Have you ever seen a mother give birth? For those who have, you’re lucky to have watched a mom bring life into this world. And for those who haven’t (me included), it’s an experience that will change your lives. They say watching a child be born gives you so much more perspective, helps you respect your mother more, and it’s one of the biggest joys you’ll experience.
I don’t think this goes for just human births. I think these feelings will come even if you see a cow birth her little calf, or a dog bring her puppies into this world. It’s all about showing the circle of life, and the emotions apply to the animal process as much as they do to us humans.
Nature works in so many different and wondrous ways. Things like natural habitats, diets, and reproduction vary from species to species, and each one has a unique way of doing everything. The same is true for the sea animal in the video below — a seahorse.
While we’re almost always used to hearing about females reproducing and giving birth, for seahorses, it’s the male that delivers the babies — the dad gets impregnated. The same goes for pipefish. Now, isn’t that an interesting fact for the day? Of course, not many other species have the ability to impregnate the father. It’s a rare thing to come by.
The clip below is a stunning visual of what happens when a seahorse is ready to give birth. It’s incredible to watch so many little seahorses be born from within the animal. Normally, we’re used to species giving birth to a single offspring at a time. That’s not the case for these animals though. The moment you watch a massive number of little seahorses come out of this dad, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about.
Having existed for almost 13 million years now, seahorses have been giving birth to multiple babies at once, and the sight is something so different and awe-inspiring.
Contrary to popular belief, the female seahorse still has a role to play in the pregnancy. It is true that the males carry the babies, but the entire process starts with their female partner. The mom will still lay the eggs; these eggs have to be fertilized inside the male seahorse, that’s the only difference in the process of becoming parents for these sea animals.
Click below to see the birthing process and this amazing natural phenomenon!
