Interspecies friendship

A cat with two guinea pigs

An interspecies friendship is a bond that is formed between animals of different species. An atypical phenomenon in biology, numerous cases have been reported among wild and domesticated animals and documented with photography and video.

Interspecies friendships have been reported and recorded between numerous varieties of animal species, including mammals, birds, reptiles, and combinations of these.[1][2] In many cases, the pairs of animals include those not known to get along, and sometimes, one is of a species that ordinarily predates on the other in nature.[3][4]

Reasons for interspecies friendships include a mutually beneficial exchange between the pair, the need for social bonding, a need for protection, or is often unknown.[5]

Further reading

See also

References

  1. ↑ Chelsea Marshall (30 September 2013). "The 21 Most Touching Interspecies Friendships You Never Thought Possible". BuzzFeed. Retrieved 2014-10-09.
  2. ↑ Laura Moss (1 July 2011). "16 unlikely animal friendships". Mother Nature Network. Retrieved 2014-10-09.
  3. ↑ Susan Kauffmann (Spring 2004). "Interspecies Friendships: When Cats Join the Pack". Modern Dog. Retrieved 2014-10-09.
  4. ↑ Jess McNally (4 October 2010). "Why Can’t We Be Friends? Top 10 Interspecies BFF Videos". Wired. Retrieved 2014-10-09.
  5. ↑ Rebecca Savastio (19 February 2014). "How Do Natural Born Enemies Become Best Friends? The Answer May Surprise You (Video)". Guardian Liberty Voice. Retrieved 2014-10-09.