How do mother animals know their own babies ?

Sham S. Misri

Hundreds of baby lamb live with their mother in large flocks. Each lamb seems exactly like all the others. But a mother sheep knows the difference. No matter how many lambs there are in the flock , she can always pick out her own baby, because it has its own particular odor . The minute a lamb is born, the mother sniffs at it . From then on, she remembers exactly how it smells. Deer, buffaloes, cats, dogs and many other animal mothers know their babies by smell.

A mother penguin knows her own chick. Dozens of chicks stay together in groups while the grown- up birds go fishing in the ocean for foods. When a mother gets back,  she waddles through the whole hungry crowds of babies and refuses to feed any but her own. People who study penguins are not quite sure, but they think the mother and father both recognize their baby’s voice and also its particular shape and size.

A baby penguin seems to recognize its parents’ voice. When its mother or father calls, it comes running . When a baby chick or duck hatches,  it usually sees first of all the big dark shape of its mother. From then on, it recognizes that shape and follows it. But if ducklings happen see a dog’s shape first, they will follow dog around just, as if, it were their mother. They will even follow a large stout scientist who is experimenting with ducks- if they see him first!