Fox

Foxes generally give birth in mid-March to between four and five cubs. Tiny, blind and deaf, fox cubs are extremely vulnerable and the first few weeks are critical for their survival. During this time mumma fox will stay close, relying on other members of her social group to provide for her. 

After the first four weeks, cubs will begin to emerge from their den, playful and curious. Once weaned the adults will start bringing them food, larger mammals and birds for the cubs, measly mice, and voles for themselves - it's not unusual for the mothers to look pretty thin during this time, putting the cubs' needs above their own.

Play fighting and hunting practice is also high on the agenda and doting mothers willingly oblige, helping to build the skills these cubs will need as adults.

Reed Warbler 

This small summer visitor's motherly instincts are regularly taken advantage of, falling victim to brood-parasitism by cuckoos who happily hand their children over to a much more attentive mother. 

Whilst the unsuspecting reed warbler's back is turned the cuckoo will swoop in, kick one of the reed warbler's eggs out of the nest and replace it with one of her own for the reed warbler to raise. 

Surprisingly, these doting adoptive parents don't seem to bat an eyelid at their unusually large children, raising them as one of their own.

Octopus

When it comes to motherhood octopuses make the ultimate sacrifice.

These intelligent cephalopods are semelparous, meaning they only reproduce once in their lifetime. When the time comes and the eggs are laid, the mother octopus will stay and diligently watch over her clutch, stroking them attentively with her tentacles and gently blowing water over the eggs until it's nearly time for them to hatch.

The instinct is so strong that it even overrides hunger and she will eventually starve to death at her watch post. 

Bats

Whilst mating takes place in August bats tend to delay their pregnancy until early summer when the weather is warmer and more food is available.

Pregnant females group together to find warm, safe places to give birth - called maternity roosts. Usually bats give birth to one pup a year which cling to their mothers and suckle on their milk for the first five weeks of their lives until they are old enough to fly and forage on their own.

Common earwig

It may come as a surprise to see earwigs make the nature supermum list and indeed it is unusual for insects to take care of their eggs once laid - but earwigs take their motherly duties very seriously. 

Once the pregnant earwig has laid her eggs in a damp crevice she will stick around to guard, and even gently clean her eggs. Once hatched, mumma earwig will continue to dote on her children, feeding them until they are ready to fend for themselves.