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Even though animals can't technically "marry" (since that's something that only humans can do), there are some animal species who will mate and commit to each other for a long time. Over 90% of bird species are "socially monogamous" (meaning that the same two parents will help raise their babies); penguin dads will keep their eggs warm while mom goes off to look for food, while bald eagles will remain faithful to their mate until one of them dies! Other animals that mate for long periods of time include gorillas, dikdiks (a type of African antelope), and anglerfish.
A marriage itself is actually a legal contract! While a wedding ceremony can be a beautiful way for two people to show how much they love each other, married couples pay different taxes and have certain rights that other couples don’t. Since animals don’t need to worry about things like paying taxes or buying a house, a "marriage" isn't really necessary!
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Further information
The time that animals who mate and commit will spend with their mate can be anywhere from a few months (like a season) to years. A very small group of animals will even mate for life - 3-5% out of 4,000 mammals, and that number doesn’t even include humans. But it does include otters, beavers, some species of wolves, bats, and even rodents. And some of these animals take their commitment quite seriously - the prairie vole (a small rodent) is so devoted to his mate that he will attack other females who even dare to come near him! -
Exploration
Does your city have a zoo or wildlife observatory? Perhaps you can visit it and take a look at the different animals! Can you see two beavers working together on their dam? A family of mice sharing their food? How about different species of birds and the many ways they help each other?
When you get home, write a story about all of the animal families you saw that day! -
Sources & links
“Scientists study factors behind fidelity.” MSNBC.com. 13 Nov. 2009. "Marriage." Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. 2009. Merriam-Webster Online. 13 November 2009. “Lovebirds and Love Darts: The Wild World of Dating.” National Geographic. 13 Nov. 2009. Barash, David P. “Deflating the Myth of Monogamy.” Trinity University. 13 Nov. 2009. “Where Monogamy is Rare.” LiveScience.com. 13 Nov. 2009. “Can animals really love each other?” Daily Mail Online. 13 Nov. 2009.