Cool animal carers
No nest, no problem
No nest, no problem
Cuckoos aren't great parents.They just get other birds to raise their
young for them. Cuckoos lay their eggs in other birds' nests in
Europe or Asia - then they migrate back to Africa, leaving a different
type of bird to feed and raise their chick. This is bad news for the
other baby birds, who are often pushed out of the nest by the
bigger, noisier, cuckoo chick.
Dad of the yearDad of the year
Did you know male seahorses give birth? Well, sort of… Female
seahorses lay their eggs in a pouch on the male's belly. For two
to four weeks, he makes sure the babies (called 'fry') get all the
food and oxygen they need, until they're ready to swim free.
Weird!
John, did you
know that
human women
give birth?
Burp!
You're growing
big and strong!
"Can I get a ride?"
"Can I get a ride?"
Poison dart frogs are always willing to offer their kids a lift!
They carry eggs or tadpoles on their backs to pools and
streams where they can grow. Other species of frog and toad
do this too, but poison dart frogs are especially caring.
We get there
when we get
there!
Stay close to mum
Stay close to mum
Kangaroos are such hands-on parents, they hardly ever put their babies
(known as 'joeys') down. That's because female kangaroos have special
pouches for their young. They give birth to a jelly-bean-sized baby who
climbs up their mother's fur and into the pouch. Mother kangaroos feed
their joeys for about six months before they're ready to hop out.
Can I get
down now?
That depends,
have you
finished your
milk?
Are we nearly there yet?
Here are some of the ways animal
parents care for their babies - from
carrying them in pouches, to leaving
them with strangers!
12 animalaction.co.uk