Ten Great Dads (of the Animal Kingdom)

In honor of Father's Day, we love to read Eric Carle's Mister Seahorse.  This is a great book about one of the most famous animal dads and some of his lesser known dad friends.  We also enjoyed the most recent Ranger Rick Jr that discussed Seahorses and other awesome animal dads.  So we compiled our own list of the top ten animal dads.  We included several dads that are helpful at birth, but thought the bests dads really ought to be the ones that help after birth as well.

10.  The Giant Water Bug

This giant beetle dad has up to 150 eggs cemented on his back.  He dutifully carries those eggs for a few weeks until they hatch. 

9.  Seahorses and Some Other Types of Fish

Seahorses are a rarity in the animal kingdom as it is the father who gives birth.  But he is not the only doting fish parent, as Eric Carle's book teaches.  There are other fish that carry eggs for the family in a variety of different ways.  Some carry eggs in pouches, while others carry the eggs in their mouth or on their back.  And some fishy fathers stick around after the fries have hatched to protect their little ones.

8.   Emperor Penguins

These dads have to deal with some tough conditions.  They spend about two months balancing an egg on their feet to protect it from the harsh conditions in Antarctica.  They dutifully wait for the mom to return from her fishing trip and if the egg hatches before she returns, the dad is able to cough up a milk for the hungry chick.

7.  Rheas

These large flightless birds won't win any awards for spouse of the year.  The male keeps a group of up to 12 females around.  The females will wander off after they have laid their eggs to see who else is around.  But the male will put all the eggs in the nest he built and protect them until they hatch 40 days later.  Then he continues to protect the young and raises them on his own.  He prefers the life of a single dad.

6.  Frogs

There are thousands of types of frogs out there and not all make the great dad list, but some of them do some truly amazing things.  The female Darwin's frog lays her eggs in the leaf litter.  The dad stands guard for a few weeks, until he sees movement in the eggs.  Then he swallows them, which is where the crazy part of the story begins.  He doesn't eat for several weeks, while the eggs hatch and the tadpoles undergo metamorphosis.  Then fully formed frogs climb out of the dad's mouth.  That would be quite the sight to see.  Another exhausting parenting pair is the strawberry dart frog.  The father helps to guard the eggs and bring them water.  After hatching, both parents have been seen carrying the tadpoles to a bromeliad.  Each tadpole gets its own home.  Then the mom goes about to each site to lay unfertilized eggs for the tadpoles to eat.  And many other frog dads help protect their offspring, guarding egg sites, and in my son's favorite scene from the David Attenborough documentary, dig channels to help them reach water as needed.

5. African Wild Dogs

As a pack, African wild dogs have their jobs.  The moms usually stay with the pups while the males and the non-breeding females head out to find food.  Dads will chew the food up and spit it out for the young to eat, giving them an easier time eating their food.  This helps to protect the young from the dangers of the hunt as well.

4. Golden Lion Tamarin

These little primates tend to have twins and dad helps to carry the little ones around.  The dad carries them around most of the day, handing them off to mom every few hours.  They nurse for about fifteen minutes and then are back on dad's back.  Once they reach four weeks, dad helps to feed them soft foods, peeling  and mashing the bananas for their young.  Two to three weeks later, the tamarin young start to adventure more on their own.

3.  Gorillas

Another primate that takes his responsibility seriously is the gorilla.  Gorillas may be in charge of a clan of 30 gorillas.  He finds food for the whole troop, and then shares the food with mom first.  He acts as a protector for the troop, often having to protect the young from other male gorillas that would kill the young while taking charge of the troop.  But what makes him stand out as a good dad is the quality time he spends playing with and teaching his children, while also helping to break up squabbles.

2.  Ostriches

The male and female ostrich work together as a team incubating the eggs.  Males tend to take the night shift, perhaps because their darker color will help them camouflage the nest better.  After they hatch, dad helps to protect the young and teaches them about feeding.

1.  Red Foxes

In our opinion, red foxes were the best dads.  While mom is nursing, they run out for food for the two of them every few hours.  As the kits get bigger, dad calls them away to play.  These play times aren't just for fun.  Dad will bury food for them to find, teaching them about foraging and using their senses.  They practice games of predator and prey, because the young will have to work both sides.  They roughhouse and if they stop watching for predators, dad will give them a friendly reminder.