There are numerous ways to express your feelings of love for those you care about. We all know that flowers and candy are delicious, but it’s fun to get a little more creative from time to time. You can show your loved ones how much you care by using some animals that represent love.
Animals can be an excellent medium for self-expression. So, whether you’re looking for a way to show someone how much you care, or want to add some tattoos to express love and affection, here are some of the animals you can use, and this article will explain why.
12 Animals that represent love
1. Turtledoves
- Scientific Name: Streptopelia turtur
- Tattoo meaning: innocence, purity, enduring love
Turtledoves are a type of bird found in Europe and the Middle East. They’re brownish-black in color and have a short beak, with females being slightly paler than males. These creatures are among the most common birds that represent love and are even referred to as romantic birds.
Turtledoves are granivores, which means they eat seeds primarily. These doves are monogamous and have life-long relationships with their partners. Both males and females contribute to caring for their young by building nests, incubating eggs, and even producing crop milk to feed their nestlings.
2. Ladybugs
Scientific Name: Coccinella septempunctata
Ladybugs are colorful winged insects from the beetle family. Their appearance varies depending on the species, with some being red with black spots and living in temperate climates. Small insects and larvae are typical prey for these beetles.
In fact, they can consume up to 5,000 insects during their lifetime. Many beliefs have also linked this little insect to good fortune, including luck in love. Ladybugs are said to bring prosperity, and killing one will bring misfortune and bad luck.
3. Dolphins
- Scientific Name: Delphinus delphis
- Tattoo meaning: fun, joyfulness, freedom, teamwork, elegance, transformation, love
A dolphin is an ocean-dwelling marine mammal. Dolphins are widely regarded as one of the most intelligent animals, with a high level of cooperation and a strong sense of community. They can be found in oceans and seas all over the world, but they prefer warmer water.
These sea creatures feed on fish, squid, crustaceans, octopuses, and mollusks. They hunt by using echolocation to determine what is in the water around them before swimming up to it and grabbing it with their mouths. These animals have long been associated with Aphrodite, the ancient Greek goddess of love, and have served as a symbol of elegance and love.
4. Peach-Faced Lovebird
Scientific Name: Agapornis roseicollis
Peach-Faced Lovebirds are small birds that live in the wild in Africa, primarily in woodlands and forests. Lovebirds are very social birds that feed primarily on seeds and berries in small flocks with other members of their species. They’re known for their high-pitched calls, which can be heard as chatters and whistles.
These birds aren’t called lovebirds for no reason. These animals are known for having a lifetime monogamous bond with their partner.
In fact, as a sign of courtship, these birds will begin feeding each other. When one of the birds dies, the remaining bird suffers from depression.
5. Dogs
Scientific Name: Canis lupus familiaris
Dogs are one of the most well-known animals kept as pets on the planet. There are numerous breeds of dogs that come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Poodles, mastiffs, huskies, and beagles are some examples.
A dog’s habitat is any place where it can live comfortably. Dogs can live in various settings, including homes, farms, and even the woods.
These animals are known as man’s best friend because they’re devoted creatures who love us unconditionally no matter what. In fact, a dog tattoo represents unconditional love and loyalty.
6. Swans
- Scientific Name: Cygnus cygnus
- Tattoo meaning: love, devotion, romance, clairvoyance, inner beauty, grace, elegance
Swans are large cold-water birds with long necks and legs. They’re commonly found in a variety of freshwater habitats such as lakes, ponds, rivers, marshes, and even brackish water areas such as estuaries. These animals consume a variety of aquatic plants as well as small animals found in the riverbed.
They usually build their nests on land near or on the edges of bodies of water so that these birds can easily return to the water to feed. Swans have become a symbol of love because they’re one of the few animals that remain faithful to only one partner throughout their lives. They face each other, bow, and make a heart shape with their heads and necks as part of their courtship ritual.
7. Elephant
Scientific Name: Loxodonta africana
The elephant is a large mammal that can be found in both Africa and Asia. It’s the world’s largest land mammal and has a long trunk that it uses to grab food and water. Elephants are herbivores that eat mostly grasses and tree leaves.
These animals are well-known for their intelligence and close family bonds. They’re known for having high emotional sensitivity and can detect when a family member is in pain. When members of their herd die, elephants show signs of grief. Because elephants are loyal and caring creatures who are willing to help even other animal species, they represent love.
8. Penguins
Scientific Name: Aptenodytes forsteri
Penguins are a species of bird found in the Southern Hemisphere. They spend most of their lives at sea, eating fish and krill, but come ashore to breed. These animals are distinguished by their short, thick bodies, which make them excellent swimmers.
Penguins have black backs, white chests and bellies, making them stand out against their icy surroundings. These birds are monogamous and mate for life, and they have an unusual way of expressing their affection for their partners.
Males are known to court females by searching for the smoothest pebble to propose on. When a female accepts, they’ll begin collaborating to build their nest.
9. Orca
- Scientific Name: Orcinus orca
- Tattoo meaning: family, romance, longevity, harmony, travel, community, protection
Orcas, also known as killer whales, are toothed whales that belong to the dolphin family. They can be found in all oceans, but prefer cooler waters such as the North Atlantic and the Arctic.
These whales are carnivores, which means they feed on other animals. They usually hunt in groups to easily overpower their prey, which is usually seals or sea lions, but it could also include fish or seabirds.
Orcas are highly social creatures that live in pods. Even if orcas don’t mate with the same individual for life, they return to their natal family after looking again for a partner during the breeding season.
10. Albatross
Scientific Name: Diomedea exulans
One of the birds that symbolize love is the albatross. It’s a large seabird with a wingspan of 2 to 3 m that lives in cold ocean waters. Albatrosses are known for their long lifespans; the oldest albatross ever recorded was 71 years old.
Their diet consists primarily of fish, squid, and crustaceans. These birds frequently pair up for life and raise their young together.
In contrast to other monogamous birds that can cheat on their partners, albatrosses are known to be one of the most loyal birds to their partners. Because of this, they’re one of the most beautiful birds to represent love.
11. Starfish
- Scientific Name: Asterias rubens
- Tattoo meaning: divine love, good luck, fortune, renewal
A starfish is a type of marine invertebrate found in the ocean. Starfish are known for their distinctive shape—they’re also known as sea stars because of their five-pointed arms. If one of their arms is lost, it can regenerate.
The starfish’s diet consists of snails, clams, mussels, oysters, and other mollusks. Stars have always been associated with celestials, and a five-pointed pentagram has always been linked with Venus, the goddess of love and beauty. The reason why starfish also symbolizes divine love.
12. Peacock
- Scientific Name: Pavo cristatus
- Tattoo meaning: patience, empathy, good fortune, royalty, love, beauty
A peacock is a bird known for its beautiful and colorful feathers. They can be found throughout the Indian subcontinent and parts of Asia. These are large birds with a wingspan of 63 inches and a length of up to 98 inches.
Because of their obvious way of showing affection to females, peacocks are frequently used as a symbol of love. Males usually display their colorful tails, also known as a train, to impress other peacocks during a courtship dance that includes fanning out their feathers. The females will decide whether to accept or decline the courtship by judging their train.
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