will greatly disappoint lovers of cute photographs: despite the fact that male sea otters firmly hold the females by the paw (which has been captured hundreds of times by natural photographers), they are polygamous and can mate with several females during one mating season.

Bald eagles

A large and powerful-looking bird from North America also leads a monogamous lifestyle: a male and a female can be in a relationship all their lives. The eye of observers can be fascinated by the mating dance of eagles: in order to impress the female, the male begins a demonstrative flight, during which he either sharply dives down or flies up. When the female reciprocates his feelings, a passionate “dance” begins: the couple can chase each other in the air, catch each other with their claws and dive together all the way to the ground. However, these birds also have tragic partings. If in the spring (after wintering) one of the partners does not return to the nest, the other immediately looks for a replacement of the opposite sex.

French bristletooth

Even among fish there are strong couples. French bristletooths (four-eyed butterflyfish) are monogamous and form strong bonds. Supposedly they can only have one partner in their lifetime. These bright fish, after choosing a mate, do everything together: they swim side by side, get food and protect the territory from other inhabitants of the deep sea.

There are dozens more species of monogamous animals, but these are the most popular. Touching photographs of animals in love can prompt an important thought: maybe there is something to learn in the animal world?