Which Animals Have Mates for Life?

Yes, several species mate for life, but you’re far more likely to find these rare couples sporting feathers rather than fur in the animal kingdom. According to BBC Earth, while up to 90% of bird species partner up for a lifetime, only 3 to 5% of mammals form monogamous relationships. So, who are these die-hard duos, and when we say mate for life, what does that really mean?

The answers may surprise you.

10 Animal Species That Mate For Life

Gray Wolves

Eurasian Beavers

California Mice

Shingleback Skinks

Parasitic Flatworms

Black Vultures

Barn Owls

Bald Eagles

Pacific Striped Octopuses

Seahorses

Grey Wolves – The Amorous Alphas

The gray wolf partnership is just as much about status as it is about ensuring the longevity and stability of the pack. It’s easier for an alpha male to protect one mate from other pack members. With pack numbers seen as high as 30 in the wild, and the potential to mate lasting the entire lifetime of the luna or alpha female, keeping other potential suitors in check is essential.

Only the male and female alpha, also known as “the breeding pair,” are permitted to reproduce.

Eurasian Beavers – A Hardworking Relationship

If you’re a she-beaver looking for love, you can’t depend on snaring your partner with one tasty “engagement chicken” and then kicking back and ordering take-out for the rest of your relationship. Male and female Eurasian beavers pair up in order to get enough tree bark to keep each other fed. This hardworking couple also shares housekeeping and parenting duties.

California Mice – They Don’t Dare Cheat

Is that lipstick on your collar?! OK, so mouse arguments probably don’t sound exactly like that but mated California mice are known to angrily bark at each other when separated and placed with other mice for a time. The good news for the calmer California mouse in a mated relationship?

Couples who avoided these little tiffs or quickly decided to forgive and forget were more likely to produce healthy offspring.

Shingleback Skinks – A Rare Reptilian Pair

We’re not sure if it’s … Read the rest of the story.

from Nature Nibble https://ift.tt/N26YnFD