五种了不起的父亲

Fathers of the animal kingdom are not that different from our own beloved dads.

Sure, human dads can play catch（做传球的游戏） and help with homework, but can they give birth? Daddy sea horses can! This Father's Day, while you're praising your family's patriarch（家长，元老）, you may also remember that some of the best dads in the world can be found in the animal kingdom:

Sea Horses: The "Mr. Moms" of the marine（海的） world, male sea horses, carry up to 2,000 fertilized eggs in pouches（小袋，小包） in their stomachs until they hatch. Even after the babies are born, they stay inside the pouch until they are ready to venture out（冒险出门） on their own.

Microhylid Frogs: Buy these dads a "Baby on Board" sign to put on their backs! These froggy fathers from New Guinea play piggyback（在肩上） once their babies hatch from their eggs. One by one, the dad lets as many as 24 froglets（小蛙，幼蛙） climb onto his back for a family road trip. He hops about 50 feet each night, and one by one, his kids jump off along the way to begin new lives of their own.

Darwin's Rheas（美洲驼）: Thought your dad was overprotective? Darwin's rhea, also known as South American ostriches（鸵鸟）, are so protective of their children that they routinely rush cowboys on horseback and have even been known to attack small airplanes on the ground if they get too close to their brood（窝）!

Marmosets（美洲小长尾猴）: These little monkeys do everything but Lamaze class! Dedicated dads assist during labor by biting off the umbilical cord（脐带） and cleaning up the afterbirth. They also let Mom get some R&R by taking care of the kids when they're not nursing.

Sand Grouse（沙滩松鸡）: Talk about sponging off Dad! These pigeon-like birds live in areas where water is sparse（稀少的，稀疏的）, so fathers fly as many as 50 miles to get water for their kids. After they soak up（吸收，摄取） the water in their breast feathers, they fly home and let their chicks suckle the moisture（潮湿，水分） from their bodies.

Fathers of the animal kingdom are not that different from our own beloved dads. This Father's Day, when you are honoring your dad, honor animal dads, too, by practicing kindness and compassion toward all animals.