The animal kingdom is filled with a diverse array of birthing methods that can be described as nothing short of fascinating, and sometimes even downright bizarre. From live births to egg laying, and everything in between, animals have developed a wide range of strategies for bringing new life into the world.
Some animals opt for more traditional methods of birth, such as live births where offspring are born fully developed and ready to navigate their environment independently. Mammals, including humans, fall into this category, with varying gestation periods and birthing processes depending on the species.
On the other end of the spectrum, there are animals that lay eggs as a means of reproduction. This method is commonly seen in birds, reptiles, and some species of fish and amphibians. These eggs can range from soft and leathery to hard-shelled, and the incubation period can vary greatly depending on the species.
But perhaps what truly captivates us are the more unconventional birthing methods employed by certain animals. Take the seahorse, for example, where it is the male that carries the fertilized eggs in a pouch until they are ready to hatch. Or the platypus, which lays eggs despite being a mammal, and nurses its young through mammary glands but lacks nipples.
Then there are the marsupials, such as kangaroos and koalas, whose young are born in a highly undeveloped state and complete their development in an external pouch on the mother’s body. This method allows for a shorter gestation period and provides additional protection for the vulnerable offspring.
In the insect world, there are even more bizarre birthing methods to behold. Take the case of the female wasp, who lays her eggs inside a host insect, where they hatch and consume the host from the inside out. Or the female anglerfish, who fuses with her mate, allowing him to essentially become a reproductive organ until needed.
These are just a few examples of the incredible diversity of birthing methods found in the animal kingdom. Each method has evolved to suit the specific needs and challenges faced by different species, and studying them can offer valuable insights into the complex world of reproduction.
Giving birth to a child isn’t an easy feat. Just ask any mother out there! But humans have things pretty easy compared to the utterly bizarre birthing practices of certain creatures on our planet. From snails with very unfortunate anatomies to rodents born covered in sharp spines, here are some of the most incredible and crazy ways animals give birth.
Kiwi
New Zealand’s kiwi bird is not like most other birds. It’s completely flightless, it burrows underground, and takes almost 30 days to produce an egg. However, the Kiwi is known to lay the biggest egg in proportion to the body of any bird on Earth!
Once the chick hatches, it’s almost fully formed! Scientists theorize that the chick develops in this way so that it has the ability to run and evade predators soon after birth. Running from a predator is not the best way to enter the world but when you’re born a flightless bird, you have to hit the ground running!
Porcupine
It’s not just size that can make birth difficult for animals. Take the porcupine, for example. These giant rodents are famous for the sharp quills that cover their bodies, and for good reason. With each spike containing up to 800 tiny barbs along the tip, they’re incredibly painful and hard to remove.
But while they’re effective at keeping predators away, you’d expect those barbed spikes to pose a horrendously painful problem for expectant mothers! So how does a female porcupine give birth without getting severely spiked by the baby on its way out?
While baby porcupines, known as porcupettes, are indeed born fully quilled, their quills are more like fur than spikes at first. However, these quills begin to harden once they’re exposed to air. This means complications at birth where the porcupette is born facing the wrong way can leave partially hardened quills embedded in the birth canal!
Giraffe
It’s not just painful exits and extra-wide offspring that make animal births so bizarre. Giraffe mothers also have the height of their calves to worry about! This famously long-necked species can grow to around 20 feet tall, and they usually give birth standing up!
After gestating the calf for around 15 months, allowing it to grow to around 220 lbs, the calf is gently pushed out through the mother’s birth canal, head and front legs first! However, the pregnant mother’s body stands about 6 feet off the ground, meaning that when the calf is pushed out, it falls to the floor!
Usually, dropping a newborn on its head has serious repercussions, but for giraffes, it’s all part of the process that snaps the umbilical cord. It also works out safer for the calf, because if the mother lays down during delivery, it increases the chances of her accidentally squashing or injuring the calf. So, it would seem giraffes exchanged their added height for a few brain cells lost on impact at birth in this unusual evolutionary trade-off!
