The best fathers among animals: caring for offspring. Caring for offspring in animals How animals take care of their offspring coloring book

16.06.2019

As you know, for a successful existence species each generation of its representatives must leave behind offspring capable of reproduction. In the process of childbirth and the subsequent process of caring for offspring, mainly instinctive behavior is realized. So, for example, immediately after the fetus leaves the birth canal, the female mammal releases it from the membranes, gnaws through the umbilical cord, eats the membranes and afterbirth, and actively licks the newborn. The cubs of a female who does not provide primary care for them are doomed to death in nature, and this trait itself, which is largely hereditary, is eliminated with them.

The success of the survival of the offspring to a large extent depends on the adequacy of the behavior of the parents, which is an important factor. natural selection. Caring for offspring in many animals begins with preparation for its birth. Often seasonal migrations animals are associated with movement to breeding areas, sometimes many thousands of kilometers from their habitat. Animals that do not make such long journeys also choose their nesting territory in advance, and many of them carefully guard it and prepare shelters - nests, burrows, dens adapted for future offspring.

Types of care for offspring

In the animal kingdom, there are the most different forms caring for offspring: from complete absence to the most complex and long-term relationships between children and parents.

Complete lack of care for offspring

Let us note that, in its simplest form, care for offspring is present in all organisms and is expressed in the fact that reproduction occurs only under conditions favorable for offspring - in the presence of food, a suitable temperature, etc. In the future, most invertebrates and fish do not show concern for offspring. The success of existence similar types ensures their mass reproduction. In the vastness of the ocean, many species of invertebrates and fish, gathering in giant flocks, lay millions of eggs, which are immediately eaten by a huge variety of carnivorous creatures. The only salvation for such species is the colossal fecundity, which nevertheless allows the minimum number of descendants necessary for the existence of the population to survive and live to a sexually mature state. Hundreds and millions of eggs are calculated in many species of fish that lay their eggs in the water column. So, the female living in northern seas large sea pike - molva spawns up to 60 million eggs in one season, and a giant sea fish-moon, reaching a weight of one and a half tons, throws up to 300 million eggs into the thickness of ocean waters. Fertilized eggs left to chance, mixing with plankton or sinking to the bottom, die in myriad quantities. The same fate befell the larvae that hatched from the eggs, but the survivors are still enough to maintain the population of the species.

Carrying the laid eggs on the body of one of the parents

Females of many marine animals attach laid eggs directly to their bodies and carry them, as well as hatched juveniles, until they become independent. Similar behavior is observed in many aquatic animals: starfish, shrimp and other crustaceans (Fig. 12.9). This behavior represents the next step in the complexity of caring for offspring, but in general it is not very inventive.

Rice. 12.9.

passive way of caring for offspring

The number of eggs laid is inversely proportional to the level of parental care. This pattern is well confirmed by starfish, among which there are both species that spawn eggs directly into the water, where they are fertilized by the sperm of several males, and species that bear eggs on their bodies. In species of the first group, the number of eggs maturing in the body of a female reaches 200 million, while in starfish that take care of their offspring, the number of eggs laid does not exceed several hundred.

Oviposition in a previously selected or specially prepared environment by the female

Construction of nests and their protection until the birth of offspring

A more perfect type of care for offspring can be considered the construction of a nest, the laying of eggs or caviar there and its protection until the growing young leave it. This behavior is typical for a number of fish species, spiders, octopuses, some centipedes, etc. To a similar level of care can be attributed the bearing of eggs and fry in the mouth by males of some fish, as well as eggs and tadpoles on the hind legs of the midwife toad. The described level is characterized by the absence of any interest on the part of parents to juveniles that are gaining independence.

Rice. 12.10.

Caring for offspring until they become independent

Long-term care for offspring is noted in some species of invertebrates and fish. Care for the offspring of social insects reaches great perfection.

Many examples different types parental behavior demonstrate amphibians (Fig. 12.10). In higher vertebrates, there are different ways care for offspring, which depend primarily on the level of maturity of newborns. In the most in general terms among them can be distinguished following groups parent behavior:

- rearing of offspring by one female or one male;
- raising offspring by both parents;
– raising cubs in a complex family group.

With an extremely beautiful coat. Because of their amazing skin, they were on the verge of extinction in the recent past. This is due to people who exterminated beavers in huge numbers, using their skins for sewing fur coats and hats.

More hardworking animals are hard to find, they cannot live without work, they are born builders who use their strong teeth as tools. Beavers are also exemplary spouses and parents. Matriarchy reigns in their family, in a pair, the female and the male are very kind to each other and raise offspring together. If you are interested to know how beavers care for their cubs, read this article.

Description of beavers

In ancient times, the ancestors of beavers were of enormous size, their current descendants are not so large, but they cannot be called small rodents. An adult beaver reaches a length of 1.3-1.4 m and weighs 25-30 kg. Females are different large sizes. The female mother leads the whole family, it is she who organizes construction works and controls the filling of pantries with stocks for the winter.

The beaver's limbs are short, they move clumsily on land, but in the water they have no equal in swimming and diving. The muzzle is blunt, the ears are small. The fur consists of two layers: an outer red-brown hair and a thick undercoat. gray color. Such a “fur coat” is able to protect the beast from the cold and does not freeze in icy water.

The beaver uses a black hairless tail instead of an oar when maneuvering underwater. It is horizontally flat and covered with scales. The pride of these animals is their teeth. They are unusually strong and continue to grow throughout life. If these industrious rodents if they were not ground down daily on wood, it is impossible to imagine how long their teeth would grow.

in wild nature

The usual habitat of beavers is freshwater bodies that are surrounded by forests. At the same time, the reservoir should be deep, if it is a river, and not a lake, then the current in it should be very slow. In many cases, these water workers build dams and thus create for themselves right conditions. They work mainly at night, during the day they prefer to sit out in their underwater dwellings.

Beavers are convinced vegetarians, their menu consists only of woody and plant foods. AT summer time they eat leaves, buds, shoots and, of course, branches. They stock up on wood for the winter, the older couple makes the whole family work so that in winter there is enough food for both adults and adults. Since beavers take care of their cubs, they need to work a lot. Young people cannot take care of themselves until they live with their parents and learn how to survive from them.

How beavers take care of their cubs: from birth to 2 months

The mating season for beavers falls in the winter, when they have little work to do and they most spend time in their houses. Fertilization takes place in January - February. The female carries the babies for approximately 100 days. From 1 to 6 beavers are born at a time.

Babies see perfectly, their weight is about 0.5 kilograms. They have a fluffy coat from birth. After two or three days, the beavers are already able to swim. To the question of how beavers take care of their cubs, one can unequivocally answer - excellent! The beaver mother is very kind to the little ones, but at the same time she does not forget to teach them life with all rigor. To accustom them to water, the first time she has to push the resting beaver cubs into the underwater corridor by force. But this is only for their benefit, a caring female will never harm her offspring.

Up to two months, the beaver, one might say, does not leave the little critters, feeds them with milk, cleans their “fur coat”. After the babies are a month and a half old, they are gradually weaned and accustomed to regular food. First, they are given soft leaves and water lilies, in addition, they are also fed with mother's milk. All members of the family take care of the cubs, protect and monitor so that they do not get into trouble.

How animals take care of cubs (beavers): from 2 months to 2 years

In the first year of life, beavers are under the vigilant control of older relatives. Growing up, they get out and, together with adults, gradually merge into the working rhythm of life. Young people are too curious, often get into dangerous situations. Since beavers take care of their cubs in the most serious way, the growing offspring feel safe in the territory that the family occupies.

Before the end of the first year of life, young rodents reach a weight of about 10 kg. Up to the age of two, they live with their parents in their home. The family of beavers consists of a parent pair and their offspring of the current and last year.

For two years, beaver parents have been trying to teach their children everything they need in an independent life: building dams, dwellings, organizing pantries and how to store food for the winter, how to protect themselves from natural enemies.

At the age of two, trained young beavers must leave the territory of the family. They scatter around the area in search of a couple and, together with her, equip their own housing.

Care of animals of different species for their offspring

Most of the species of animals take care and protect their offspring better than some negligent people. You already know how animals (beavers) take care of their cubs. Here are some interesting facts about how parental care is manifested in other representatives of the animal world:

Lions always accompany the lion cub on a walk, keeping close to him and controlling his every step.
. The elephant will gladly adopt an abandoned or orphaned baby elephant and will take care of him no worse than own mother.
. The squirrel each time before leaving the house carefully wraps up its babies, as they are born completely naked.
. When there is a strong heat, a protective pigment is released in the milk of a female hippopotamus. The little hippo feeds on reddish milk.
. If the conditions for the birth of a cub are unfavorable, the female armadillo is able to freeze the pregnancy. A baby can be born even after 2 years.

In the course of the evolution of the animal world, a number of methods have been developed that increase the survival of offspring. One of them is the care of the parents for the young before and after birth. Some animals carry their young on their bodies, others build houses for them, and still others feed their offspring.

Such parental care ensures an increased survival rate of the species, and for some species, the transfer of social experience. Most interesting cases custody of "parents" will be discussed in this article.

Caring parents among fish

Most fish do not worry about their cubs: after laying their eggs in the water, the fish spread in different directions. But in such fish, the survival of the species is ensured by a huge number of eggs. But among the fish there are caring parents. For example, nannostomus chooses dense algae for masonry or aquatic plants that will protect the caviar. Fighting fish build their own saliva nest! Usually the male does this: he fills his saliva with air and whips it into foam. In such a foamy nest, fry hatch under the watchful eye of the “father”, who stays with them until the cubs learn to feed on their own.

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amazing animals

Tropheus lay very little caviar - and in order to save offspring, they are forced to carry caviar, and then fry, in their mouths. But the cubs are comfortable and safe! Cichlids, on the other hand, have adapted to lay eggs in the shells of bivalve mollusks.

Caring parents are shellfish

Not everyone knows that octopuses are the smartest creatures. The size of their brain is large, and the structure of the eyes resembles the complexity of the human organ of vision. Octopuses are not worse than people take care of their babies. After mating, the male octopus soon dies, and the female seeks a safe shelter in the stones, climbs there and lays eggs.

The love of parents for their children knows no bounds, and this applies not only to people, but also to our smaller brothers. When children are born, we all become equal and try to give our children as much warmth and care as possible so that they do not need anything and are always full and satisfied with life.

One of the most best moms - domestic cat. Her maternal instinct makes itself felt a few days before the birth. All these days she is in search of an object for her care. After the birth of kittens, he will not move a single step away from them and will not allow anyone to approach them. Cats literally do not have a soul in their kittens, selflessly dissolving in caring for babies. The instinct of motherhood is phenomenally developed in domestic cats. At the same time, many cases are known when they fed, tenderly caring, and representatives of other families, doing this no less faithfully than taking care of their own children. People have noticed this for a long time. They began to use these animals in fur farms for feeding newly born sables and foxes. A cat can take a cub of any animal under its care and leave it. And he will not be deprived of either love or care.
In one interesting study by German zoologists, an experiment was conducted on raising small chickens by a cat! The mother cat looked after them, licked them and put them to bed, hugging them to her to warm them with her warmth. When, during the experiment, a brood of chickens was attacked by a hawk, the cat, without a moment's hesitation, rushed to their defense and, even greatly inferior in "combat power" to a deadly predator, managed to save helpless babies from inevitable death!

Tigresses are not inferior in their care to cats. A mother tigress feeds her little tiger cubs with milk for up to six months, even though they are quite capable of eating meat after two months. From the second half of the first year of existence, the mother tigress begins to patiently teach the kids the tricks of hunting, without the knowledge of which the cubs would simply die in an independent life. It is interesting that the whole process of feeding and training lies entirely with the tigress - the father-tiger practically does not take part in this.

If a lioness becomes pregnant, then, shortly before giving birth, she leaves the pride, finds a shady, inconspicuous place, and offspring are born there - on average, three cubs. For the first time, their mother takes care of them, and after returning to the pride, all lionesses are equally affectionate with the cubs and do not distinguish between their own and others.
Newborn lion cubs weigh only 1-2 kg. On the 11th day they open their eyes, and on the 15th day they begin to walk. For the first two months of life, they eat only milk, but at this age they return to the pride with their mother and, in addition to milk, gradually get used to meat. At the age of 7 months (up to 10) they switch completely to eating meat. Soon they begin to accompany adult lions during the hunt, and from 11 months old they can already kill prey on their own. However, independent life is still far away: a lion cub usually does not leave a pride until the age of two or even four. Young females generally remain in the pride. The lion, as the head, remains in the territory subject to it and protects it and its cubs from the encroachments of hyenas and other lions. At the same time, the lioness, being the breadwinner of the entire pride, spends her time hunting. The upbringing of offspring from lions is completely the responsibility of the lioness. When the cubs grow up, she takes them with her, preparing them for independent life in a world full of dangers.

Elephant mothers show no less concern for their babies. Elephant bears a cub for 22 months, and then takes care of him very much long time. All newborn baby elephants are blind, overgrown with hair and poorly standing on their feet. They are constantly in need of help. A young mother is always helped by an "aunt" - an experienced elephant from the herd. She teaches an inexperienced mother everything related to caring for a baby. The same “aunt”, like a midwife, was next to the elephant during childbirth and assisted her. Stronger elephants have excessive curiosity and playfulness. Having played too much, they can run away and get lost. Supervision of them is a real punishment for a young mother. Therefore, not only the “aunts”, but all the female elephants of the herd feel responsible for the young. This allows you to surround the elephants with round-the-clock care.

Orangutans can get pregnant only once in 8 years, so children are very long-awaited and loved for them. The females will take care of their lives as well as their own. Female large monkeys (orangutans, gorillas, macaques and baboons) show touching care for newborns. The cub is under vigilant maternal control for a very long time. They constantly caress him, look lovingly into his eyes. The females begin to acquaint the grown-up and strengthened baby with the pack. This is very similar to human behavior. Orangutans and gorillas are very patient and never punish their cubs. They have been raising their cubs for about 10 years: they are taught to get food, to distinguish edible grass from poisonous, build a nest, keep out of the rain.

Bears are caring mothers, they spend several years raising their cubs. Bears are in third place after humans and primates in terms of care for their cubs. A female bear gives birth to 2-3 tiny cubs weighing about 0.5 kg each. They are blind, naked, helpless and in need of maternal care. The bear keeps the cubs warm on her belly among the wool, warming her with her hot breath. She feeds the cubs with thick milk, which she produces from the fat reserves accumulated since the summer. With the onset of heat, the grown-up cubs leave the den together with the she-bear and, under her supervision, bask in the sun and feed on what can be found in the forest at this time.
Bear cubs, who are one year old, are called pestuns. They share maternal care for little cubs. After 3-4 years, the cuddlers grow up, the kids become cuddlers themselves. The bear father does not participate in the upbringing of offspring. In the taiga, where there is an abundance of food for bears, they do not show aggression. But this cannot be said about a she-bear with a brood. It is better not to come across such an individual in the field of view at all. If a mother decides that you are a danger to her offspring, even an armed man will not be able to oppose her.

living in a very harsh conditions polar bears, however, are exemplary in caring for their young. Mother bear, preparing for childbirth, is actively gaining weight, which almost doubles by the time the offspring appears! And all this only in order not to die of exhaustion after the appearance of little cubs - after all, they need not only to give birth, but also to feed them! And this is not a matter of one day.
Before giving birth, the she-bear arranges for herself a cozy lair in the snow, where she falls into half-asleep - some kind of hibernation among her mainland counterparts. In this state, childbirth occurs. Having been born, polar bear cubs are completely helpless and need round-the-clock care of their mother. This is where the added weight comes in handy. A mother bear carefully feeds her cubs for eight months, and only after that she takes them out of the den to take them to the water and teach them how to fish.
Over the next few years, the mother bear takes care of her cubs, teaching them all the tricks of life in harsh Arctic conditions, showing an example of maternal love and care for her offspring.

The beaver mother is very kind to the little ones, but at the same time she does not forget to teach them life with all rigor. To accustom them to water, the first time she has to push the resting beaver cubs into the underwater corridor by force. But this is only for their benefit, a caring female will never harm her offspring. Up to two months, the beaver, one might say, does not leave the little critters, feeds them with milk, cleans their “fur coat”. After the babies are a month and a half old, they are gradually weaned and accustomed to regular food. First, they are given soft leaves and water lilies, in addition, they are also fed with mother's milk. All members of the family take care of the cubs, protect and monitor so that they do not get into trouble.
For two years, beaver parents have been trying to teach their children everything they need in an independent life: building dams, dwellings, organizing pantries and how to store food for the winter, how to protect themselves from natural enemies.

A cautious fox, before the appearance of offspring, arranges its hole in the most
remote corners of the forest. In addition to the main hole, she makes several more spare ones, so that in case of danger there is where to drag the cubs. When babies are born, the mother feeds them with her milk, warms them with her body. In the first months, she leaves the hole only to eat and again hurries to the children. After two months, the cubs open their eyes and erupt their teeth. Then the mother takes them by the scruff of the neck and takes them out onto the soft grass, into the sun. Fox teaches kids to be careful. As soon as the fox cubs hear a suspicious rustle, they rush at full speed and hide in
burrow. Every day the mother kicks the children out into the sunshine. The cubs tumble in the grass, run after each other, and the fox sits and guards. At first, the fox herself brings them food - a mouse, a frog, and when they grow up a little, the mother begins to teach them to hunt: she takes the children away from the hole and shows how to catch bugs, butterflies and mice.

The koala is Australia's cutest and most beloved marsupial. Cubs are born hairless, blind and deaf, tiny and teddy bear-like. For 5 - 7 months, children remain in their mother's bag,
feeding on mother's milk, after which they move to her back, where they live for their own pleasure for quite a long time.

Kangaroos are amazing animals. They are not only beautiful and unusual,
but also caring mothers. Even in the largest kangaroos at birth, the cub weighs less than 1 gram. The newborn crawls into the mother's pouch, where it clings to one of the four nipples. A kangaroo can produce four types of milk, depending on the age of the kangaroo. Each type of milk is produced in a different nipple. Also, she can have two kinds of milk at the same time if she has babies. different ages.
The mother takes care of the babies even after they leave the bag. Large red kangaroos have a unique feature that allows them to increase the conservation of the genus. Despite the fact that a female kangaroo usually has only one cub after mating, she can delay the appearance of another one while she is carrying the first one (while she does not need a male at all). Thus, in the event that the female lost the cub, or, as sometimes happens, he quickly grew up and left the mother's pouch, she can immediately begin to bear the second. This feature of delaying the bearing of a cub is also used by large red kangaroos in cases where they find themselves in adverse conditions for bearing offspring.
By the way, another interesting feature of this species is that the female kangaroo produces milk of different fat content for cubs of different ages - moreover, it can do it at the same time.

Hedgehog is a very conscientious mother. She arranges ahead of time for her children a "children's room" - a round hole underground, lined with a thick layer of dry leaves. Here 7-8 babies are born, blind, helpless, pink and soft. After two weeks, their eyes open, they grow
needles. The first days the mother does not leave the hedgehogs for a minute and feeds them with her milk. Leaving, she covers the children with grass and leaves: the kids are not visible, and they are warm in such a package. When hedgehogs open their eyes, they begin to leave the nest. They hug each other. Those who have strayed from their mother squeak plaintively, and the mother runs back and looks for them. He finds and pushes with his nose so that they do not lag behind.

Despite their ferocious appearance and remarkable strength of toothy jaws, female alligators are among the most caring mothers in the animal world. Even before laying eggs, the mother alligator carefully chooses a place for masonry. At the same time, she prepares two different places - one for the future girls, and the other for the boys, arranging one in a pile of rotten warm leaves, and the other with cool moss.
After the eggs are laid, the mother takes over the vigil, guarding her future children like a vigilant sentry. It is clear that, being under such protection, almost all eggs remain safe and sound. And immediately after little crocodiles appear from them, mom sends them all into her huge mouth! But not at all in order to have breakfast with them, but in order to deliver them to the water. Mom takes care of her children for a whole year!

Female killer whales cannot be denied vigilance. The fact is that newborn dolphins cannot fall asleep within a month after their birth. Their mothers have to adhere to the same schedule in order to be able to follow the restless offspring and protect the cubs from numerous enemies in time.
Dolphins - mothers spend a lot of time teaching their cubs various skills: to swim correctly, to catch prey, to avoid danger from predators.
Female dolphins never leave their cubs in trouble, and also adopt other people's babies who have become orphans, saving dolphins from starvation.

Continue to describe examples of manifestation maternal instinct in animals it is possible ad infinitum. One thing is clear: just like people, they are looking forward to replenishment, take care of babies, rejoice in the success of their cubs and encourage them in every possible way.

In conclusion, I really want to remember and watch with you one of the best and kindest cartoons ever created in our country - "Mom for a Mammoth".
Soviet cartoon of 1981. Screenwriter: Dina Nepomnyashchaya. Director: Oleg Churkin. The roles were voiced by: Klara Rumyanova - a mammoth, Zinovy Gerdt - a walrus, Rina Zelenaya - an elephant and a hippo, Zinaida Naryshkina - a monkey.
There are very special cartoons that seem to be intended for children, but also melt the hearts of adults. "Mom for a mammoth" is just one of those. At the sight of a small and lost cub looking for its mother, everything turns upside down in the soul.

Mom for a mammoth is a cartoon that inspires us with the simplest and most important feelings in our lives. Feelings of love, compassion, pity, hope. It is only thanks to them that we are human.

The process of hatching eggs emperor penguin lasts about two months, during which the male holds the egg in his paws, covering it with folds of skin to protect it from the cold and so that it does not roll onto the ice. This position of the body forces him to starve during the entire period of incubation.

The relationship of animals to their children is very diverse - some, like people, take care of them as a couple, some - alone, others do not take care of them at all. The frog leaves the laid eggs immediately, and so does the turtle. However, it is worth noting that they lay a huge number of eggs, due to which at least part of the offspring survives. In some species of snakes, the young are born already independent, so there is no need to monitor them. Although there are exceptions here: even despite the independence of the cub, the female cobra looks after him. The rest of the animals, for the most part, take care of their offspring for quite a long time.

Can only females produce offspring?

In some species of animals, the fathers carry the eggs laid by the female in their bodies. For example, a seahorse takes eggs laid by a female into its abdominal pocket, and after about 15 days it prepares for childbirth: clinging to algae with its tail, it produces up to 200 fry. The male frog rhinoderm Darwin, common in South America bears the eggs laid by the female in her vocal sac, where the eggs turn into tadpoles. After that, they independently leave their "incubator", crawling out of their father's mouth.

small predators

The Nile crocodile lays its eggs in a hole covered with earth and plant debris. When the cubs are ready to hatch, they make a special sound, thereby signaling the mother that the time has come to remove the eggs from the ground.