I was surprised not to see snow geese in this list. That was the first bird species I was taught (years ago) that mated for life. ?

Guys really, I think animals are another kind of civilization like ours. :)

Emy! The birds depicted in the picture are not Fische's lovebird Agapornis fischeri but Masked Lovebirds Agapornis personata.

Honestly, why can't people realise that humans have one thing on the top of their priorities and that's survival. With suvival comes survival of the species, wich means reproducing. If 4000 years ago, your partner died, you would go ahead and find a new one, regardless of how you felt. Nowadays, we are still the same species. We are still programmed for survival. We still look for someone else if we no longer can have the person before.

I don't think you understand what is meant by monogamy. Your arguement is about survival and if a mate dies or leaves, our animal instinct is to find another mate to reproduce. That is fine. But monogamy means not finding another to reproduce with when you already have one!

Sorry, I meant to address the above coment in reply to Ella.

wow, amazing...these animals behave more civilized than ourselves...how sad.

Pssh@ calling these animals more "civilized" than people because they mate for life. Sharks regrow teeth. I guess that means they're better than humans as a species too huh? Nope. In both cases its in their dna to do what they do. So if the majority of mankind gets with more than one partner (and guess what, if you've had more than one boyfriend/girlfriend in your life you have. It doesn't even have to be cheating),then that's part of our dna. Its a choice yes, but clearly its been made and

i just wana scratch the white stuff of the love birds eys its so disgusting!!!!!!!!!!1

Yes. There is actually quite a bit of documented evidence of homosexuality among other animals besides humans. (we are animals too, but dont' tell the majority of the public it will just upset them). Anyway, you can research the topic and find the examples as I mentioned. You just rarely hear about it because lets face it, no one wants to know the truth. It would disprove their argument about choice or "born this way". :) .

It's called 'eyelids.'

Enter your comments here I notice that each mate is male and female are there animals whose mates are either male and male or female and female like Americans have it?

actually it is true that some animals do have sexual relations with the same sex. dolphins are an example. though they have partners, occarionally it has been known that they will share relations with another dolphin of the same sex. at the same time dolphins are another animal (like ourselves) that have sex for pleasure,wich is where these occurances happen.

This list could be slightly inaccurate depending upon the definition of "mating for life." Modern day sociologists/biologists have actually been able to disprove the supposed monogamy in every species on this list EXCEPT the prairie voles. Observation & genetic testing revealed that although the pair may stay together for life, individuals would go off and mate w/some other male/female that was NOT their life-mate, when said life-mate was not around (or looking the other way, so to speak).

Penguins do mate for life, just depending on the species of penguins, Eagles, Lovebirds, Pidgeons, Swans, Seahorses, Whales,Dolphins, grey wolves,gibbon apes, beavers, barn owls, anglerfish, redtail hawk, french angel fish, brolga cranes,ospreys prairie voels,black vultures,condors, sandhill cranes,golden eagle, prions, bats, foxes,coyote, termites,shingleback skink, whooping crane, crows and many other birds.

The very colorful birds posted as the first picture on this article (the ones with the nail-polish-red beaks) are Fischer Lovebirds. I have 3 of them. They will fight against other lovebirds who threaten them as a bonded pair (who threaten their monogamy) to the death... but when hand-tamed, they make endearing and loving pets. there is a special variety of them known as "Lutino Fischer Lovebirds", where the green is a chartreuse color and the heads are orange, not brown... very pretty too!!

Our point on this earth is to become more than the sum of our pieces and not use excuses like "well the animals do it so we can too". On another note aren't crows or one of the corvid families along that line also monogamous?

What are these birds on the front page?

Those are lovebirs, I have a couple at home (but the blue ones, with black faces): They cuddle all day long :)

Wolves also mate for life. If either the male or the female in a mating pair dies, the other will often get deeply depressed.

I have geese and ducks where I live and they have been in the same pairs for eral years...I believe they mate for life.

Dont forget Sea Horses, they do mate for life, they even help each other during the breeding period and if one of them dies, the other remains alone for the rest of its life; never looks for another mate ever again. They also are very tender with each other during their life toguether.

One loves the previous comment about sea horses...tender love...so Heavenly...So tender a love, and when the feelings go, go for the feelings (again!), [fall in love again all over again, every single day every morning, with the same person; see how much you can rightly love that significant being in life...never let go, and you will* never go wrong that way...]

So tender a love, and when the feelings go, go for the feelings (again!), [fall in love again all over again, every single day every morning, with the same person; see how much you can rightly love that significant being in life...never let go, and you will* never go wrong that way...]

Humans were not designed to mate for life. We would like to think we can restrict ourselves from most temptations, but its near to impossible. I studied human behavior for some time and found that when first humans were first evolved that we were not the top of the food chain and did not reproduce as quickly as some animals can. So by nature, if something were to happen with our mate it is programmed for humans to be able to move on to ensure the species. Not to give any man or woman the excuse to

Point taken, but humans are supposed to have evolved a bit since the time period you are speaking of. I would like to think we have the ability to realize that our species is no longer in danger of predation and we do not need to run amongst each other in desperate need to populate our species in fear of extinction. Also, lets be real. Those that are not monogamous, the last thing on their mind is reproduction. Quite the opposite. It is done for pleasure. Plain and simple. Humans don't mate only

Maybe we should start learning about how they make their "lifelong monogamous relationship" work !! I know that there are plenty of studies that go on researching how they stay together and I think that they should apply those findings to the human's relationship therapy! If they already haven't done so! It seems like us humans are making it more acceptable and "natural" to not be monogamous these days. The terms being used on most cheating men and women being labeled as "sex addicts" are down playing

i dont think lobsters would.....
i know swans and pigeons....for sure...
eagles....dont know if all kinds are...
and wolves...kind of sure...lol

All eagles mate for life

Sandhill Cranes are another one that mate for life.

Canada goose!

So aside from the first 11 a few people have said: #12. Penguins, Alice Eve said #13. Lobsters, myself #14. Foxes.
Anymore people care to mention.

adelie penguins, chinstrap penguins, galapagos penguins, gentoo penguins, humboldt penguins, king penguins, little blue penguins, macaroni penguins, and rockhopper penguins are all monogamous and mate for life.

If you all notice,with the exception of the Gibbon, no other primate is on this list. And according to some resreachers most of them are not supose to have only one mate including humans.Think about that next time some one cheats. Try the human animal for more info.

I think penguins will choose a mate to stay with for that year/mating period. and after the chicks are hatched and grown they go through the process of finding a mate again

Don't penguins belong to the list? Or is everybody under the wrong notion (that penguins mate for life)?

Enter your comments here
Lobsters definitely do NOT mate for life. This is just a myth. Lobsters do have a very tender mating ritual, in which the female is very vulnerable after shedding her exoskeleton, but after the deed is done she leaves and they never see each other again, and in fact, the male (usually being the alpha and dominant male in the area) will go on to mate with almost every other female in the area.

I thought penguins mated for life also/

Read the last animal - American Eagles. I'm impressed.

Don't forget the Lobster.