Animals that mate for life: macaroni penguin

Animals that mate for life: macaroni penguin
Shutterstock

Do penguins mate for life? Well, some, but not all. However, more than 90 per cent of birds are monogamous animals, though none of them show affection quite like macaroni penguins. These adorable couples dance when they see each other, called ‘an ecstatic display.’ They puff up their chests, swing their heads side to side, and make a gurgling-like sound. Once their baby is born, the father looks after the chick while the mother hunts for food.

Don’t miss these penguin pictures that will absolutely melt your heart.

Advertisement

Animals that mate for life: sandhill crane

Animals that mate for life: sandhill crane
Shutterstock

Humans have love songs and poetry, but sandhill cranes have ‘unison calling’ to profess their bond to the world. Female cranes squawk twice and the male cranes respond with a single squawk. We doubt it would have the same effect on humans.

Is romance dead? According to a new survey, it might be.

Animals that mate for life: seahorse

Animals that mate for life: seahorse
Shutterstock

Long before male seahorses carry their babies in the pouch on their stomachs, they flirt with potential mates by intertwining tails and dancing around each other. Female seahorses, on the other hand, can get jealous and compete with each other for a certain male.

Animals that mate for life: grey wolf

Animals that mate for life: grey wolf
Shutterstock

An alpha male and his female partner are basically a power couple; the social hierarchy of all other grey wolves in the pack depends on them. The couple breeds once a year.

Here are some daily habits of couples in healthy relationships.

Animals that mate for life: barn owl

Animals that mate for life: barn owl
Shutterstock

Barn owls also have their own language of love. Male owls ‘flirt’ with potential mates by giving them dead mice and screeching, and females who are interested respond by croaking.

Check out these small but significant romantic gestures that can improve any relationship almost immediately.

Animals that mate for life: shingleback skink

Animals that mate for life: shingleback skink
Shutterstock

The shingleback skink is a type of lizard native to Australia that returns to the same partner each mating season. The males woo the females by caressing and licking them, but the romantic chase pays off; their partnership could last more than 20 years. Couples even walk close together, with the male following slightly behind his mate.

Animals that mate for life: bald eagle

Animals that mate for life: bald eagle
Shutterstock

Just like the wolves, eagles return to their same partners each mating season. The male eagles also help keep the eggs warm and feed the little ones after they’re born.

Animals that mate for life: gibbon

Animals that mate for life: gibbon
Shutterstock

These small apes have relationships that can mirror those of humans, in that couples do cheat, breakup, and even ‘remarry.’ Relationships aren’t easy, even for these monogamous animals. For the primate couples that do stay together, they groom each other and equally help raise their children.

Humans aren’t the only creatures that hug. Check out who else likes a hug here.

Animals that mate for life: black vulture

Animals that mate for life: black vulture
Shutterstock

Vultures have a rather grim reputation, but at least they can be creepy with a loving mate. During courtship, male vultures circle the females with extended necks, and then chase and dive toward them. Couples stay together all year round, and once eggs join their family, they take turns incubating them for 24-hour shifts.

Animals that mate for life: beavers

Animals that mate for life: beavers
Shutterstock

Not much is known about how beavers find their mates, but once they do, they stick with that partner for life. A genetic study by Charles University in Prague even found that beavers stay faithful to their mates. Granted, this only applies to European beavers. North American beavers do partner up, but they also, as we humans would say, “see other people.”

Here are some subtle signs you’ve got a cheating spouse.

Never miss a deal again - sign up now!

Connect with us: