And The First One Now Will Later Be Last Quiz

Answer:

It is true that most animals practice polygamy. There are very few mammals that are monogamous - an estimated 3-5%. While scientists used to believe that most birds were, studies have revealed that they are more socially monogamous, which means they cohabitate and raise their young together, but still mate with other individuals. Ducks, cats, gorillas, pandas, and river otters do not typically form lifelong bonds.

Beavers, on the other hand, do typically mate for life. Young beavers stay within the family group for about two years, so it really does take both mom and dad acting together to get all of the work done, protect the territory from other beavers, and watch out for the kids as well. If a mate dies, the other will usually try to find a new partner, and will stay with them for the rest of their life. Interestingly, studies have shown that American beavers may cheat on their mates, while European beavers are more faithful!

Seahorses are not the best swimmers, even though they live underwater. That makes it very difficult for them to swim around in the vast ocean to find new mates. Being in a monogamous relationship makes it possible for them to mate more frequently each season and have better success at producing more offspring. Their daily rituals of morning dances help to keep the pair bonded in more ways than one! Sources have stated that "Hippocampus whitei", that lives on the eastern coast of Australia, seems to be the species of seahorse that is most likely to mate for life, although others may mate for life as well.

That famous image of swans putting their heads together to form a heart? It is part of the flirting that is part of the swan's courting ritual. When swans do that, after a lot of preening and puffing, it shows that both agree that they are each other's mate. Now, swan partners can separate if one dies or if their attempts at mating do not produce offspring; scientists have said that about 9% of those who fail to mate divorce, and about 3% of those who mate successfully go on to find other mates. Raising their young takes an awful lot of time, and the parents are completely dedicated to protecting and teaching them. A lifelong partnership does away with the need to court every year and puts the time and effort into ensuring that the young survive. Smart thinking!

Turtle doves have long been symbols of love and devotion. The couple will build their nest together, incubate the eggs together, and work together to find food for the young. As with other species that have been discussed, finding a new mate each season would be a waste of time that could be used raising the kids. If one of the mates dies, the other can be seen in deep mourning, sometimes staying close to its mate's body for days.

Like the others on the list, wolves mate for life in order to ensure survival of their young, as well as to hunt more efficiently and maintain and defend the pack's territory. Both parents are deeply involved in raising the pups with feeding, teaching, and protecting them, and that, of course, contributes to higher litter survival rates. The alpha male and female group leaders are the only members of the pack allowed to breed; this keeps the pack at a reasonable size for finding food, and also prevents inbreeding among members, which are usually their grown pups and other relatives.

Gibbon males and females normally mate for life, and enhance their bond by singing songs together. They live in family groups that consist of the mom, dad, and their offspring of different ages, and both parents participate in raising the young. The youngsters usually stay with their parents until they are eight years old, when they are ready to mate and form a new family group.

One of the reasons that a male macaroni penguin will mate for life is because there are more males than females - and females are highly selective. That could make one want to keep what they have, so to speak! But another reason is that it takes a bit of a commitment to raise the young; the couple shares both incubation duties and foraging tasks, which helps to provide a better future for their offspring. It is interesting to note that what the couple practices is called serial monogamy. During mating season they will find each other, returning to the same partner, but aside from that, they will spend the rest of the year apart, mostly at sea, returning to the same nesting shore year after year. It has been estimated that over all penguin species, about 72% are faithful to their original chosen mates, with macaroni penguins being about 75% faithful.

Barn owls use the same nesting site year after year, and every spring perform the courtship rituals - like the males executing flight maneuvers and bringing the female food - to reestablish their connection. Like many animals that mate for life, the couple will divorce if breeding is not successful, or if one of the pair dies. Otherwise, they work together - the male brings the female food while she is incubating the eggs, and they both raise the young. Many different species of owls, including barred owls, great horned owls, and burrowing owls, also have similar mating practices.

Wow! Titi monkey dads really go all out to help take care of the baby. They typically will carry the infant for most of the day (scientists estimate about 80% of the time) until it is time for mom to feed it. In addition, the mother forages for food to feed the family. This increases the survival rate, while at the same time helps to deepen the bond between the male and female. They are said to rarely be apart, and even sleep with their tails intertwined. The family stays together - the two adults with several years' offspring - until the young reach the age of 2-3; at that time they are ready to leave to find their mates, form their own groups, and establish their own territories.

While you've probably never given much thought to prairie voles, their mating situation is quite interesting. They are known to have more than their fair share of oxytocin and vasopressin receptors in their brains. When a male and female cuddle after mating, the hormones flood their brains, which helps to strengthen their bond - to the point where they prefer that particular vole, and not some stranger! Once they are bonded, the pair makes their nest, raises their pups, and searches for food together, normally living together for life.