5 Very Curious Mating Rituals

In nature, there are species that attract attention in a very unique way. This is because they need to make every effort to be successful in winning a partner.

Humans cut their hair, put on perfume, wear makeup or go to the gym to get someone’s attention. In nature, something similar happens when it comes to finding a partner. In this article, we’ll talk about the most curious mating rituals.

Mating Rituals: A Demonstration of Skills

For the male to be able to prove to the female that he is an “interesting” candidate, he does really weird things (in a person’s eyes).

Mating rituals catch our attention because…they  must work hard to get results! Among the most curious mating rituals, we find:

1. Seahorse

They are the  symbol  of love and fidelity par excellence and they also star in a very interesting ritual… you can spend hours dancing!

A romantic dance begins when a male and female cross their tails and trunks.

So, the seahorse (pictured that opens this article)  floats peacefully among the bubbles and corals… for no less than eight uninterrupted hours.

After that time, the female changes the tone of her body to show that she “accepts” the male proposal. And another curious fact: he is the one who gets ‘pregnant’ and gives birth to the puppies, weeks later.

1. Ptilonorhynchidae

Also called ‘gardener birds’, they are one of the many in this family that carry out one of the most interesting mating rituals.

It is a species native to Australia and New Guinea, whose behavior when attracting a female is really amazing.

It all starts when the male builds a nest to house his future “wife”. So far it looks normal for birds.

However, the suitor seduces the female by collecting all sorts of bright and colorful objects with which he decorates, so to speak, his love nest.

And that’s not all, once she decides to enter the new house, he must do a very special dance and singing so that he finally gets a “yes” in response.

1. gibbon

Humans aren’t the only ones who serenade or write love songs when they’re in love…

The  gibbons  do too! To attract a potential female, the male sings sensually and sweetly different tones and melodies.

Best of all, when the female accepts, the gibbon can rest assured: it will be with her forever. This is because  the species is monogamous for life. 

It was worth playing in love in public and singing in front of the whole family!

1. Hipoppotamus

Some animal dates are very romantic, but others are a bit “repulsive” to our human eyes. This is the case of hippos, one of the strongest and most robust beings on the planet.

They are known for their lack of personal hygiene as they can live in stagnant water and be very happy  without worrying about disease or bacteria. This also doesn’t change during the mating season… it even intensifies!

That’s right, as the male stands on top of a dung pile and, using his tail, throws him in all directions. The objective is to “mark” with these residues the female he wants. When that happens, she is flattered and accepts it without conditions.

1. gentoo penguin

To finish off this list of curious mating rituals, we couldn’t leave out a bird that doesn’t fly but is very fast underwater.

Female gentoo penguins receive a gift from the male and, if they like, accept him as a partner and can begin to build the nest together.

Here there are no diamonds or jewels, flowers or chocolates… the gift is nothing less than a stone. But be careful, because it is not just any stone, but one with certain characteristics.

Therefore, males can spend hours walking on the beach selecting the perfect gift.