A Mother's Love: Animal Instinct

Every time you block the cold wind from your shivering child, make sure he's fed and full before you ever get a bite, hoist him out of a mud hole or teach him an important survival skill like how to open a bag of goldfish crackers without scattering them everywhere, just know that you are biologically hardwired and not at all unique among animal mothers.

We've been positively obsessed with watching the LIFE BBC series that we TiVO'd on PBS (the 11-part set debuts on DVD on June 1), and I've learned more amazing cocktail party facts about the animal kingdom than I could ever hope to scour off the Internet. The BBC folks even put together a little mini-series dedicated to the moms who shoulder the survival of their species by taking their parenting duties as seriously as we humans do (and in some cases, more seriously).

So moms, give yourselves a pat on the back knowing that you're in good company – and that even tadpoles needs a mother's love.