10 Best Animal Mums
If there are good dads then here are the best animal mums.
Elephant
Ask every mother what is the hardest part of motherhood and all will be in unison in saying giving birth is the hardest. How much more if you are to deliver a 90 kilogram baby. It got to be a hard experience that’s why our first mum, the female elephant, made it to the list. Add to the pain of giving birth these mums have to endure the ordeal of a 22-month pregnancy. Baby elephant is born blind so it has to rely on her mother’s trunk for navigation. Since elephants do has a “matriarchal society” rearing a calves is not a problem for these animals. Every adult ladies in the community take turns in baby sitting for the young ones.
Koala
We all know that koalas eat only on one thing: eucalyptus leaves (a very poisonous leaves). A female koala is equipped with a special digestive tract can endure this otherwise deadly treat, their bowels contain special bacteria that detoxify the leaves. Newly born koalas or ‘joeys’ lack eyes, ears and fur and the ability to detoxify eucalyptus leaves so they have to rely to their mums care. Koala mothers help their young ones build up their tolerance by feeding them her own faeces! For purpose of information, faeces are the body’s solid waste matter, composed of undigested food, bacteria, water, and bile pigments and discharged from the bowel through the anus. Joeys stay at their mothers pouch for about six months feeding on milk and forming their missing parts. While caring and nurturing their joeys, mums gets about 22 hours of shut-eye a day—that’s nearly 90 per cent of her life spent snoozing!
Alligator
The female alligator has a creative and ingenious way of keeping the temperature on its nest at a constant one by building it using rotting vegetation that produces heat so it takes from her the burden of sitting on her eggs. A very nice idea, don’t you think so? Even scientists marveled at the way female alligators handled the nest temperature. If the temperature is below 31 degrees Celsius (88 degrees Fahrenheit), it’s a girl and if it tops 33 degrees Celsius (91 degrees Fahrenheit), it’s a boy! Mothers carry their newborns in their jaws for protection as well as watching and aiding them to the water, where they will spend their early years on meals such as: fish, insects, snails and crustaceans.
Polar Bear
Since male polar bears are known to be Macho Gigolo – master of one -night stand, female poplar bears have to suffer for the ‘quickie’ relationship. They have to put on around 180 kg (400 lb) during their pregnancy! So to sustain a normal pregnancy, prospective mums are advice to eat as much foods as it could get. The reason is : if they can’t find enough food to double her weight, the poor fetus will be reabsorb by the body. Isn’t it weird? But the good thing is; female polar bears if ever they consumed that required diet will have an easy time delivering the baby. All she would to is to dig a maternity den where she goes into a hibernation-like state, doesn’t eat for two months and also sleeps through the baby’s birth.
Cheetah
Mother cheetahs have a nice way of rearing up their cubs and it needs a lot of patience. For two years or so, mum has to be always there to teach, guide and protect her cubs in the rigor of daily life. Teaching them how to spot and ambush a prey at the same time protecting them from possible predators. Once the cubs learned the needed tricks to survive the hostile environment, female cheetahs leave their children to fend for themselves and moves on to start a new family.
Orang-utan
We can call female orang-utan as “ Mrs. Do-it-all the” spending almost 90 % of her life high up in the trees, building a new nest every single night. These females nurse their babies the longest amongst animal, taking care of offspring until they reach the age of 6 or 7. Also worth note taking that female children often stay longer to learn child-rearing skills.
Red-Knobbed Hornbills
These small birds that are commonly found on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi make holes in trees to serve as their nests. Since monitor lizards crave for their eggs, these wily birds in order to protect the eggs have to designed the entryway to their nests with a very special sealant—their own faeces. Can you take that. The expectant mother has to stay in the hole for two months to incubate the eggs ignoring any of her own hunger pains to her detriment (the smell from her protection method).
Elephant Seal
A behemoth in terms of size, the female elephant seal can weigh up to 771 kg (1,700 lb). During the pregnancy period that will take an 11-month gestation period, these mums-to-be must have to add weight each day. They don’t believe in slimming process. However, as soon as she gave birth and starts nursing her cubs, she’ll lose about 272 kg (600 lb) in less than a month.
Octopus
Female octopus doesn’t approve of birth control – she lays more than 50,000 eggs. This mum guard her eggs from predators and giving them fresh oxygen by gently blowing currents of water over them. How long will she do this? It takes 40 days for the eggs to hatch. And during this time, mum-to-be can’t hunt for food so what is her recourse? Well, having eight arms, eating one of them is no big deal. Its better to be live 7-legged octopus than a dead eight-legged creature.
Sea Louse
Small but terrible, that amply applies to our top list. This small aquatic crustacean has a cunning way of luring male into his bachelor burrow for mating – in the company with 25 other pregnant females! Poor lady, and if that wasn’t bad enough, take note – once the babies are ready to be born, they make their way into the world by eating her from the inside out.
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39 Responses to “10 Best Animal Mums”
On March 17, 2009 at 4:12 am
Some enlightening information in this, I didn’t realise that an octopus would eat itself! Another well written and entertaining article.
On March 17, 2009 at 5:31 am
That is a fantastic article, papaleng. There is so much fascinating information there. You have taught me such a lot as usual. Great work.
Christine
On March 17, 2009 at 5:55 am
Another fantstic article papaleng,Loved it.
On March 17, 2009 at 6:44 am
Great article, very informative.
On March 17, 2009 at 6:47 am
The information here is great and so well presented and the pictures are amazing as well. Great read. Michael
On March 17, 2009 at 7:02 am
Cool and wonderfully put. Thanks!
On March 17, 2009 at 7:15 am
Thanks for the great info!
On March 17, 2009 at 7:30 am
Awwww….such good Moms!
On March 17, 2009 at 8:09 am
nice article.. and the best mum for me among the best mums is… the octopus! whew, nothing like losing a leg!
On March 17, 2009 at 9:01 am
^-^ I love it, its very interesting to know this kinda stuff, but i rather think that the sea louse is a little disturbing. But anywayz, thanks for the good read!
On March 17, 2009 at 9:20 am
Excellent article, with so much food for thought.
Monica
On March 17, 2009 at 10:23 am
This was nice.
On March 17, 2009 at 10:40 am
who needs an encyclopedia when papaleng`s around!
On March 17, 2009 at 10:55 am
There is nothing fiercer than the love of a mother’s. Wonderful article. Take care.
On March 17, 2009 at 11:22 am
you’re right RutherFranc! hehe
On March 17, 2009 at 12:19 pm
You’ve hit it again kabayan. What an interesting and informative piece.
On March 17, 2009 at 12:52 pm
Great top ten. pics were A+ and thank you for providing such detailed info with each mum
On March 17, 2009 at 1:04 pm
Wow! I wish I could sleep through childbirth!
On March 17, 2009 at 1:18 pm
lovely article with so much information. The images catched my eyes a lot! Thanks!
On March 17, 2009 at 1:57 pm
Important facts about best animal mums.,as well documented.
On March 17, 2009 at 2:41 pm
Nice Article, I love the pics!
On March 17, 2009 at 2:46 pm
Great ariticle, I really enjoyed it……..
On March 17, 2009 at 4:10 pm
Interesting article, my friend.
On March 17, 2009 at 6:14 pm
Poor elephant mums, and we human mums think we have it hard carrying the baby nine months.
On March 17, 2009 at 8:04 pm
Fascinating article.
On March 17, 2009 at 8:59 pm
Another thumbs-up article!
On March 17, 2009 at 9:07 pm
Wonderful article, papaleng!
On March 17, 2009 at 9:18 pm
Wonderful and fascinating article.
On March 17, 2009 at 9:35 pm
Great photos!
RJ
On March 17, 2009 at 11:45 pm
Wonderful article.
Thank you,
Inna
On March 18, 2009 at 12:34 am
I very much enjoy reading this. They are surely best animal mums!
On March 18, 2009 at 10:26 am
Great article, papaleng! Lots of interesting facts I did not know about. The pictures are so cute! Like the sleeping baby polar bear and mum, too precious! Or mommy cheetah and adorable cubs. Awww! ^_^
On March 18, 2009 at 6:26 pm
Great work! I always enjoyed reading your stuff. Great pics too. I loved it! Thanks for sharing
On March 19, 2009 at 12:08 am
you are the man my brother you are a skilled writer and deliver a very interesting story or article every time this one is also a wonderful work god bless brother oh and I took your sujestion in regards to arguing my point with non believers god bless my friend in christ
On March 19, 2009 at 5:54 pm
the sea louse is very facinating and practical
On March 21, 2009 at 8:13 pm
Thanks for this nice info bro.
On March 22, 2009 at 11:51 am
Very interesting article.
On April 1, 2009 at 12:19 pm
Well written & informative.
On September 11, 2009 at 10:07 am
An excellent article as usual.
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