Reproduction is the reason why all life exists on Earth.
Be it a single cell dividing, a plant pollinating or animals mating, there is no way that life
can exist without reproducing.
And well, reproduction, at least in animals, requires sex.
But it doesn’t have to be as cut and dry as that.
Which is why there is a complex courting mechanism in place not just in humans, but animals too!
So let us have a look at some of the most romantic animals on Earth!
10.
Wolf Eel.
If you think you will never find love because you are ugly, just look to the wolf eel for
inspiration.
There is no one who would ever say that these animals are not ugly.
They have a grey, pebbled skin, a fat head and continuously wiggle in the water to stay
afloat.
The wolf eels can grow up to 8 feet tall and they are generally known as the old men of
the sea.
And it might not just be their look that has given them the name.
Studies have shown that the wolf eels find a mate when they are around 4 years old and
produce their first batch of eggs 3 years later.
Then, they build a home in the crevice of a rock and take turns to guard their young
ones!
Even though they have not been studied in the wild, aquarium studies have shown that
the mates usually live with each other till the end of their life cycle, which is around
28 years!
Kind of a sweet old fashioned romanticism, right?
9.
Albatross.
When you have wings, you should fly!
That seems to a general statement for all birds but the albatrosses have taken it to
heart.
They are among the most well travelled animals on Earth and have been known to even circle
the Earth!
But that does not change the fact that they are in love with their home and return to
the place of their birth to mate!
And they have a very complex mating ritual as well!
The birds will dance, flap wings, make calls for hours in a flock until 2 of them decide
that they are meant for each other.
And that’s what they actually do.
After identifying their mate, albatrosses usually do not change partners!
The reason for that is that they breed slowly and only produce one egg at a time.
So, the mates actually take turns to protect their young ones.
What is amazing is that the pair will spends months apart at a stretch, but will always
come back to each other!
Talk about long distance relationships!
8.
Anglerfish.
If devotion was something you look for in a mate, then the anglerfish is something you
should definitely study!
These fish mate for life, and it does not look like they have an option for breaking
up even if they wanted!
The female fish are larger compared to the males, and when they want to mate, they let
out a chemical signal.
This is picked up by the males, who have kind of the largest nose to head ratio in all animals,
and they approach the females to mate.
But of course, given their bigger size, the females tend to intimidate the male.
Which is why when one of them decides to approach, he makes sure its for life.
Male anglerfish will approach the female and bite them!
And this sort of love bite is the strongest in the world.
The jaws of the male dissolve after the bite and their flesh fuses together so that the
male becomes a kind of sexual parasite.
Over time, the male’s eyes and fins waste away as he receives nutrition from the female
blood and produces sperms in return!
Talk about a lifelong bond!
7.
Bowerbirds.
When it comes to impressing a female, the bowerbirds are second to none!
Found mainly in New Guinea and Australia, the bower birds are really colourful and beautiful
birds, and the males are actually extremely romantic.
They get the name because of a structure they build to display their creativity.
The males decorate the bowers with leaves, berries, shells and even things made by humans
if they come across this.
The purpose of this decoration is to attract a mate.
You see, the female bowerbirds usually inspect a lot of these art pieces and see the dance
of the owners of these displays before choosing a mate she thinks is best!
But sadly though, the romance ends there because the females are very independent.
After the mating, they will build a nest and raise the young ones alone!
Well, the love in bowerbirds may not be long lasting, but it is definitely very romantic!
6.
Mantis Shrimp.
The mantis shrimp are among the most fascinating creatures you will come across.
Some of them have a punch so hard that it can increase temperatures and even produce
light!
And they also have very sensitive eyes which can see more colours than even humans!
And not just that, they have a pretty interesting mating practice!
The males are generally more colourful to attract the females.
And once the females have chosen a mate, the males pass on a packet of sperms to the females
who then releases her eggs.
Once fertilised, the females take the eggs to her burrow where she stays without even
food till they hatch!
The males have no part in this but the pair come back together after the job is done!
That’s loyalty!
5.
Polar Bears.
Polar bears are really amazing creatures to look at.
The hulking white bears are usually found on the Arctic circle and spend most of their
time on sea ice.
But they are also pretty romantic when it comes to it.
Although the choosing of mates is very far from that.
They gather in the best seal hunting areas in large numbers and the males get into fierce
fights over mating rights.
These fights often result in scars and broken teeth as well.
But once a pair decides to mate, they get all cuddly with each other.
Adult bears are not known to be playful with each other but this changes during the mating
season.
They will ski down slopes, trample through snow and roll around!
Kind of like a really good honeymoon isn’t it?
They spend about a week with each other and mate several times before the females dig
a maternity den and rest there till the cubs are born!
But they are not very loyal, and polar bears are known to be polygamous.
4.
Seahorses.
In the animal kingdom, the role of the male is usually very limited when it comes to their
offspring.
They are generally relegated to sperm donor duty while the females take on most of the
work.
But an exception to that is the seahorse.
They take forever to find a mate, often ending up dancing for days before they find one.
And for some reason, there is also a high prevalence of same sex mating in them!
But when a male and female do choose each other, the females use an organ called an
ovipositor to deposit the eggs inside a pouch that resides on the belly of the male.
The eggs remain there until they hatch, and since young sea horses are completely capable
of taking care of themselves, the male releases them from the pouch.
But of course, the love between the pair is not very long standing because as soon the
eggs are hatched, they go off looking for new mates!
3.
Bonobos.
Bonobos are animals that are very close to humans genetically.
We share 98.6% of our DNA with them and as it turns out, we can definitely learn something
from them.
Bonobos actually live by the saying of make love not war!
The females have a dominant place in their society and they use their sexuality to full
effect!
For example, whenever they encounter a high stress situation they will start touching
their genitals to remind the others what they will miss out on!
And when two rival bands of bonobos look like they are about to have a go at each other,
they perform an impressive array of sexual acts on each other to defuse the situation!
Say no to violence, right!
2.
The great Hornbill.
For starters, hornbills are monogamous, so that tells you a lot about their mating drive!
But if the term nester could find its place of origin, this would be where it would look!
The male hornbills headbutt each other in an attempt to catch the eye of a female, and
when one of them does decide to mate with a male, what follows is quite remarkable.
The pair will fly off to find a suitable place for a nest, usually in a hollow high up in
the tree.
Once the nest is done, the females make a few additions of their own!
Using her own poop and that of her husband, she will build a wall that completely traps
her inside except for a small opening from where the male can pass her food.
She will lay the eggs, wait for them to hatch and then wait for some more time till the
children are big enough and only then does she emerge from the nest.
This takes about 5 weeks, and even after that, the children are locked up again behind poop
walls for 2 more weeks before they are ready to fly!
That is dedication for you!
1.
Pufferfish.
There were a few occasions when divers off the coast of Japan came across some complex
patterns made on the floor of the sea.
They had no idea where they came from and it remained a mystery that was solved only
after a decade!
And when the culprit was finally found, it left people in shock.
The 7 feet designs had been made by the pufferfish, which are only 5 inches long!
The purpose of the designs left people in further awe of these tiny creatures!
They had been made by the males in order to attract a female.
The complex designs are made by the fish flapping their fins to burrow the sand and nudging
the floor with their nose.
They even pick up shells from places to lay them on the ridges and they have to repair
it often as the tide tends to disturb the designs!
But the effort finally reaps rewards when it attracts a females.
But hey, even if it doesn’t, full marks for trying!
We hope that this video has given you some ideas on how to impress your mates!
And if you have ever encountered any of these fascinating mating rituals, let us know what
it feels like to witness the love in real life in the comments section below.
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