Breeding was the most important mechanism for every species across domination. Human, animal, plant – breeding was one thing that keeping our species populations survive on earth. The loss of capability to breed, consequently would bring species into extinction, which we already seen happened in variety of animals. You could take a tour to the museum, seeing diversity of animals which a long time ago, even when we’re human didn’t exist – yet – was roamed above terrene. All the extinct animals are just superior as us today at their time, tragically, not now. Well, nothing would last forever, everything was undefeated until it does.
Moreover, animal’s breeding would always fascinate us. They have their own unique style and breeding mechanism differences depend on the species. Nothing like us, human was one-kind species who have diversity of races – but still the same species – humankind. In the other hand, animals was created on the diversity of species, families, all is different one to another. In fact, they could even be mating with different species from their own – known as animal cross-breeding process. You could read this to learn was cross-breed is: everything that you need to know about animal crossbreeding.
More interesting fact is, animal do have some psychologies’ mechanism of breeding just like human. If you think that animal didn’t have emotions, or you just didn’t care at all to it, you should read this: animal psychology, does it important to attend? It is important to keep your animal in normal and healthy state, physically and mentally. Consequently, that is why the veterinarian and behaviorist was the cores for animals. They were people who would help our animals – your animals – to survive and take care of their problems. In special case of breeding, there are different psychology mechanism and process happened within animals. How to check the animal psychology when it gets breeding? Let’s discuss it.
Animal’s Mating Systematic
Animal’s mating system is a structured mechanism of sexual behavior relation, or the simpler way to describe it is when the male and female is mate under any circumstances of systems (recognized systems), such as monogamy, promiscuity, and polygamy which is divided into three systems: polyandry, polygyny, and polygynandry. These three types systems effected animal with their mate choices and how sexual selection works, including marriages. Actually, these types of systems also applied to human – we would only discuss the process that happened among animal – obviously.
Monogamy
Monogamy is mating system which happened between one male and one female relationship or also known as pair bounding system. Monogamy divided into two parts of types: first type is facultative, second type is obligate. The facultative type is a little bit complex than the obligate, which is only happened when the number of densities in one species is very low. The facultative mating just happen with only one single member of the opposite sex, because the fact that both sex was far apart. This affected by the habitat that only carrying a small capacity, which compel only one female could breed in the habitat.
Promiscuity
Promiscuity is the system where one member of sex would mate with any member of the opposite sex within social group – we could use multi-male or multi-female term for this particular system.
Polygamy
- Polyandry: the mate between one female with more than one male. Polyandry is rare and uncommon relationship that hardly found within animals. Polyandry could be effected by innate genetic which we could take the example from insect species such Western Honey bee (Apis Mellifera). Western Honey Bee queen would mate with multiple males, and stores the sperms in her spermatheca tp fertilize eggs during reproductive.
- Polygyny: Perhaps one of the most common and famous polygamy mating system, which occur between one male with multiple females. There are some examples of polygynous animal we could found, such southern yellowjacket (Vespula Squamosa), and Grayling Butterflies (Hipparchia Semele). The females would choose the male based on the best oviposition site of territorial.
- Polygyandry: this system is the mix of both others systems, which is allowed two or more males have relationship with two or more female at a time, and it doesn’t have to be the equal numbers on both sides. In vertebrate, apparently the number of males are less than the females.
Sexual Behavior
Animal’s mating systems (our topic above) is part of sexual behavior that occurred within animals. Other sexual behavior which happened was motivated by reproductive mechanism. The colpulation and mating among mammals animals occurred in at oestrus which highly increased the chances of successful impregnation. However, oestrus is circle of mammalian female’s fertile period in reproductive, in case you didn’t know what oestrus is.
Under their sexual behavior some animals would exhibit unique behavior that would be their thew. These behaviors – of course – would be different in every single species. But, the recognize behaviors included: fighting and strict competition on males, because only strong male that would be selected by female in order to ability to protect her.
Types of Animal’s Sexual Behavior
- Copulation: is the sex organs union of male and female due to transmit the sperm into the female’s body.
- Hermaphroditism: is commonly found in invertebrates rather than vertebrates. This sexual behavior occurred in individual of one species possesses both reproductive organs of male and female – could possessing one than the other one.
- Cuckoldry: part of polyandry, allowed small male to develop in species where spawning – dominated by more aggressive and larger males.
Courtship Display
How to check the animal psychology when it gets breeding? You could observe them by the courtship display, which is the display’s set behavior animals would attempt to attract the opposite sex. The behavior is included vocalizations, movements, the attractive appearance, mechanical sound productions, agnostic ability, or strength.
Male
Male’s display often used the movement to attract female. Lat’s take some example, such Parotia Lawesii and Plumed bird-of-paradise, which would do some ballerina dances and breast feather to stimulate the visual system of female. Some species would exhibit both visualize and auditory stimulation, some would attract their opposite sex with the construction of unique structure, some would do the pre-copulatory sexual selection, etc.
Female
Female courtship display apparently was less-common than male. But, if they do, some species such pipefish would use their fascinating appearance: stripped pattern, and temporary ornament that would attract the male and intimidate their other rivals at the same time.