Only if I had a penny every time my mother asked me if I ate anything the whole day, I’d would be a billionaire and a fat one too! The unconditional and selfless love a mother provides is sub-par. Scared? Can’t find your socks? Hungry? Had a bad day? “Mummy” is the word to shout it out loud! Indeed, mother knows best!
BuzzOnEarth is sending love to all the mothers in the whole universe. Mothers come in all shapes and sizes. As much as we appreciate human mother’s dedication to their children, the altruism depicted by the mothers of the wildlife for their babies would leave you speechless with a lump in your throat.
On the precious Mother’s Day, we bring you 8 of the most amazing and remarkable mothers of the wildlife that are taking parenting to the next level.
1. Orangutan
In critically endangered orangutan’s world, mothers are one exceptionally dedicated species. The mothers give birth to one baby at a time and take care of it for six to nine years, that beats any other animal single parent.
The long time the mother and child spend together builds an unbreakable bond with each other as well as other apes. During the years together, the highly intelligent apes teach their babies to find homes, edible fruits, to make leafy beds by letting them observe and lend a helping hand while doing so.
2. Strawberry Poison-Dart Frog
Found in the rainforests of central and South America, the extremely beautiful strawberry poison dart frogs are the most poisonous animals alive. The mother dart frog literally goes to extreme lengths to ensure the safety of her babies.
The female lays about six eggs at a time. After they develop into tadpoles, soon they could end up eating each other, so the mother carries each tadpole on her back and climbs through the wild to find small pools of water which would be a home to each tadpole. Generally, the home is the deep base of a bromeliad plant leaf containing a little water.
Each day for several months, the mother continues to travel back and forth checking and bringing food for each of the babies.
3. Orca
Orca, also known as Killer Whale, contrary to its name, is the largest member of the dolphin family. The mother orcas are one of the most hardworking mums in the whole world. During the first month of their newborn’s life, there is no rest for the orca mother.
The orca calves do not sleep a wink during the first month and neither does the mother. On an average, orcas sleep(float motionlessly) in the water for 6 to 8 hours. But when the calf is around, they swim continuously for a month avoiding predators and building calf’s muscle and fat reserves.
4. Red-Knobbed Hornbill
The funny looking red-knobbed hornbills are one of the most peculiar and private birds on the planet. In order to keep her young ones safe from predators like monitor lizards, the mama hornbill seals herself inside the tree holes by narrowing the hole using their own feces. Apologies if that killed your appetite!
The mother occasionally breaks a little of the seal to receive food brought to her by male hornbill and then rebuilds it. For entire two months, the mother incubates the chicks inside the hole.
5. Giant Pacific Octopus
The giant Pacific octopus, the largest octopus in the world lays 100,000 eggs and nurture and protect them for six months caressing them to keep them clean and supplied with oxygen without feeding themselves. She never leaves the eggs not even for food!
And the saddest or the happiest part of her life is that she spends last of her energy helping the hatched babies getting out of the den. Then she dies. Another word of sacrifice is ‘Mother’.
6. African Elephant
The highly matriarchal African elephants carry their babies in the womb for almost a whooping period of 2 years. The entire tusker group helps the newborn member of the family. Elephants give birth to the heaviest babies on the planet.
The calf learns to sniff plants and where to stride from the members of the herd. The mother, grandmothers, sisters and aunts (called “Allomoths”) are all very affectionate towards the calf. In fact, the elephants celebrate the birth by trumpeting out loud. Afterall, how can anyone ignore the cute little elephant calf in the room?
7. Cheetah
The slender cheetahs are undoubtedly the most striking animals either by looks or abilities. The cheetah mothers take the cheetah magnificence one step ahead. Their litter usually consists of two to six cubs and the mother leaves no stone unturned to raise its young ones efficiently.
For 18 months, the mother lingers with the cubs, feeding them, teaching them what and how to hunt. After learning the survival instincts, the Cubs leave, the boys in packs and girls all alone. The mother moves on to start a new family.
8. Wolf Spider
Usually found in coastal and inland habitats, wolf spider is the finest example of a doting mother. They carry unborn spider babies on their back in a round silken globe, the egg sac attached at the end of the mother spider’s abdomen.
The mother is even capable of hunting carrying the huge mass on her back. She makes sure that the sac never drags along the ground. When the eggs are hatched the mother spider carries her babies around on her back for many days.
The list ends here but there are numerous species which show extreme love for their babies. Although it’s numbered, there is no order to this list. Can’t put a number on mother love! Comment below if you can think of any exceptional mother! And don’t forget to send some love to your mums.
Image Credit: Pixabay