This week’s for the Dads Doing It Right series I am going slightly down a different path. This week’s post was inspired from my family’s trip to Disney World a few weeks ago. During that trip especially in the Animal Kingdom and Epcot parks there were a few mentions of how animal dads have unique roles in child rearing. If there are any other “nature dads” that you think we should check out leave their name and info in the comment section below.
Banggai Cardinal-fish – Caretakers In Nature
We were getting out of a ride in Epcot and the exit led us to the aquarium. We saw a bunch of different types of fish. One that stood out was the Banggai cardinal-fish. The fathers take creating a safe home for their offspring to a whole new level. The fathers will forgo eating for several weeks, instead using their mouth cavity to incubate eggs. Once the eggs hatch, the father will continue to provide them a safe haven in its mouth until the young are large enough to live on their own.
Not Your Common Murre Of A Dad
Common murre parents both take the responsibility of nesting, egg incubation and child rearing their offspring. What stands out of the Common Murre dad is that when it is time for parents and chick to leave the rocky cliffs they nested on, they do not leave their offspring for good. These birds will call to their chick, encouraging the flightless, three week old bird to plunge into the water below. Once a chick joins his parents, the father stays with the chick for three weeks to a month. The dad will get food for the babies and make sure they are taken care of until they can fend for themselves.
The Unique Life Of Seahorse Dads
The male seahorses and sea dragons get pregnant and bear young—a unique adaptation in the animal kingdom. The female seahorse transfers her mature eggs into the male’s brood pouch, where they are fertilized. At the end of a gestation period usually lasting from two to four weeks, the pregnant male’s abdominal area begins to undulate rhythmically, and strong muscular contractions eject from a few dozen to as many as 1,000 fully formed baby seahorses into the surrounding water.
Tibetan Fox – The Stay At Home Fox
Once the offspring come into the world, the mom and dad Tibetan Fox both take on the roles of child rearing. The young ones stay with both the father and the mother until the age of 8 to 10 months. The dad will stay at home or the den when the mom goes out for food. The mom and dad fox will take turns watching their kids when the other one goes out to hunt.
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