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These pictures brilliantly depict the struggle and success of parenthood, therefore highlighting the universal character of motherhood throughout animals. From the majestic elephant bearing her calf for over two years to the sly leopard guarding her delicate young, every animal shows the amazing sacrifices and intuitive care that accompany bringing fresh life into the planet.
While stressing the fundamental thread of nurturing and care that permeates all kinds of parenthood, these images of animal maternity illustrate the variety of reproductive processes in nature. The synchronized delivery of the wildebeest, the mare's protracted gestation, and even the lizard's exact egg-laying technique all point to the extent mothers will go to guarantee the survival of their children.
These pictures also help us to remember the fine equilibrium of life in ecosystems. Every pregnant animal stands for not just the path each one of them follows into motherhood but also the survival of their species and their function in the larger web of life. Human viewers will find great resonance in the expectation, vulnerability, and fortitude shown in these expecting animal mothers, so bridging the distance between our planet and theirs.
Celebrating these mother wonders helps us to recognize the common experience of producing and tending to life, a process that ties all living entities in a very beautiful manner.
1. Eating for 2 - that's rule #1.
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Found all throughout the world, squirrels are charming and clever animals. A mother squirrel starts building a nice nest to be ready for the birth of her offspring when she finds she is pregnant. Usually lasting about 44 days, pregnancy in squirrels results in a litter of 2–4 kits. The mother squirrel will be occupied throughout this period gathering food and making sure her nest is safe and warm.
As she gets ready for motherhood, the expectant woman acts rather differently. She requires more energy not just for her growing children but also for storing reserves for the nursing period ahead, hence her food intake rises especially. Often building several food caches close to her nest, she becomes especially adept at locating and preserving high-energy items including nuts and seeds.
Once her babies are born, she will also begin making milk for them. Born blind and defenseless, baby squirrels rely totally on their mother to survive. Given that the mother hardly leaves her children except to get food, her commitment during these early weeks is amazing. The mother will teach them basic skills such searching for food and climbing trees as they become bigger, spending several weeks modeling correct nut cracking techniques and pointing out safe foods.
Many people love seeing in their own backyards or local parks a family of squirrels develop and play. The mother's calm approach in imparting to her young the required survival skills reveals the amazing link between parent and child in these sophisticated rodents. Their thorough teaching periods and lighthearted antics offer an interesting window into the caring side of nature.
