People like to think of themselves as the most faithful on the planet, but when it comes to true loyalty, some can lead by example on how to maintain relationships with each other.
While monogamy throughout a couple's lifetime is generally rare in the animal kingdom, there are some animals that do.
gibbons
Gibbons are the closest relatives of people who prefer a single partner. They are monogamous, a rare trait in primates, according to National Geographic. They form extremely strong bonds in pairs and have low sexual dimorphism, which means that males and females of this species differ little in sexual characteristics, and both sexes are on relatively equal terms.
Once the choice of partner has been made, each will spend time wooing each other and (literally) hanging out together. But more recent research has shown that these alliances are not as strong as previously thought. The male sometimes flirts with other females or even leaves the pair, over time their culture has become perhaps a little more like ours.
Swans
Swans form monogamous couples for many years, and in some cases, these unions can last a lifetime. Their fidelity to their partners is so legendary that the image of two swans swimming with heart-shaped necks joined has become an almost universal symbol of love.
Although, everything is not as romantic as it seems at first glance. Given the time it takes to migrate, establish territories, incubate and raise young, spending extra time to attract a mate can minimize the reproductive period. One of the advantages of monogamy in this case is that the swan duo learn about their successes or mistakes after each successive litter.
Black vultures
Good appearance is not a necessary condition for a long and faithful relationship. In reality, the family of black vultures are watching this themselves. They attack other vultures that have been seen doing amorous things on the side!
The researchers even looked at DNA genotyposcopy genetic data to better understand black vulture monogamy. A study published in the journal Behavioral Ecology found that “created pairs demonstrate long-term relationships and year-round relationships, and in equally share duties in the incubation period of the offspring and its feeding. Being once parents, this couple will stay together for life.
French bristletooth
You hardly ever heard of such a fish. These creatures live, travel and even hunt in pairs. Fish form monogamous bonds that often last as long as both individuals are alive. In fact, they act as a team to vigorously defend their territory against neighboring pairs.
The researchers also observed how a pair of this beautiful fish travel to the surface of the water to release their eggs and sperm together.
Wolves
Often depicted as tricksters and swindlers in folklore, wolves possess family life which is more faithful and godly than most human relationships. As a rule, a pack consists of a male, a female and their offspring, which, in fact, makes wolf packs akin to a strong family. Older offspring even help take care of their younger siblings.
A pack can have anywhere from three or four wolves to as many as 20, depending on the food source in the area.
Albatrosses
Albatrosses can fly long distances over but, despite their long journeys, this bird will always return to the same place and to the same partner as soon as it is time to breed.
The connection between the male and the female is formed over several years and will last throughout life, it is periodically fixed through stupid, but very gentle ritual dances. In addition, using these dances, birds can court each other for many years to find the perfect partner.
The albatross only lays one egg each year, so it's important to choose the best partner to raise a limited number of chicks.
termites
In an ant colony, the queen mates with the male(s) once, retains the gametes to procreate, and the male ants die shortly after mating. In contrast, several species of termites can mate between a female "queen" and one male "king" throughout their lives, and they literally give birth to their entire kingdom.
Termites tend to stay with the same partners for a long time. Some species can be together for up to 20 years.
“If the couple decides to break up, then the situation will not do without bloodshed,” says researcher Janet Shelmann-Reeve (Janet Shellman-Reeve) from Cornell University. She found that relationship breakups were often accompanied by physical abuse. Termites can gnaw off each other's antennae, for example.
steppe voles
While most rodents have a reputation for promiscuity, prairie voles break that image by forming typically monogamous pairs that sometimes last a lifetime. In fact, voles are often cited as an animal example of human monogamy. They meet and groom each other, share the responsibility of building a nest, and show a high level of support as a couple.
If suddenly the male shows at least one hint that he will not remain in a pair after the birth of offspring, the female "immediately grabs him by the collar."
doves
This emblem of love and fidelity even inspired Shakespeare, being the subject of his poem The Phoenix and the Dove.
Doves are also called weeping doves or rain doves. The male takes care of the female, flying noisily after her, with the help of his wings he makes a special whistling sound. Then he puffs up his chest, shakes his head several times, and calls to her. She, of course, remains smitten with such love on the spot.
Schistosoma mansoni worms
When worms reproduce sexually in humans, they form monogamous pairs that usually stay together for the entire cycle.
bald eagle
They are the national emblem of the United States, and when it comes to maintaining relationships, eagles soar much higher than most people in the country they represent. The bald eagle mates for life, barring the death of their partner or impotence, a number far lower than America's divorce rate, which is currently over 50 percent.
“Bald eagles remain in pairs until death do part, often returning year after year to the same nest. And while in the nest, the pair are constantly adding additional pieces to the structure, so that after many seasons the nests are gigantic structures and a symbol of their loyalty.”
National Geographic website
Most of us think that animals- creatures are monogamous and they mate exclusively for the continuation of offspring. And it really is, because life cycle many animals and insects is too short to constantly look for an old partner, and the mortality rate is too high to remain faithful to the same chosen one for the rest of life. However, there are exceptions and they are very interesting. Some animals and insects can even compete with humans in terms of fidelity and temperament.
The most faithful animals are swans. Legends and songs compose their loyalty. Swans live up to 100 years and are rightfully considered a symbol of love. Once choosing a mate, these incredibly beautiful birds remain faithful to each other until the end of their lives. The family life of a swan couple can only be envied, this is an example of strong friendship, tender care and mutual compassion. They do not change each other even when one of them dies. So, a very touching story happened a few years ago in the Bois de Boulogne of France.
Friend of one of the swans swallowed bait along with a hook and almost died, and her partner, a swan, got ashore and began to ask for help from passers-by, rushing at them and waving his wings strongly. Passers-by realized that the bird had a problem and informed the police about it. He called for veterinary help and helped put the injured bird into the car. What was the surprise of the people who saw how calmly the male swan behaved at that time and quickly climbed into the car where his beloved was lying. Veterinarians saved his soul mate, and now a caring spouse, seeing a man with a fishing rod on the shore, will definitely warn his beloved about the danger with a distinctive cry.
Second most loyal in the world animals occupied by Magellanic penguins. They remain devoted to each other for 10-15 years, and after this age, the bulk of these birds die during migration. The most amazing thing is that the penguins do not cheat on their partner even when, during their winter travel are thousands of miles apart.
Unlike penguins, dolphins they do not know how to be devoted to their couple. Despite the high, these mammals in the mating season surprise with their promiscuity and temperament. They can have sex even on the go, arranging a real battle between the dolphins claiming the female they like. Usually male dolphins live separately from females, and during the mating season they are ready to do anything just to please the lady.
Dolphins, just like humans, experiencing pleasure from sex and in order to deliver the highest pleasure to the female, the male circles around her for a long time before mating, gently and affectionately touches her body with his fin, tail and nose. Watching the behavior of a male dolphin during the mating season is an incredibly beautiful and exciting sight. Dolphins are the most gallant boyfriends in a state of love. They even give their beloved gifts - fish, corals, algae, shells, which they specially extract from the bottom of the sea.
The most lustful animals and best lovers You can call the chimpanzee bonobo. The well-known animal researcher Frans de Waal described the behavior of these mammals as follows: “Bonobo chimpanzees have sex as if they had read the Kama Sutra. They are as good at erotic techniques as people are at articulate speech. Bonobos never fight each other. When they arise conflict situations, they simply copulate, while practicing the most sophisticated methods.
Chimpanzee bonobo engage in sexual intercourse every two hours, using oral caresses, "French" kissing and mutual masturbation before sex. These are the only animals in the world that can have sex in the "missionary" position and practice same-sex relationships. Watching the life of these monkeys, one can often see a "shameless" scene: two males sit opposite each other and gently caress their penises. No wonder these chimpanzees are called the sexual surprise of evolution, they are free in love, like gypsies. Bonobos make love to everyone, regardless of position, kinship, gender or age.
Real Casanovas and March cats. Having awakened from winter suspended animation, they not only yell at the top of their lungs, but also do not calm down until they satisfy a dozen. Do not lag behind cats in terms of love and cats themselves. It is enough to observe their behavior during estrus to understand how voluptuous these animals are. Fluffy pets during this period do not sleep and do not eat, and their fellow tribesmen, who are on free range, get into the taste so much that they are ready to satisfy all thirsty cats and more than once.
What kind of toys for sex not sold today in some stores. Nozzles with pimples, bumps, tassels ... But all these inventions of mankind were put to shame by a boar, whose genitals look as if a large carving was specially applied to it. With this corkscrew, a boar is able to keep a pig in a state of orgasm for 30 minutes and at the same time get great pleasure himself. The boar enters into sexual intercourse indiscriminately, he has harems of several queens for sex.
The longest penis among birds in the Argentine duck. The size of her body is only 28 cm, and the length of his spiral penis in an extended state reaches 35-45 cm. It is interesting that the tip of the male's penis resembles a soft brush, with which he removes the remnants of the seed of the previous lover from the female genital tract before intercourse. True, researchers of the animal world doubt that the male duck introduces his long penis into the womb of the female completely. In their opinion, penetration is limited to only 2-3 cm, and the rest is left outside to intimidate other sex-hungry males. But scientists suggest that for female artesian ducks, the length of the male's penis is of great importance, because they choose partners with the longest member for mating.
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monogamous animals. Top 10 most faithful monogamous animals.
white swans
Swan fidelity is a symbol of eternal love and devotion. All swans are monogamous birds, form pairs for life and are together even during wintering. A change of partner is possible only in the event of the death of one of them.
steppe voles
Steppe voles, unlike their close relatives meadow and mountain voles, lead a monogamous lifestyle. The fact is that when prairie voles mate, they produce two hormones that are perceived by receptors in certain areas of the brain. Therefore, the male remains faithful to his female throughout his life, showing no interest in other females.
Antelope dik-dik Kirk
These antelopes live in pairs in small herds and are monogamous mammals. Males mate with only one female. After the birth of offspring, males not only do not take care of their offspring, but also expel strong cubs from their area.
Wolves
Wolves, like penguins from a series of monogamous animals, lead a family lifestyle. There is one female per male, they live in pairs, which form for many years and break up only when one of the partners dies. During the barrack period, female wolves are very aggressive even to immature rivals.
bald eagle
Monogamous birds of prey remain faithful throughout their lives and change partners only if one dies. The first weeks after the appearance of the chicks, the female is constantly with the cubs, and the male is engaged in the extraction of food.
Penguins
These flightless seabirds of Antarctica create family pairs for many years. One pair each season returns to the same colony for seasonal breeding. Both parents alternately take part in hatching and feeding the chicks.
Spiders Argiope Aurantia
In some species of spiders, after fertilization, the females eat their male. Male yellow spiders sacrifice their lives in the process of mating. The males of this species have two genital organs, the palps, with which they manage to close the channels of the female during mating, thereby preventing her from copulating with another partner. After completing his function, the male dies, and the female remains with the "chastity belt" for a long time.
Hammerhead shark
Females of this shark species can mate with several males and store their sperm for later use in fertilization, so scientists have suggested that the cubs may be from different males. However, studies have shown that children born from the same father.
red salamander
Males of the red or fire salamander, although monogamous, are very jealous. Suspecting their female of infidelity, they begin physical and sexual persecution. Females, in turn, have learned to skillfully avoid any kind of harassment.
Black vultures
For black vultures, maintaining monogamy is a family matter. They not only live in pairs, but also nest together, incubate their eggs together and take care of their offspring. The betrayal of one of the partners can cause the wrath of the whole pack.
And you, loving and faithful?
When starting a pet, a person first of all dreams of a true friend. Few species are able to deeply attach to a person, but their love is so strong that it often turns into a tragedy.
Dogs
In the list of the most devoted animals to man, the dog is certainly out of competition. It is the oldest and most reliable companion of our species. For more than 30,000 years, she has been following us on our heels, following behind or running in front, having practically lost the ability to live independently. Her services to humanity are hard to underestimate. According to historian Robert Fossier, it was thanks to her that we saw a source of inspiration in animals, it was with the help of this first successful domestication that man learned to use animal world for your own good.
To date, the dog is the only animal that has fallen into complete dependence on our kind. As practice shows, she is completely incapable of betrayal. Her devotion is usually explained by the human concept of "friendship", but scientists, in particular, Doctor of Biological Sciences Nikolai Drozdov, argue that it's all about the pack instinct. If a dog perceives you as part of its pack, especially as a leader, which is usually the owner for it, it will not hesitate to sacrifice its life to save you. As the American writer John Billings said: “A dog is the only creature on earth that loves you more than itself.”
Cat
Many happy cat owners will argue with the common statement that these animals are more attached to the house than to the person. The union of man and cat, which has lasted for about 10,000 years, knows many cases of exceptional devotion of these animals. Moreover, unlike dogs that are used to living in a pack, cats are by nature loners. In the wild, they will only care about themselves and for some time about their offspring, but at home, once attached to a person, they will not forget him.
Almost all cats meet their owners at the doorstep. Many follow on their heels, guarding like dogs. So last year, a video in which a cat drives away a stray dog from a small child gained immense popularity. By the way, among the purrs there are their own Hachiko. In 2013, in Florence, a cat named Toldo visited the grave of her former owner for a long time, bringing her “as a gift” sheets and twigs. It is significant that she found the grave herself, following the funeral procession.
Horses
The horse is often called the "noble conquest" of man, which happened relatively recently, some five to ten thousand years ago. In this fragile and nervous, but graceful and intelligent animal, a man has found a devoted friend: a well-trained horse recognizes its owner, anticipates his desires and never leaves him in trouble.
Recent studies in hippology have shown that horses have an excellent memory. “Once established relationships in a herd last a lifetime,” says a scientific article in the journal Animal Behavior. Therefore, horses never forget their owners, no matter what they are and no matter how many there are. They are able to recognize a person with whom they felt good or bad after many years of separation.
Among the "horsemen" the concept of "horse of one owner" is common, when the horse does not recognize anyone but one single person. Usually this quality is found among riding breeds that were once bred for war. Unfortunately, such devotion modern world riding is a misfortune for both horse and rider. Caring for such a horse often falls on the shoulders of the owner himself, since the attendants may simply not let the horse in. Not to mention a sale that would make such an animal miserable for life.
Crow
The black raven is an intellectual of the animal world, can be devoted to a person no less than a dog. According to ornithologists, in terms of mental development, he surpasses a four-year-old child. This bird will love its master more life, and in case of danger - to protect to the last. And the raven will never recognize a new owner.
The raven's devotion has its "dark side". In nature, these are not flocking birds, but paired ones. With the onset of puberty, they find themselves one partner with whom they remain for life. Therefore, both in the wild and at home, only one “friend” can exist for them, and all the rest: family, children, friends, acquaintances and, in particular, other pets, will be perceived as a threat that must be eliminated with its territory, and if possible, kill.
The owner for a raven is his "lover" or "beloved", depending on the sex of the bird. Therefore, if for one reason or another the crow has to be given "to good hands", you will break his heart. According to experts, many refuse crows die of boredom within a few months of separation.
Unlike many people, some animals are monogamous, cherish their love and choose their mate once and for all. Each of us can learn a lesson from the relationship of these animal couples in love. Below is a list of the 10 most romantic monogamous animals. 
Although not all penguin species are monogamous, many of them, including king and African penguins, mate permanently. Both the male and female penguins are responsible for caring for the chicks, which is a rarity in the animal world. 
A wolf pack usually consists of a male, a female and their offspring. Something akin to a human family, only they choose a partner for life. 
barn owl Not only do these owls mate for life, but they can also cuddle to show affection for one another. When one owl dies, the other will fall into a deep depression. Read also:. 
The males court the females by chasing and caressing them, but the romantic chase pays off; such a partnership can last more than 20 years. 
They reach sexual maturity at the age of four, when the male begins courting the female. After he has attracted a partner, they create a cozy nest and spend the rest of their lives together. Bald eagles lay 1 to 3 eggs and both partners spend time protecting and incubating the eggs until the chicks hatch. Thereafter, the female bald eagle spends almost all of her time raising her offspring while the male hunts. 
These little monkeys reflect human relationships, they can cheat on each other, break up, and even "marry". Those pairs of primates that stay together tend to each other and help raise their children equally. Read also: 
The vultures have bad reputation but at least they can be loyal and loving. During courtship, male vultures circle around the female with outstretched necks. couples stay together all year round, and incubate the eggs in turn for 24-hour shifts. 
Little is known about how beavers find their mates, but once they do, they stay with that mate for life. 
There is a reason why swans have become a symbol of love. When they are in love, they bend their necks towards each other in a heart shape, raise their wings and bow. However, the grunts and hissing sounds they make in the process are less romantic. But this does not prevent them from spending the rest of their lives together. 
Albatrosses spend a lot of time in the air many miles from home, but they always return to the same partner when it's time to breed. Read also: 
Family relationships of these fish last until the end of life, it is almost impossible to find a lonely fish. Pairs of angels do everything together; sleep, hunt, travel, fight predators. 
Rodents have a reputation for being promiscuous partners. The prairie voles are an exception: they usually bond for life, groom each other, and share the responsibility of raising their offspring. 
These beautiful birds stay together for life, there is a lot to learn. 
Pufferfish are cute and quite smart for a fish. The male puffer fish will flap its fins around the female along the seabed, leaving an amazing circular pattern behind. If the female enjoys the performance, she mates with the male by laying her eggs in the center of the circle, after which the male fertilizes the egg and observes it for six days. 
Most seahorse species choose a companion for life. After dawn, every day the female seahorse swims up to the male, they change color and perform a special dance that lasts several minutes. The couple then part ways for the rest of the day and dance again the next morning. If they choose to mate, the female lays her eggs in the male's specially designed pouch. It then lays 1,500 eggs for about 45 days, becoming aggressive and protective of its brood. Baby seahorses emerge fully developed and ready to fend for themselves. Read also.
