It’s a shame that roughly half of all marriages in the US ultimately end in divorce. Even minor disagreements can trigger a couple to pursue a divorce and move on in separate directions. We can really learn a great deal from penguins, a group of aquatic, flightless birds that generally stay with one mate for life. Penguins really embody the essence of faithfulness and fidelity. Let’s take a look at the romantic life of these beautiful birds and how they maintain such loyalty to a single partner.
Courtship Between Penguins
Among humans, females are often attracted to males who are lean and fit. However, female penguins are actually attracted to plump, fat male penguins. The reason is that female penguins desire a partner who can withstand the long fasting period while incubating the couple’s eggs. Female penguins may sometimes go out to gather food while the male incubates their eggs and so heavier males are very much desired. Interestingly, the females can identify a heavy male by the sound of his call. Bigger males have larger chest cavities, which produces a deeper call.
Adelie Penguins Exhibit Ultimate Devotion
There are 17 known penguin species and not all them actually mate for life. The Adelie penguins do and the teamwork between males and females is both flawless and heartwarming. Females lay two eggs a few days apart into a nest that is built from rocks. The pair takes turns to incubate their eggs while the other partner goes off to gather food. Even after their eggs hatch, the parents continue to take turns where one watches the baby penguin while the other collects food.
Emperor Penguins And Serial Monogamy
Emperor penguins are a very interesting species of penguins in that they exhibit serial monogamy. Couples are formed based on attraction and the relationship lasts the entire breeding season. However, the couples will generally break apart and find new mates for the next breeding season. A father penguin will faithfully execute his duties as a parent when new eggs are laid. This is a gorgeous shot of a family of Emperor penguins.
Intimate Moments For Penguins
Clearly, it can be very difficult for penguin couples to share any moments of privacy. Couples often travel in large groups or must separate as one incubates the eggs while the other gathers food. However, couples sometimes do take a moment to remove themselves from the group to share a passionate moment together holding hands.
Penguins are truly remarkable in that they share a lover for life for the most part. While Adelie penguins share a mate for life, Emperor penguins are serially monogamous. In any case, all penguin couples exhibit flawless teamwork in caring for their eggs and each other.