Valentine's Day, the most extraordinary courtships in the animal world

There are those who must prove that they are the strongest to win a partner, those who perform courtship dances or build a real "love nest" to impress, those who exchange "gifts" or those who change color to signal the its willingness to mate.

In the world of animals there are extraordinary techniques of conquest and courtship, sometimes real rituals, where it is almost always the male who tries to attract the attention of the female.

In view of February 14, the feast of lovers, the

tells the most particular courtship and mating techniques that have animals as protagonists.

Male individuals of many species choose to show their strength to win a mate. Among the

, giants of the great American and European prairies, the males fight - even furiously - with each other, with the aim of conquering a harem of females.

It is only after having shown that he is the strongest, in fact, that the winning male can begin the true courtship phase, during which he begins to closely follow the chosen female, keeping her isolated from the rest of the group until he gives in to his advances. , and then move on to court another female.

Male

, polygamous species, also fight to conquer the harem of females.

But before the fights, in the arenas where the males confront each other, the loud cries resound, the verses of the males in love, which serve to show the other contenders their strength and conviction.

A strong and deep "song" indicates that the male is in excellent health and with high levels of testosterone. Only when males of equal strength are exhibited does the actual fight arrive, in which the winner will emerge and can devote himself to his harem, composed of dozens or even hundreds of females.

there is also the

, whose males endure long struggles to gain access to the reproductive females. And this happens only in the time of the mating season, from winter to winter. For the hares, however, the comparison with the other males is not enough to reproduce: the females, in fact, are able to take surprising leaps to escape the desire of their suitors. Often the choice of the female falls precisely on the male more in form and more energetic, capable of guaranteeing excellent progeny.

 is the case of the group of

, which includes several species united by the extraordinary

the exhibitions and constructions of the males who, in order to conquer the females, create impressive architectural structures and decorate them with colors and objects.

Females visit and examine various "love nests", as well as the plumage of males.

In fact, both traits are important indicators of the health and reproductive capacity of the male.

Males, to persuade females, can also engage in a varied courtship dance, and often offer them colorful objects (fruit, berries, stones, etc.) as a wedding gift.

Who is more

famous

than the

in his skills as an exhibitionist?

The courtship of peacocks takes place in defined areas, called leks, where the males gather to conquer the females, flaunting their lush liveries and tails, and dancing.

But despite the multicolored fan tails and the bright colors with which the males try to attract female attention (decidedly disadvantageous to escape predators in everyday life, and therefore indicators of an excellent state of health) among the peacocks are the females to decide and can be really hard to please.

In a normal lek, only 5% of males mate with most females.

All the “losing” males will have to wait for the next breeding season to try again, hoping to have more luck.

As for complex and noisy courtship dances,

is no

.

The male tries to conquer the female between deep calls and elaborate dances.

The kantling is a real show that the male undertakes to earn the attention of the other sex.

The males throw themselves to the ground and roll, flap their wings and emit typical calls, which are intended to invite the female to mate.

Depending on the attitude of the female, the male can also repeat the ritual or, if the female appears well disposed, attempt mating.

When the males walk towards the female with their wings open, they have obtained the approval of the partner, and are preparing to mate.

In some particular cases, the dances are transformed into romantic two steps.

Among the

, for example, during the reproductive period, couples engage in spectacular performances, calling each other in unison with a typical call, and starting a romantic two-way step.

Male and female, during the courtship, dance close together with their wings spread, alternating the “dance” with immersions in the water.

If the female is affected by the attitude of the male, then she aligns with the movement of the future partner, but only when she is convinced of the qualities of the male can mating begin.

Even the great

it stands out for having one of the most elaborate courtship rituals among Italian birds.

The courtship ceremony involves the exchange of a symbolic gift between male and female, which then becomes a real dance: the two loons face each other and begin a ceremonial greeting by rhythmically moving their heads and raising and lowering the feathers of the head.

When the ceremony is ending, the male demonstrates to the female that he has good diving skills, giving her a tuft of algae taken from the seabed, indicating the willingness to build the nest together.

Among the most fascinating couplings in the world of insects is that of

.

These insects use a complicated interlocking game to reproduce.

The male blocks the female with particular appendages and this, by bending the body forward, allows the male to fertilize the eggs.

The result of the particular amorous "game" is a strange heart-shaped position.

But even when the mating has taken place, the males do not lose sight of the females: they want to make sure that they are the only ones to fertilize it, before it lays its eggs in water.

The male of the

dances to woo and win the sympathy of the female.

The wedding dance can last several minutes.

In these dances, male and female cross their tails and snouts as they float in the sea water.

While they move, the two "lovers" can even change color, going from a faded orange to a brighter orange, to show themselves ready for mating.

One of the most extraordinary peculiarities of this species is that the male, in addition to courting the female, will also have the task of carrying the offspring in the womb.

In fact, during the mating, the female inserts the eggs in the ventral pocket of the male.

A model family man.

The

, as well as being a champion species of mimicry and transformation, also surprises in the courtship ritual.

The female varies its shades of color, passing from mottled to gray, to signal to the male its readiness for mating.

Males are even capable of assuming female guise to go unnoticed by other contenders, and have a greater chance of reproducing.

The males also have a particular tentacle, the ectocotyl, which they show during the courtship to the chosen female, as a sort of wedding invitation.

If the female accepts, she remains in front of the male and the two animals mate, hugging each other in a characteristic way.