There are billions of creatures on God's green earth, divided up into hundreds of millions of species. Within each of these, there are different instincts and habits - what you might call traditions, if they were human - about how to parent. Many creatures in the insect realm have a sort of "spray and pray" bulk purchase approach to parenting, where they simply lay loads of eggs, cross their fingers, and hope for the best. However, others are more discerning, even including some fish or amphibian species whose closer cousins take more of an absentee approach.

Generally speaking, the most doting parents are mammals, birds, and marsupials. The first of these groups, in particular, give birth to live young, meaning that they invest heavily in their offspring and show real bonds of love. Some mammals, such as wolves, produce offspring who are ready to go into the world on their own in a single year, but others, such as elephants and orangutans, are heavily invested, taking years to nurture their babies to maturity and teach them the ways of the world.

Which of these denizens of the animal kingdom most inspires your particular mom style? It's time to find out!