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INTRO---- HEY GUYS I’M CATIE WAYNE AND THIS IS ANIMALIST
NEWS FUN FACTS! THINK YOUR PARENTS WERE BAD? WELL BE THANKFUL
THEY WEREN’T ANY OF THESE ANIMALS, THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL SEGUE.
LIKE SEA HORSES, MALE PIPE FISH CARRY THE EGGS BEFORE HATCHING.
SCIENTISTS SOON NOTICED THAT BABIES WOULD GO MISSING, AND DISCOVERED THAT THE FATHER
WAS ACTUALLY EATING THE EGGS! NOW, IT’S ACTUALLY PRETTY COMMON FOR PARENTS
TO EAT THEIR YOUNG IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM, BUT HERE’S WHERE THE PIPE FISH DAD GOES
FROM BEING A NORMAL, CANNIBALISTIC GUY TO A FIRST CLASS JERK!
SCIENTISTS HAVE DISCOVERED THAT DAD WILL EAT THE EGGS IF HE THINKS THE MOTHER IS UGLY!
(YOUR UGLY I DONT WANT MY CHILDREN TO LOOK LIKE YOU SO… GOBBLE GOBBLE NOM NOM)
BUT WHAT DOES AN UGLY PIPE FISH LOOK LIKE? WELL MALES FIND THE BIGGEST, FATTEST FEMALES
TO BE THE MOST ATTRACTIVE BECAUSE THEY PRODUCE MORE EGGS WHICH HAVE A HIGHER SURVIVAL RATE.
THE PANDA ALSO PLAYS FAVORITES! FIFTY PERCENT OF THE TIME, PANDAS GIVE BIRTH
TO TWINS, HOWEVER, ONLY ONE WILL SURVIVE. WHY? BECAUSE THE PANDA MOM WILL PICK THE STRONGEST,
HEALTHIEST LOOKING BABY TO CONTINUE NURTURING AND LEAVE THE OTHER TO DIE.
TO BE FAIR THOUGH, BAMBOO, WHICH MAKES UP NINETY NINE PERCENT OF A PANDA’S DIET, IS
SCARCE AND LOW IN NUTRIENTS. AND SINCE MOTHER PANDAS DON’T STORE FAT
LIKE MOST OTHER ANIMALS DO, SHE CANNOT GENERATE ENOUGH MILK FOR TWO HUNGRY CUBS.
MANY TIMES, PANDAS CAN’T EVEN TAKE CARE OF ONE CUB!
INFACT THE FIRST PAIR OF PANDAS IN THE UNITED STATES, LING LING AND HSING HSING, GAVE BIRTH
TO FIVE CUBS OVER TIME, BUT NONE SURVIVED INTO ADULTHOOD.
THE PANDA’S POOR REPRODUCTION RATE MAY BE ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS THEY ARE ENDANGERED.
SURE THESE LAST TWO PARENTS ARE PRETTY BAD, BUT THE CUCKOO BIRD DOESN’T TAKE CARE OF
ANY OF HER BABIES!
CUCKOOS DON’T BOTHER BUILDING THEIR OWN NESTS, INSTEAD THEY LAY THEIR EGGS IN ANOTHER
BIRD’S AND HOPE THEY DON’T NOTICE! THEY’RE EVEN ABLE TO MAKE THEIR EGGS MIMIC
ANOTHER BIRD’S. WITH THE LOVE AND CARE OF IT’S ADOPTIVE
PARENTS, THE CUCKOO WILL HATCH FIRST, GROW FASTER, AND KILL THE OTHER CHICKS SO IT CAN
GET ALL OF THE ATTENTION. ALTHOUGH THIS GENERALLY ALLOWS CUCKOOS TO
GROW BIG AND STRONG, ITS STILL A TOTAL JERK THING TO DO. WHICH BEGS THE QUESTIONS - WHOS
WORSE? THE MOMS OR THE KIDS??? WHO DO YOU THINK IS THE MEANEST ANIMAL PARENT?
LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS BELOW.