• Question: how are the babies made?

    Asked by guineapiggirl124 to Emperor Dragonfly, Brown garden snail, Barn Owl, Scotch Thistle, Hazel Dormouse, St Kilda Wren, Common Crane, Catshark on 8 Dec 2017. This question was also asked by sgirl100, rbarnett855, sbyrnes771, megthepeg, rmckeag934.
    • Photo: Lesser-Spotted Catshark

      Lesser-Spotted Catshark answered on 8 Dec 2017:

      I don’t know if I’m qualified to give you ‘The Talk’.

      To make a long story short male sharks use claspers (paired sex organs) to deposit sperm into the female’s cloaca. She can then store this sperm and use it periodically to fertilise eggs which then travel through her oviduct, get coated in a leathery egg-case or ‘Mermaid’s Purse’ and are eventually laid. They develop for 5-9 months depending on the water temperature and finally a baby catshark fully capable of fending for itself hatches.

    • Photo: Hazel Dormouse

      Hazel Dormouse answered on 8 Dec 2017:

      Hazel Dormice mate during the spring. The male does not stay around but the females will look after her litter until they are big enough and fluffy enough to look after themselves. There are usually 4-6 pups in the litter and the females can have up to 2 litters a year!

    • Photo: Common Crane

      Common Crane answered on 8 Dec 2017:

      Common cranes choose their mate for life and stay together. The courtship usually happens in May and is a complex ritual involving a lot of singing and dancing! However, this is rather different from singing and dancing that humans do these days. It would probably be closer to the elegance and precision of Renaissance dance. Both parents are taking care of their chicks and stay grounded until they learn to fly.

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