Record-breaking animal mums which go the extra mile – and why some eat their young
As far as parents go, we humans have it pretty good. If we're lucky, our mums and dads are in it for the long haul, providing for all our needs into our late teens… and sometimes well beyond!
Not only that, but over the many years of raising us, they also have ample time to impart their wisdom and experience, preparing us to venture out into the big wide world and stand on our own two feet.
In nature, parents generally aren’t quite so committed to the child-rearing cause. Some abandon their eggs before they even hatch and, for those that do stick around, it may only be for a matter of weeks or months. (That's not to mention the mums and dads that sometimes kill or even eat their own young. Yikes...)
To be fair though, in the natural world parents have their own survival to think about. What's more, if they dedicate too much time to a single child, or litter, it would mean future offspring are jeopardized. That could be disastrous not just to a single group but a species as a whole. So while nature can at times seem heartless, there is usually a "bigger picture" reason behind such parental actions.
Having said all that, a few mums do go the extra mile for their young. What better way to celebrate Mother’s Day this weekend (31 March in the UK and Ireland) than to shine a spotlight on a few super-mums from the animal kingdom?
Mothercare spider
We kick off with one of the most selfless mothers on the planet. The aptly named mothercare spider – a common arachnid distributed throughout Europe – justifies its record title as the most maternal spider again and again.
For starters, she guards her eggs until they hatch (pictured above). She then provides sustenance for her hatchlings – initially regurgitating her own food, before progressing on to solids with bugs that she has caught. When her young spiderlings start to catch their own meals, she'll even throw in some of her own sticky silk to help subdue the prey. The mothercare spider usually dies before her kids leave the nest – probably because of all that hard work raising them!
If you thought that her young pay their respects to their self-sacrificing parent, think again – they actually eat her corpse! So even in death, this family-focused arachnid is living up to her record.
Orangutan
Not surprisingly, our closest cousins, the primates, are among the most family-oriented of all animals, forming close bonds with their offspring that can last for a lifetime.
In terms of duration feeding their youngsters with milk, the ape that comes out on top is the orangutan.
On average, these natives of Borneo and Sumatra suckle their young until six to eight years old – the longest weaning period for a mammal. A study published in Science Advances in 2017 revealed that one Bornean female nursed until 8.1 years old, while another individual from Sumatra is estimated to have weaned at 8.8 years of age, based on dental evidence.
American alligator
Reptiles may be cold-blooded, but that doesn’t mean they’re all cold-hearted.
Take the American alligator, which is the most maternal crocodilian. These swamp-dwellers from the south-eastern USA rear their offspring for around three years – and sometimes as long as four.
While most mama crocs guard their nests as their eggs develop, the duration that they care for the hatchlings varies considerably. For instance, Nile crocodiles subscribe to the tough-love school of parenting, often chasing their young away only a few weeks after they enter the world!
Asian brown tortoise
American alligators aren’t the only reptiles defying expectations. While chelonians aren’t known for their maternal instincts, with most females abandoning their eggs as soon as they’re laid, a major exception is the Asian brown tortoise, found in forests of the Indian subcontinent and south-east Asia.
Research has shown that these creatures keep a close vigil over their nests for several days after laying their eggs. The mother carefully maintains the mound in which the eggs are buried by sweeping leaf litter over it. She’s also not afraid to attack any would-be intruders by biting or using her whole body to shunt them away.
Asian brown tortoise mums may have a rival for the title of most maternal tortoise, though. Desert tortoises of southern USA and northern Mexico have also been observed ramming the feet of people who wander too close to their burrows; they’ve even been seen taking on egg-snatching predators such as Gila monsters – the most venomous lizards in the world!
Graneledone boreopacifica
Some egg-laying species incubate their brood for a few days, others for a few weeks. For instance, emperor penguins, which have the longest egg incubation for a penguin, spend 64 days on average tending their single egg (though unusually, this duty is performed by the dads rather than the mums).
But one deep-sea octopus rewrote the record books when she was found protecting her clutch of around 160 eggs for 53 months! It’s easily the longest egg-brooding period, not just for an octopus but for any known animal ever.
The female Graneledone boreopacifica was first spotted in the Monterey Canyon off California, USA, in May 2007 by scientists from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute. Fast-forward nearly four-and-a-half years and she was still there in September 2011. By the next month, all that remained were the empty egg cases (pictured above). Now, that’s what you call an eggs-traordinary feat!
Bingwa
Finally, for anyone rubbing bloodshot eyes or pulling their hair out because their kids are going hyper, spare a thought for Bingwa at Saint Louis Zoo in Missouri, USA.
In November 2017, this feline gave birth to eight healthy cubs – now known as the "Bingwa Bunch" – the largest cheetah litter born in captivity. It's safe to say that this mum will have her paws full on Mother's Day!
Find out about more record-breaking animals in our records showcase