SNAP!

[#1]

Earth's Babies. No matter how big, tall, small, strong, meek or mild, all of the animals on earth share a similar trait. We all love our babies.

This baby hippo gets a nudge while swimming with its mother (known as a "cow").

 

Even the King of the Jungle becomes a pussycat around it's offspring.

Right: The pygmy marmoset is the smallest ape on earth.  At adulthood, it will measure less than seven inches in height.

A mother giraffe nuzzles her four-day old calve. Within hours of birth, these babies are up and running...a necessity for survival in the wild.

  Right: Young flamingos hatch with grey plumage, but adults range from light pink to bright red due to aqueous bacteria and beta carotene obtained from their food supply.

Penguin chicks are cared for by both parents. One will watch the chick while the other dashes out for food. As soon as a penguin hatches, it begins vocalizing so that it's parent's can learn it's unique sound and voice.

 The quills of a baby porcupine (also called a porcupets)  begins hardening about an hour after it's birth.  

Baby Pandas remain one of the most popular attractions at many zoo's and wildlife centers around the world. Sadly, deforestation as made their future precarious.

We humans may be the only animals on earth to dress up our kids as other animals...but we still love them all the same! 

[#2]

OMG, I love the pygmy marmoset!! How adorable. Even the baby hippo is cute. This post oddly reminds me of some of my neighbors' dogs. They have English bulldogs which I have never found particularly attractive; however, when they were puppies they were actually cute. But as soon as they reached adulthood they lost all cuteness. It was rather sad. 

[#3]

Cuteness and big eyes in babies, I have heard, is actually a deliberate ploy by Nature to ensure that babies are coddled by the parents and that the parents' protective instincts kick in. I'm not sure, however, that a predator sees a baby prey animal and thinks "Awww, how cute! I shouldn't eat him." Speaking of baby bulldogs, I saw some friends' baby many years ago who looked like a troll. You know, those Wishnik toys? SO ugly. They adored him. lol

[#4]

I've read the same thing. It's weird though, because some animals with scrunched-up faces and big eyes (like fish, or Boston terriers) aren't really cute at all. I guess it doesn't work if it goes too far in the other direction! also, I am in love with those baby hedgehogs. I don't think I could have one as a pet, though... I wouldn't be able to resist cuddling it.

[#5]

The expression of the little guy dressed up in the lobster suit in the pot at the end made me LOL, actually laugh.  Hilarious.  As for baby animals, yeah, they're specifically designed to elicit a protective response... except birds.. some baby birds are just plain scary...  ugly, loud, obnoxious...  faces that only a mother bird could love..  heh.  

[#6]

I know, Rafferty, I agree about the birds - it's really hard to look at bird infants and get the cuteness factor when they're bald little things with big mouths. (Hmm, kind of describes human babies a little. lol) It's probably really sick of me, but suddenly I remembered that scene in Shrek when Princess Fiona sings beautifully to a bird and then it explodes on a high note, and the scene cuts to eggs cooking over the fire and Fiona yelling "Breakfast!" Yikes, how many vegans have I probably offended?