Most of us believe that animals don’t have a single partner and don’t “settle down.” We do know that some animals take care of the young ones until a certain age. But do you know that there are animals who mate for life and don’t change their partners?
Here’s a list of seven such animals, who mate for life.
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1 Beavers
It is widely-known that Beavers have a single partner. Most beavers find a mate and stick to their partner for the entire life. They even go on to give birth and make colonies. Studies have also found that beavers stay loyal to their partners, mostly the European beavers. The American beavers too find a partner but they explore other mates as well. They live in colonies consisting of parents, kits, and yearlings.
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2 Swans
Swans are widely accepted as a symbol of love. Their curved necks when they are courting looks like a heart! Once they select a partner, they stay with their partner their entire life. What’s interesting is that a male swan finds another female swan if their partner dies, and if it is younger they move to the male swan’s territory. But, if the female mate is older, then they move to her territory. And the female swan usually finds another mate rather quickly once it loses its mate.
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3 Penguins
Penguins have a slightly different mating pattern. Most penguins choose a partner for a season. But the emperor penguin is monogamous. There are species like the African, Magellanic, Royal and Gentoo penguins that mate for life. They even take care of their chicks and prepare them with life skills.
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4 Bald Eagle
Eagles are also known to have the same partner. They venture out in the morning and come back at night to their partner. They make flat nests on trees and produce progeny. If the male partner dies, the female looks for a new partner to mate the next breeding season, and vice versa.
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5 Barn Owls
Owls have become more popular after the Harry Potter books, but how much do you know about them? They are nocturnal birds and the Barn Owls mate for life. The onus of getting the food lies on the male owl, starting around one month before the egg-laying time. The female owls build their own nests. Unlike other birds, barn owls reuse their nests every year.
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6 Wolves
Wolves are very social and move and live in packs. They have an alpha pair, a male and female wolf, who stay together for life. It is usually only the alpha pair that mate and have a litter every year. Once the young ones reach sexual maturity, within 2 or 3 years they leave the pack to start their own packs.
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7 Shingleback Skinks
The Shingleback Skink is a blue-tongued lizard with heavy armor. It is found in western and southern Australia. They spend a year on their own and look for a mate during the mating season in November. Once they find a mate they stay together for 20 years. They are often seen going across roads in pairs, with the male following the females.
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