The trials and tribulations of being a parent is never easy. In the animal kingdom, it is even more trying, as everything depends on survival. It is often believed that when it comes to parenting, the males of the animal world shirk their responsibilities and leave it up to the mother. But this isn’t necessarily true with some species. When it comes to parenting, these dads put it all on the line for their young’s survival.

Emperor Penguins

When it comes to good fathers, there’s nothing these dads won’t do. The moment the female lays her egg, the male Emperor Penguin steps up to care for the egg. The female passes the egg to the male. He must be quick when receiving the egg, as it can freeze in the 40 below weather of the Antarctic. Once the egg is passed to the male, the females will leave the fathers behind for nearly two months. It’s a good thing the fathers bulked up before the females left, for they will not get a chance to eat until the females return. The fathers will huddle together in the cold for warmth, keeping the eggs nestled underneath them, on top of their feet. When the eggs finally hatch, the fathers, who have lost half of their weight by now, will feed the chicks with a milky white substance that resembles milk. When the females finally return, the fathers transfer the chicks back to the mothers, so that they can finally get a chance to eat.

Sea Horse

Sea horse males are the only male animals capable of giving birth. The female will deposit her eggs into the male’s abdomen. The male fertilizes them, and then the embryos will attach themselves into the male’s pouch. Here he will nurture the embryos, delivering oxygen and removing waste. As if this wasn’t taxing enough, he will then go into a painful labor, whereby his color will drain, becoming pasty in appearance. The exhausting contractions will leave him spent after pushing up to nearly 200 sea horses out of his body. No sooner is he done giving birth, that some males will begin to show off their pouch, wanting to become impregnated again!

South American Marmoset (or Common Marmoset)

The male marmoset is an outstanding father in the terms of fatherhood. After a few weeks, the mother begins to pull away from the young. She will usually give birth to twins, although triplets aren’t unusual. The father will then take care of the young by grooming them, feeding them, and carrying them on his back. At times, the male has even acted as a midwife, by licking the newborns. It is thought that male marmosets become highly involved in the raising of the young because the females give birth to such large infants (they make up 25% of the mother’s weight). Not to mention that unlike other species, where nursing can act as a from of birth control, in marmosets, the female can become pregnant again within a matter of weeks.

Red Fox

The male red fox is ever so attentive, not only to his offspring, but to his mate as well. After a month of the young’s birth, the mother doesn’t do any hunting at all. She stays in the den providing warmth and food for the young. That means dad must forage for food and provide for his family. The male red fox even attentively plays with his young and exhibits keen excitement when playing. But after three months the free meals come to an end. However, the father doesn’t just leave the pups high and dry. He teaches them how to forage for food by burying scraps in the ground, thus enabling them with the skills necessary for their survival.

Darwin Frog

The father of this bizarre looking frog is dedicated to his young’s survival. After the female lays her eggs, the male will stand guard until they are near to being hatched. He will then take the eggs in his mouth where they will slide into his vocal sac. Even though the eggs are in the father’s vocal sac, he is still capable of eating. The eggs will continue to develop in the male’s vocal sac, until they become tadpoles. When the tadpoles’ tails fall off and they become froglets, they leave the protection of their fathers care, and venture out into the world on their own.

Jacana

Despite the fact that his mate is a two-timer, and that his children might not be his, the jacana father will never leave his brood. Why you ask? Because the female has lost all capabilities of rearing her young. Instead, she’s too busy out and about carrying on in what has to be one of the weirdest roles of sex-reversal. Once the female lays about 4 eggs, she leaves the male to incubate and care for the young, while she’s copulating with multiple males. The male tolerates this behavior because they somehow understand that by abandoning the mixed-parentage eggs, this will eventually lead to their deaths. So caring is the father, that if he detects the eggs are in danger, he will move them to a new site. Once the eggs have hatched, he will teach the chicks to forage for food. If they are threatened, he will carry the chicks under his wings to safety.

Flamingo

Not only are they doting partners, but they take an active part in the rearing of their young. While the female finds a suitable site to build their nest, the male will then actively participate in the building of the nest. The female will lay one egg, which is then incubated by both parents. While the female can feed the chicks a milk-like substance, the males are also capable of producing this substance to feed the young.

Silverback Gorilla

The dominant male of the troop is the patriarch of a family of maybe 20-30 gorillas. He will protect the group from outside threats, such as other male gorillas that may try to kill the young when trying to usurp power. They will resolve disputes, acting as mediators, and guide the troop while seeking out food. He attaches special bonds with the females, as well as affectionately playing with his offspring. But he is quick to put them back in line with a stern warning if they get too precocious.

Great Horned Owl

Once he has found a mate, the pair will find a nest. The female will keep the eggs safe and warm, which means the male must search for food. In most bird species, the female is smaller. This isn’t the case with birds of prey. The female great horned owl is 25% larger than the male. So not only must he feed himself, but he has to constantly bring food home to his mate. Once the chicks hatch, his task of feeding the family multiples. He must then feed the chicks, on top of his partner, for an additional 2-3 months.