How do other mammals know when they are pregnant?
In: Biology
Hormones change with pregnancy. That’s how they’d know. What they do because of it changes greatly from animal to animal however.
They don’t know anything really. But their behaviour is regulated by hormones and being pregnant (or in heat) changes the hormonal balance to change their behaviour accordingly.
It should also be noted that most animals don’t really *need* to know they’re pregnant, at least not on an immediate basis. Very few animals have human-like “always on” sex drives, and as such they only mate in certain conditions, also regulated by hormones.
That is a hard question, because we don’t really understand the extent of consciousness and self-awareness of animals. Do animals understand their actions in the past have repercussions in the future? Do they understand that the past and future exist?
It seems likely that most animals do not really have these mental abilities, so they would be unable to grasp the concept of pregnancy. It is more likely that they act purely through instinct based on the circumstances they are presented with; when in heat they mate, when pregnant they feel extra hungry, or the urge to build a nest, and when they give birth they instinctually mother any baby-like objects. They do this not due to any rational thoughts, just because they are driven to do so, and aren’t capable of questioning these instincts on a deeper level.
It is possible that there are animals that are intelligent enough to grasp the required concepts; for instance higher apes, elephants, and dolphins may be more aware of what is going on, but it is impossible for us to tell decisively right now.
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