A Salute to Fathers of Other Species
The Father Catfish
A father sea catfish keeps the eggs of his young
in his mouth until they are ready to hatch. He will
not eat until his young are born, which may take
several weeks.
A father cockroach eats bird droppings to obtain precious nitrogen, which he carries back to feed his young.
The Father Cockroach
The Father Earthworm
Since earthworms have both male and female sex
organs, every earthworm can be both a mother
and a father! Animals that have both male and
female organs are called hermaphrodites.
The male Darwin frog hatches his eggs in a pouch
in his mouth. He can eat and continue about his
business until his tadpoles lose their tails, become
tiny frogs, and jump out of his mouth!
The Father Darwin Frog
Marmosets are tiny South American monkeys. The
fathers take care of their babies from birth. When
the marmoset is born, the father cleans it, then
carries it to the mother only when it needs to be
nursed. When the baby can eat solid food, the
father will feed it.
The Father Marmosets
A father Emperor penguin withstands the Antarctic
cold for 60 days or more to protect his eggs, which
he keeps on his feet, covered with a feathered flap.
During this entire time he doesn't eat a thing. Most
father penguins lose about 25 pounds while they wait
for their babies to hatch. Afterward, they feed the
chicks a special liquid from their throats. When the
mother penguins return to care for the young, the
fathers go to sea to eat and rest.
The Father Emperor Penguin
Rheas are large South American birds similar to
ostriches. Father rhea takes sole care of his young.
From eggs to chicks, he feeds, defends, and
protects them until they are old enough to survive
on their own.
The Father Reas
A father Nam-aqua sand grouse of Africa's Kalahari
Desert flies as far as 50 miles a day in order to soak
himself in water and return to his nest, where his
chicks can drink from his feathers!
The Father Nam-aqua Sand Grouse
The male sea horse has a pouch in which the mother
lays her eggs. The father then looks after the eggs
for about two months, until they hatch and leave the
pouch. He continues to protect the young until they
are able to live on their own.
The Father Seahorse
But we all know who
the Greatest Dad really is!
YOURS!
A father carries pictures where his money used to be.
~Author Unknown
