Animal Parenting Archives - Dr. Carin Bondar

Bird Moms Can Alter Their Eggs Based On The Quality Of The Dad

September 9, 2020 0

Mother birds are able to alter the unique properties of their eggs based on the identity of the father. Paternal quality can play a huge role in a mother’s investment in his eggs. After all, […]

Can Animal Moms Get Postpartum Depression?

July 22, 2020 0

Although it’s impossible to simply ask another primate mom to explain how they are feeling and whether they may be depressed, we can infer that yes, animal moms are vulnerable to the effects of PPD. […]

Dung Beetles: Dung Quality, Male Morphology, and Social Context Affect Parental Investment

July 1, 2020 0

Dung beetle (Onthophagus atripennis) parents provision their future offspring by collecting dung. They transport it to a series of underground tunnels that they have excavated for that precise purpose. Once at the blind end of […]

Animal Parenting

Can Males Lactate?

June 17, 2020 1

It is physiologically possible for males to lactate! As we know, the female investment in almost all animals is much higher than that of males based solely on the value of eggs versus sperm. However, […]

Lactation in Spotted Hyenas

June 3, 2020 0

Hyena societies are matriarchal, which means that females are the socially dominant sex. They live in groups of sexually mature females and their offspring. When young males reach sexual maturity they are kicked out of […]

The Impact of Stress During Lactation

May 20, 2020 0

In addition to the varied concentrations of bioactives in mothers’ milk, mothers can also feel varied levels of stress during lactation. This results in varied concentrations of stress factors in milk. The Stress on First-Time […]

Animal-Themed Mother’s Day Cards

May 6, 2020 0

With Mother’s Day just around the corner, I made a few cards for moms based on my book Wild Moms: Motherhood in the Animal Kingdom. I hope these make you and your mom smile! Let […]