Frogs
Frogs do not normally give birth to their young but instead, lay eggs. However, there are one or two species that carry their eggs in their mouths for protection until they hatch. An example of this is the Gastric Brooding Frog.
Dolphins
Dolphin intimacy happens belly to belly and though many species engage in lengthy foreplay, the actual act is usually only brief, but may be repeated several times within a short time span. The development period varies per species; for the small Tucuxi dolphin, this period is around 11 to 12 months, while for the Orca this is around 17 months. After a gestation, a single dolphin calf is born tail first. Labor can last up to 2.5 hours; and the female in labor may be accompanied by an assisting animal during and after delivery. Other members of the group have been observed approaching mother and calf shortly after birth. The calf nurses for about 18 months, but may stay close to its mother for up to 6 years.
Scorpions
Birth normally occurs in summer and spring in temperate areas but in tropical climes scorpions can give birth all year round. On the average, a female gives birth to about 25-35 young. They remain on her back until they molt for the first time. The white colored young have been seen to climb down off the mothers back, molt then return to the mothers back for another 4-5 days before leaving for good, usually within one to three weeks after birth. Once they climb down, they assume an independent existence, and periodically molt to reach adulthood. Typically five or six molts over two to six years are required for the scorpion to reach maturity.
Stars
It has been observed that some stars are shooting out jets of gas. The unusual thing about this is that they appear to be giving birth to planets again. How they can do this is still unclear, but the stars seem to have kept many of their youthful qualities. For instance, the researchers found orbiting disks of gas and dust extended around the stars, and, in the case of BP Piscium, jets of gas being ejected into space. These gas-and-dust rings provide the fodder for the making of planetesimals, such as comets and asteroids that can merge to form larger bodies, along with planets.
Seahorses
Sea horses are unusual in another way. The female sea horses lay the eggs, but unlike other creatures, it's the males that give birth to the young. Male seahorses go through pregnancy and give birth to their sons and daughters. It has a pouch on its stomach in which to carry babies-as many as 2,000 at a time. A pregnancy lasts from 10 to 25 days, depending on the species.
The reproductive process begins when a female and a male seahorse do daily pre-dawn dances, intertwining their tails and swimming together. Eventually they engage in a true courtship dance, which can last as long as eight hours. It ends with the female depositing her eggs in the male's pouch.
Snakes
Most snakes hatch from eggs that have been laid outside the mother's body, but among some snake species, females bear live young, as shown here. This method of reproduction may be beneficial to snakes that live in cold climates, because the pregnant female can bask in the sun to keep her developing offspring warm. (Photo and text courtesy of MSN)
Species that lay eggs, such as the black rat snake, are termed oviparous. Other species including garter snakes, water snakes, and Pennsylvania's three venomous species give birth to live young and are termed ovoviviparous.
Fish
Some fish do lay eggs and some will give live birth. The most common types of livebearers are Mollies, Swordtails, Platys, Angel sharks and Guppies. These livebearers will quickly eat any young they can find. If one wishes to save more than a few of the offspring, steps need to be taken almost immediately separate the parents from the young after birth.
