Do animals understand birth?

[cbrunny]

Do they? As in make the humpy humpy to get prego to make babies then go into labour and boom baby pops out (mammals)? Or is it just maternal/paternal instinct? Or is that instinct the same as understanding birth?

 

[highland145]

Saltynuts, is that you?

 

[FeuerFrei]

Not sure what you mean by "understand birth." Animals operate on pure instinct biologically instilled into them by their creator. I think they take events in stride and do as instinct dictates. I don't think they consciously decide that having babies would be sweet and that they will have panda sex to generate some. Does it ever dawn on them, before they die, that making humpy humpy results in bablies? uhhh .... who knows. Probably the delay between cause and effect kills any correlation in their minds.

 

[Yakk]

UCSB has a simple summary write-up on this based on scientific research :

http://scienceline.ucsb.edu/getkey.php?key=1132

Spoiler

Animals other than humans have no awareness that their sexual activities are connected with reproduction: They engage in sex because they're biologically driven to do so, and if the fulfillment of their urges produces a physical sensation we might "pleasure," it isn't the least bit affected by the possibility (or impossibility) of producing offspring.

 

[cbrunny]

Saltynuts, is that you?

I don't pretend to make sense.

 

[cbrunny]

Not sure what you mean by "understand birth." Animals operate on pure instinct biologically instilled into them by their creator. I think they take events in stride and do as instinct dictates. I don't think they consciously decide that having babies would be sweet and that they will have panda sex to generate some. Does it ever dawn on them, before they die, that making humpy humpy results in bablies? uhhh .... who knows. Probably the delay between cause and effect kills any correlation in their minds.

thats more or less the question i was trying to ask.

 

[pete6032]

Do they? As in make the humpy humpy to get prego to make babies then go into labour and boom baby pops out (mammals)?

It's pretty clear that some humans don't even understand this, much less animals.

 

[cbrunny]

It's pretty clear that some humans don't even understand this, much less animals.

there's a poll option for that.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

So question is, "how well do animals understand cause and effect?"

The answer is "not very, in most cases."

 

[Red Squirrel]

I'd say some of the more intelligent ones probably do. Saw a video of an elephant giving birth, and it was actually kinda interesting to see how the mother could tell as soon as the baby came out, and when she turned around she lifted her leg to ensure she does not step on the baby. It does not look like much, but have to consider the thought process that must have been going on. She was also kicking it lightly after, to clear the mucus from the passages. And moving it around with her trunk etc.

Some animals are perhaps not as careful/aware though. Sea horses are interesting, the mother lays eggs inside the male then the male is the one that gives birth and literally sprays thousands of tiny babies everywhere and they just get taken by the stream. "My job here is done" and the father and mother leaves and goes and does whatever it is sea horses do. Most of the babies die.

 

[Humpy]

make the humpy humpy to get prego

Leave me out of this.

 

[feralkid]

How is animal babby formed?

 

[dave_the_nerd]

How is animal babby formed?

They need to do way instain father who eat their babby. because these babby cant frigth back.

it was on the animal planet this mroing a lion in Zimbabwe who had kill three cubs. they are eating the three babby back to new york too lady to rest because father lions eating the cubs of other father lions ; I am truley sorry for their lots.

 

[pete6032]

They need to do way instain father who eat their babby. because these babby cant frigth back.

it was on the animal planet this mroing a lion in Zimbabwe who had kill three cubs. they are eating the three babby back to new york too lady to rest because father lions eating the cubs of other father lions ; I am truley sorry for their lots.

Lmao