Valentine's Day tips from the animal world

Bowerbirds definitely deserve the prize for the most patient and hard-working suitors. They build and decorate a beautiful "bower" with the greatest care, all to impress their beloved . This great grey bowerbird has brought red hibiscus flowers, bones and empty shells for his Juliet. These gentlemen are true pioneers in sharing responsibilities at home - a model to follow!

Marking territory is a common practice in the animal kingdom - and hippos are masters of the art. Male hippos scatter dung to show the ladies around who is in charge. Hm. It takes all sorts. They also twirl their tails at high speed to propel their scented offerings all over the place. "Hey baby, now you know who's boss here?" Perhaps not one to imitate!

When it comes to attracting a female's attention, the competition among beautiful dolphins can be really fierce, fighting among themselves while swimming around the sought-after lady. However, some species are even able to sing "love songs" for their future partners. Then come lots of "caresses" followed by "belly-to-belly" mating.

The process starts in a very traditional manner: the male giraffes fight against each other, swinging their long necks. But once there is a winner, the courting gets weirder. The male giraffe approaches the female's back and rubs against her with a clear aim: to make her pee. He will then try her urine to determine whether it's worth going any further. .

No one can resist looking at peacocks when they expose their majestic tail full of "eyes". Peacocks' tails cover more than 60 percent of their total body length and are key for females choice of a male partner. The peacock mating dance is definetly one of the most beautiful spectacles in the animal kingdom.

These fish must be the dating champions of the underwater world - look at those colors! Mandarin fish know dating is easier when night falls, so at sunset males start chasing females. In a "cat and mouse" game, the much smaller female leads the action. She sticks to his lateral fin, and they swim up and down above the coral reefs. Cheek to cheek, they release their eggs and sperm simultaneously.

In the idyllic environment of the Galapagos Islands, the blue-footed booby has a good reason to show off - and males know it. Their mating ritual consists of lifting their blue feet up and down in front of the desired female. But nature is wise and unfair at the same time. No matter how brilliant the performance, the lady will always go for the one with the bluest feet.

With a slight change in color, seahorses attract each other to start a joint dance that can last for several days. They often synchronize their movements and swim side by side or joined by their tails. During the dance, the male shows the female his empty "reproductive bag", ready to get filled with more than 1,000 eggs. In case you were wondering - yes, it's the male seahorses that get pregnant.

Bonobo monkeys may not be masters in courting, but they are famous for their active sexual life. Romanticism aside, bonobo societies use sex as a greeting, to show social status or for reconciliation . They practise sex in a huge variety of forms, including oral sex and masturbation. Alongside chimpanzees, bonobos are our closest living relative in the animal kingdom.

Every species has its own courtship rituals. Some are amazing - but none of them are as complex as ours. We also show off our best attributes, try to impress our partners, engage in romantic dances and opt for beautiful locations... But if our animal friends inspire you to liven up your dating - the key to success is making sure your partner agrees!