17 animals that form happier and more harmonious couples than humans

There are a lot of animal species in the world that know how to love their partners devotedly. So much so that many people could envy them. Or learn from them the art of love, loyalty and competent relationship building. Most of these couples are monogamous and remain faithful to a single partner. All of them are masters of showing their feelings and tender care for a partner. There is clearly something to learn here!

Not only people can take a long time to form and determine the choice of a partner. Some albatross species reach sexual maturity only after 10 years of life. Like us, teenage albatrosses learn the art of courtship from their parents, gradually mastering the science of gracefully dancing, brushing wings, making eyes, courting and inviting their partner during the mating ritual. After going through several partners for several years, albatrosses finally choose someone who will become their companion for life. In addition, these birds always return to the same place — and to the same partner to give another offspring.

When it's time to eat, sleep or just relax, otters do it in the water. And during sleep, partners always hold on to their paws so that they are not separated by the current.

What do you tell your partner when you wake up in the morning? "Hi, I love you" or "Empty the tub — I'll be late for work!"? Seahorses greet each other every morning with a unique dance, during which they sometimes change color. The couple performs amazing pirouettes together, and then diverges for the rest of the day. At the next meeting, they greet each other to make sure that their partner is still alive, as well as to strengthen their union and synchronize reproductive cycles.

Every man knows that you can't propose without a ring. When a male Papuan penguin finds "the right woman", he is looking for the most perfect, smoothest pebble on the beach to give it to his beloved. If she likes a pebble, she puts it in her nest, and these two can officially be called "husband and wife".

Elephants are mighty animals, but when it comes to lovers, they are tenderness itself. There are up to 100,000 different muscles in an elephant's trunk, and it is more sensitive than human fingers. So it's not surprising that when elephants "roll up" to each other, they wrap their trunks around each other. Also, these giants use their trunks to stroke their partner's head and back when he is sad.

Some representatives of the bristle-toothed live on their own... until they find the one and only partner. United, the couple will travel, hunt and mate for the rest of their lives. If for some reason these two break up, they risk everything and rush into the water column over the reef to find each other.

Everyone has at least once seen a couple who just can't tear themselves away from each other. It's like they're possessed. Well, in the animal world, such lovers are a pair of two—horned kalao. Their mating ritual consists of singing a duet. After laying eggs, the female stays in the nest for two months and eats only what her husband brings her.

So, if two-horned kalao are like your friends who can't live without each other, then lovebirds are like those who have been together since school, but are still just as cute. These birds choose their partner at the age of two months. They spend the rest of their lives together, sitting on a perch and caressing each other.

True love is when you stay together even in difficult times. In the total darkness of the deep ocean, a tiny male anglerfish could become depressed about its size. But instead he uses it as motivation. When it's time to mate, the male swims up to a much larger (and scary) female and gives her a special "kiss of love". There is a release of enzymes that "glue" his mouth to her body. And you thought finger tattoos were forever.

No, alligators are not cute. Yes, they often dine on other animals that can be called cute. But these toothy giants can still be cute when it comes to love. The male rubs the back of the female, tickling her on the cheek is bubbling with air and floating around it. He also starts growling underwater, which turns the water into a real Bellagio fountain in Vegas. And we all know what happens in Vegas…

Did you know that slippery slow snails were most likely the source of inspiration for the creation of Greek cupids? Although snails are hermaphrodites, they need a partner to complete the fertilization process. To do this, they shoot "love darts" covered with musk at each other. Most of the "shots" do not reach the target, but those that do, stimulate the reproductive organs of the snail. After successful stimulation, the partners exchange sperm cells for 6 hours ... And some of the people are proud that they can have sex for an hour…

Few people understand the importance of foreplay as much as bonobos. These primates are one of the few animals that have sex face to face. They also take care of each other and comb their partner's hair, hug and kiss a lot, just like us.

No self-respecting woman would want to have children (or at least have sex) in an unpleasant environment. That is why the male of the shack bird spends most of his time searching for every little thing that should be shiny or blue or both. With this carefully selected decor, he decorates the nest in the hope that the lady of his heart will agree to spend the night with him.

There is a soul mate for each of us. Even if you are not very cute and like to eat carrion. American black Catharts find a partner for life and stay together all year round. Both the female and the male are responsible for incubating the eggs, hatching them "in shifts" (24 hours each). There are cases when the Catharts attacked their relatives who tried to repel their partners.

These lizards are masters of slow love. Males have been chasing the object of their adoration for months, gently licking and pushing her to show how dear she is to them. This innocent foreplay lasts for months. But when a couple officially seals their union by mating, these two will look for each other every season for 20 years or even more. When one of the partners dies, his soulmate stays with the dead body for several days, gently pushing him, as if trying to resurrect him.

These birds may not be completely monogamous, but that doesn't mean they're not romantic. During the marriage ritual, couples stand very close to each other and sing in unison.

The Manakins are excellent dancers when it comes to showing their feelings. But this colorful bird is the only one of its kind that can do a moonwalk to impress the object of its adoration.