Animal Love

Animal Love
Check out these charming photos of animals in love and find out more about love and romance in the animal kingdom.


Holding Hands: Two African penguins take a romantic walk on the beach in Cape Town, South Africa. Penguins often keep the same mate for many years and parents share the responsibilities of feeding and raising the chicks.


Harem on the Range:Two adult black-tailed prairie dogs share a dance in Arizona. Female prairie dogs are not the most loyal mates in the animal kingdom. They may mate with as many as five different males in one four to five hour period.


Two Girls for Every Boy: Long-tailed macaques kiss at the Phra Prang Sam Yot temple in Thailand. It's unlikely that these two will settle down -- there are about two females for every male and these lecherous monkeys have many partners.


Taxi of Love: Two tree frogs lock lips in Costa Rica. Each species of frog has its own mating call and female frogs respond only to the males of their own species. When the female approaches at the sound of the call, the male climbs on her back and she carries him to the mating area.


Lord of the Dance: A pair of green chromis fish share a kiss. When courting, the male swims around a female, performing a lively "dance" to attract her attention. Males also chage color to attract a mate. During mating season, his body becomes yellow and his fins turn black.


Earn Your Stripes: Plains zebras enjoy each other's company on the Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya. Mature males often travel with several females, forcing younger males to join bachelor herds. As the younger males gain strength, they can establish their own herds of females.


Till Death Do Us Part: A pair of North American gray wolves play affectionately in the snow. The only mating in a pack of gray wolves is between the dominant male and female. The pair will be monogamous for as long as each survives.


Love 'em and Leave 'em: Two sea lions nuzzle in the surf. Like elephants, male sea lions are sexually mature at a young age but rarely reproduce until they are fully mature adults. Mature sea lions keep a harem of mates rather than settling down with just one.


Trunken Flirting: Female elephant Mafuta (right) plays with her male companion Abu at the zoo in Halle, Germany. Though elephants are mature at about 12, males usually won't breed before 30. Adolescent males travel in packs while they wait to become strong enough to win a mate.


Showing Off: Two giant plated lizards sun themselves on a rock. Both male and female participate in elaborate courtship rituals. Females of some species change color when they're ready to mate and will change to another color when their eggs have been fertilized, indicating they're no longer interested in mating. Males have a number of ways to establish territory and attract females, including doing pushups to showcase their physical strength and dominance.