psychology-health

The male and female of a species will display certain physical attributes, such as the fanning of feathers, to attract a mate. For the courtship to be successful, both the male and female must respond repeatedly to the signals sent to them before mating will take place. When the female of the species is disinterested, she will not respond at all, and no union is likely to occur. The dominant male of a group of animals is the one who mates with the most females, while other males who are not as strong, mate far less often. At times, some males will not mate at all, perhaps because they do not send out correct signals to the female, or because the low ranking in the order of all males in the group means he has very little influence.

Many animals have been affected by global warming, and do not migrate, or migrate later than usual as the seasons change. This could have an affect on the behaviors they would usually display when attempting to attract a mate. Some species may die out altogether if the majority of them do not head to warmer climates through the mating season, or they may stay behind and develop new behaviors and cross breed with other breeds of animals within the same species.

Many animals have been known to cross breed in a natural setting; some people turn pets loose into the wild when they realize they can no longer care for them. Pythons have been known to mate with other varieties of snakes in the wild after being turned loose by their owners because the snakes had become too large to care for-even venomous snakes!  The dumping of cats has also been a huge problem for the environment, and it has been found that some are mating with larger wild cats. Dingoes have been known to cross breed with dogs that have strayed from tourist’s campsites in Australia’s outback. Over time, new courtship rituals for these cross breeds could develop, ensuring future breeding with other strong members of their group.

Predators could also move into areas like the ones which have been destroyed by fires, because their ability to live in arid surroundings could mean they stay long term and kill off the previous ‘residents’. It is such a shame how we have collectively destroyed the habitats of many of earth’s creatures. I wonder what tougher species will evolve from those lucky enough to make it through our lifetimes?

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