How do animal mothers protect their young?

Animal mothers employ various clever methods to protect their young. Some birds, like the night hawk and whip-poor-will, carry their eggs or chicks in their mouths or claws to safer locations when threatened^[1]. Wood ducks move their ducklings from high nests to the ground by gently carrying them with their bills^[1]. Guillemots may even have their young mount their backs to be carried down to the water^[1]. Other birds, such as the great-crested flycatcher, use snake skins in their nests to frighten away predators^[1].