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Mammals

How Animals Carry Their Babies: Amazing Animal Parenting Tactics

Gina Erickson
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September 16, 2022
5 Mins read
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Did you know that different animals carry their babies in different ways? Some, like kangaroos, have a pouch on their stomachs where they put their babies. Others, like lions, have to be very careful when they are carrying their cubs so that they don’t get hurt. In this blog post, we will discuss the different ways that animals carry their young and why they need to do so. We will also talk about some of the most amazing parenting tactics employed by animals in the wild!

How Animals Carry Their Babies

Young Chimpanzee riding piggy back on its mother | JeannetteKatzir via Getty Images

Different animals carry their babies in different ways. Some, like kangaroos, have a pouch on their stomachs where they put their babies. Others, like lions, have to be very careful when they are carrying their cubs so that they don’t get hurt. Still others, like monkeys, carry their young on their backs. Each method has its advantages and disadvantages.

Kangaroos are perhaps the best known for their use of a pouch. This is a sac on the front of the kangaroo’s stomach where the baby kangaroo, or joey, can ride. The pouch protects the joey from predators and keeps it warm. The downside to this method is that the mother cannot see the joey while it is in the pouch, which can make it difficult to know if the joey is safe.

Photo: JohnCarnemolla via Getty Images

Lions have to be very careful when they are carrying their cubs. They have to make sure that they don’t accidentally hurt them with their claws or teeth. This can be difficult, especially when the cubs are young and playful. The advantage of this method is that the cubs are very close to the mother, which makes it easier for her to protect them from predators.

Monkeys carry their young on their backs or in front of their bodies. This allows the mother to have her hands free to climb and swing through the trees. The disadvantage of this method is that the baby monkey can be easily lost if it falls off.

Each method of carrying has its advantages and disadvantages. Animals need to carefully consider how they will carry their young before they have them.

Why Do Animals Carry Their Young?

There are a few reasons why animals might carry their young. One reason is that it helps to protect the baby from predators. If the mother is carrying her baby, then the predator will have a harder time getting to the baby. Another reason is that it can help to keep the baby warm. Thanks to their pouches, kangaroos have an easy time not only carrying their babies but also keeping them warm. What a time to be a kangaroo… or is it?

What are the Most Amazing (Animal) Parenting Tactics?

Photo: JMrocek via Getty Images

Animals in the wild have to be very careful when it comes to parenting. They have to make sure that their young are safe and protected from predators. One of the most common is camouflage. This is when an animal blends in with its surroundings so that predators cannot see it. Examples of animals that use camouflage are the chameleon, the octopus, and the snow leopard.

Another common tactic is to use of deception. This is when an animal pretends to be something that it is not to fool predators. An example of this is the nightjar, which pretends to be a branch when it is resting on a tree.

Some animals use both camouflage and deception. The leaf-tailed gecko, for example, has camouflage on its back that makes it look like a dead leaf. It also has deception on its tail that makes it look like a snake. This helps to keep the gecko safe from predators.

Animals in the wild have to be very creative to keep their young safe. They use a variety of tactics, including camouflage, deception, and even aggression. Here’s a quick list of some of the simpler ways of animals’ awesome parenting tactics:

  • Hiding their young: Some animals, like lions, will hide their young in long grass so that predators cannot see them.
  • Carrying their young: As we mentioned before, some animals will carry their young to protect them from predators.
  • Building nests: Some animals, like birds, will build nests for their young to stay in. This helps to keep the baby safe and warm.
  • Licking their young: Some animals, like dogs, will lick their young to clean them and to show them affection.
  • Teaching their young: Some animals, like apes, will teach their young how to find food and how to avoid predators.

Final Thoughts

As you can see, animals have to be very careful when it comes to parenting. They have to make sure that their young are safe and protected from predators. Even animals have a hard time raising their young. So, to all the parents out there, know that there’s a whole forest of parents just like you—all putting your newborns’ lives first, just the way it should be.

Either way, these are just a few of the amazing parenting tactics employed by animals in the wild. If anything, maybe you can learn a thing or two about parenting. However, we’d stray away from carrying your child with your mouth. For one, your teeth might fall off and give up on you; secondly, you wouldn’t want your child to fall down the floor. Be like a lion in courage, just not a parent, I guess. Oh, and we wouldn’t advise you to lick your baby. That’d be all.

We hope you had a wonderful time reading! If you have any questions about how animals carry their babies, then give us a shout! If you have anything to say (and please feel free to do so), let us know in the comments below! We would love to hear from you.

Check out our other animal FAQs here:

  • Fun Facts About Giraffes: The Tallest Animals on Earth
  • Leopard vs. Cheetah: What’s the Difference?
  • What Do Red Foxes Eat? A Guide to the Diet of This Cunning Mammal

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Written by

Gina Erickson

Gina is a wildlife enthusiast. All she's missing nowadays are a pair of paws and a snout to match. She's also a writer and an avid believer that she can reach out to as many people as she can through sentences and paragraphs.
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