8 Great Animal Dads

Father's Day is June 21st this year, which makes now a good time to honor eight of the best fathers in the animal kingdom.

8. Rhea

The rhea is a flightless South American bird about the same size as an emu. Each male can have up to twelve partners at a time, but the females never stay in place for very long, which means lots of work for the dads! The mothers do very little to care for their young, but the fathers incubate the eggs, guard the nests, and feed their young until they're fully grown.

This is an adult rhea:

(Photo credit: Paul Denton Crocker)

And this one of the many ways a rhea father protects his young:

(Photo credit: Smithsonian's National Zoo)

Obviously, rhea fathers like to take their babies on piggyback rides, too.

7. Marmoset

There are twenty-three species of marmoset, and though all marmosets are small animals, the fathers play a huge role in rearing their babies. Marmoset mothers generally have twins, and the babies together can weigh up to 25% of the mother's body weight.

Because having babies is so taxing on female marmosets, it's up to the fathers to take care of their families. They spend much of their time feeding their mates and teaching their babies about the world, and they can even help deliver the babies when they are born.

(Photo credit: Joachim S. Mueller)

6. Great Horned Owl

Most female birds are smaller than their male counterparts. For birds of prey, and especially for owls, this isn't true. Female great horned owls are much larger than the males, and they're the ones who guard the nests after they're built.

This leaves the male to spend all his time feeding three to five hungry mouths, one of which outweighs him. He can sometimes spend the entire night catching small animals to feed his family without eating something himself.

(Photo credit: backpackphotography)

(Photo credit: kretyen)

(Photo credit: Patrick Doheny)

5. Darwin's Frog

While we're on the subject of food: Darwin's frog fathers safeguard their offspring inside their mouths. The female lays about thirty eggs, and the male guards the nest. After the tadpoles hatch, he scoops them into his vocal sac. From there, the tadpoles feed off their egg yolk, and once they grow legs, the father opens his mouth and lets them hop free.

(Photo credit: Huenchecal.)

4. Sea Catfish

If you think the frog is dedicated, try the Sea Catfish. They protect their eggs the same way, but they don't have special packets to store them in. This means they can't eat until the eggs hatch.

Oh yeah, did I mention that this can take two months or longer? They live off their own body fat for that long.

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

3. Namaqua Sandgrouse

Namaqua Sandgrouses live in Africa's southern deserts. After their eggs hatch, the father will fly up to 50 miles a day to the nearest watering hole, soak his belly, and fly back so his babies can drink water off his feathers.

(Photo credit: happy.apple)

(Photo credit: Arno & Louise)

(Photo credit: Jo Mur)

And now for two of the most famous animal dads in the world.

2. Emperor Penguin

After the female emperor penguin lays her egg, she leaves the egg with her mate, who holds it on its feet. He covers the egg with his belly fat through the Antarctic winter.

Even after the chicks hatch, the males guard them the same way until they are too big to fit.

(Photo credit: Martha de Jong-Lantink)

They even babysit:

(Photo credit: ASOC Pictures)

(Photo credit: ASOC Pictures)

1. Seahorse

Here's how it works with seahorses: The female lays her eggs into a special pouch in the male's belly. The male fertilizes them and carries them -- nurturing them from his own body -- until they hatch.

That's right, it's the males who are pregnant. If that isn't dedication, I don't know what is.

(Photo credit: doug.deep)

(Photo credit: San Diego Shooter)