{"id":43845,"date":"2025-01-02T09:14:18","date_gmt":"2025-01-02T14:14:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/?p=43845"},"modified":"2025-01-28T10:43:17","modified_gmt":"2025-01-28T15:43:17","slug":"love-in-the-maryland-wild","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/2025\/01\/02\/love-in-the-maryland-wild\/","title":{"rendered":"Love in the Maryland Wild"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Photo<\/a>

Photo by Christopher-Szumlanski<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cIn nature, nothing exists alone.\u201d – Rachel Carson<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

Now that many winter holiday celebrations have come and gone, the next on the horizon is Valentine\u2019s Day. Since this is a holiday rife with confusing human <\/span>history<\/span><\/a> and a variety of social traditions, let\u2019s turn to the animals for some Valentine\u2019s Day wisdom and explore some of the amazing relationships found within Maryland\u2019s wildlife communities.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mating: For wild animals, is it just about making babies?<\/b><\/p>\n

When we think about \u201cromance\u201d in the human world, our minds often turn to the concept of long-term monogamy; so, for non-human animals we envision lifetime pair bonds or at least long-term mated pairs. We understand the many benefits of monogamy well, especially when it comes to rearing young that take a long time to leave the nest. It turns out that true monogamy in the natural world is <\/span>extremely rare<\/span><\/a>, with only 3-5% of the 4,000-plus species of mammals on Earth practicing any form of it. After reading that statistic, monogamy optimists may say, \u201cwell, what about the birds?\u201d Prior to advances in genetics, birds were often believed to be up to 90% monogamous, since their social behavior showed that common pattern. Today, scientists can test the genetic makeup of each chick hatched in a female bird\u2019s nest, and for most species, the results show that each group of babies often have more than one daddy. While fish and amphibians generally prefer multiple mating partners, you may be surprised to learn that some insects participate in faithful, life-long mated relationships, including a few species of <\/span>cockroach<\/span><\/a>!<\/span><\/p>\n

Regardless of how long animals stay with their mates, there is no doubt that some of them understand what a romantic gesture should look like. Take for example <\/span>bluegills<\/span><\/a>, a fish species well known for their artful nest building and elaborate swimming and grunting patterns designed to attract a female. <\/span>Eastern newts<\/span><\/a> love a good dancer too, with females choosing their mates based on the guy who both has the moves and smells the best. Not to leave out invertebrates, the males of some <\/span>hangingfly<\/span><\/a> species understand the love language of food, bringing their chosen female the largest prey item they can to ensure that she\u2019ll eat long enough for them to mate.<\/span><\/p>\n

In contrast, it is fair to say that some wild animals skip much of the courtship when reproduction is the goal. Take wood frogs for example, with males so enthusiastic in their pursuits that they sometimes harm the females in the process. Or male <\/span>damselflies<\/span>, who despite the cute, heart-shaped body positioning, actually forcefully hold the female in a position to scrape out any sperm from the prior male and deposit his own (but then, with some damselfly species she eats him). Speaking of which, praying mantid females are well known mate eaters, perhaps the ultimate romantic sacrifice.<\/span><\/p>\n

Whether courtship behaviors meet our romantic approval or not, it\u2019s clear that mating relationships are perhaps some of the most important in the animal world, just as they can be in ours. Some readers may wonder: is there evidence of queer (LGBTQIA+) relationships in nature? The answer is decidedly <\/span>yes, <\/span><\/i>and stay tuned for another article about that in a future HabiChat issue. For now, let\u2019s not forget to celebrate the countless other forms of love and connectedness in the wild!<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/a>

Photo by Michael Dwyer<\/p><\/div>\n

Family: In the wild, do blood relations matter?<\/b><\/p>\n

For many of us in the human world, our families \u2013 whether related by blood or chosen \u2013 are our greatest source of love and connectedness. Long-term familial bonds are not as common in Maryland\u2019s wild animals, but some creatures do show that behavior pattern. <\/span>Black vultures<\/span> are known to <\/span>long-term pair bond<\/span><\/a>, and second-year <\/span>chicks often come back<\/span><\/a> to help parents with the next year\u2019s brood, working as teams to locate carrion snacks. Red fox siblings have also been shown to hang around for more than a year and help with the next year\u2019s pups.<\/span><\/p>\n

Some species are better at parental care than others, with a few mammals spending years looking after their young \u2013 like us, with offspring in our care for 18 or many more years! Juxtaposed to that, some egg-layers may cut and run as soon as they\u2019ve finished, like most frogs and toads. Seahorse males are famous for carrying the young (definitely the exception), but the unsung heroes are perhaps the invertebrates that show careful parental care. Wolf spiders, patent leather beetles, and <\/span>giant water bugs<\/span> are all Maryland species that care for their eggs or young.<\/span><\/p>\n

Symbiosis: When it comes to animal relationships, it\u2019s complicated!<\/b><\/p>\n

Here is a reminder of some terminology for types of symbiotic relationships:<\/span><\/p>\n