How do animals know which animal to mate with?

Question

Dogs will mate with other breeds but for example cheetahs dont mate with tigers etc

Answer 1

Dogs have been domesticated by humans. They have been with people for thousands of years. There are hundreds of breeds. They really are all the same species. They are totally compatible except maybe for size. The dog has been tame so long, that the true species that created it has long become extint.

Animals use scent (smell), sound (vocal noise), sight, and body movement to recognize its own kind. The panther and leopard are the same exact creature living in the same parts of the world. The color variation has to do with genes only. For most mammals, as well as birds, the sound each one makes is distinct. We cannot tell one individual from another, except by differentiation in patternization of spots, splotches, or stripes (zebras, giraffes, leopards, jaguars, etc.) But, then we also do not speak fluent animal language. Some mammals communicate mainly by body movements (eyes, tail, teeth). Some rely more on vision. Some rely more on scent. Some rely on sound (hearing).

Zebras are not meant to mate with gnus, though both live in the same areas and are often in mixed groups. Leopards are not meant to mate with lions or tigers. These three animals are closely related. But, they are different.

Each species, and each group, of animals can recognize relatives (of same species or same group) by sound, sight, smell, and body movement. This is how animals can live in communities. The communities are a specific group of individuals of a species that will not usually tolerate intrusion of others of the same species. This also helps them to avoid predators or to catch prey.

For some mammals, body movement is a big thing. Eye twitch, ear twitch, "yawn", chest beating, tail movement (including wagging and position), baring of teeth, etc. These are all very important to different kinds of mammals for different reasons. These animals use body movement in conjunction with other senses, whether that is hearing, smelling, and/or, seeing.

Birds and African buffalo obviously do not mate. But, they sometimes are seen together. The birds have acute hearing and vision. They can easily warn the buffalo (or other herd animal) of possible danger. The buffalo know something is wrong when the birds start making loud noises.

Answer 2

Several factors:
1) geographical location - cheetahs (Africa) are no where near tigers (India and Asia)
2) Pheromones - many (most?) animals have a far more sensitive sense of smell than we do, and can detect both what species an animal is and the males can usually detect when a female is in heat.
3) Visual - It a blind, horny lion with no nose and half a brain which tries to mate with a wildebeest!

Answer 3

A cheetah would have to do a lot of travelling to meet a tiger wouldnt it?

Most animals can recognise their own kind visually, there also scent clues and sounds.

How do YOU know what species to mate with?

Answer 4

It depends on the type of animal. For the most part, yes, animals mate with different individuals. Sometimes they mate with multiple mates in a single breeding season, sometimes it's a different mate for each season, and sometimes they have one mate for their entire reproductive life. Again, it depends on the species.

Answer 5

Not that cheetahs come across many tigers...
Birds imprint on the first thing they see on hatching.
Many animals trigger on smells.
Rabbits and dogs tend to try anything.

Answer 6

The same way we know to mate with our own species...

Answer 7

it's instinct, animals can recognize their own kind. The female will go for the most fit male she can find.

Answer 8

They don't always, my rabbit used to try and breed with my guinea pig!

Answer 9

they smell the otheranimals anus