Dolphin fathers help in the care of the young. Newborns are held on the surface of the water by both parents until they are ready to swim on their own. A number of bird species have active, caring fathers who assist the mothers, such as the waterfowls mentioned above. Apart from humans, fathers in few primate species care for their young. Those that do are tamarins and marmosets. Particularly strong care is also shown by siamangs where fathers carry infants after their second year. In titi and owl monkeys fathers carry their infants 90% of the time with "titi monkey infants developing a preference for their fathers over their mothers". Silverback gorillas have less role in the families but most of them serve as an extra protecting the families from harm and sometimes approaching enemies to distract them so that his family can escape unnoticed.Many species, though, display little or no paternal role in caring for offspring. The male leaves the female soon after mating and long before any offspring are born. It is the females who must do all the work of caring for the young. A male bear leaves the female shortly after mating and will kill and sometimes eat any bear cub he comes across, even if the cub is his. Bear mothers spend much of their cubs early life protecting them from males. (Many artistic works, such as advertisements and cartoons, depict kindly "papa bears" when this is the exact opposite of reality.)
in Quebec civil law), if the mother is married to another man, the latter will be defined as the father
Presumed father – Where a presumption of paternity has determined that a man is a childs father regardless of if he actually is or is not the biological father
Social father – where a man takes de facto responsibility for a child, such as caring for one who has been abandoned or orphaned (the child is known as a "child of the family" in English law)
Stepfather – a married non-biological father where the child is from a previous relationship

Fatherhood defined by contact level
Absent father – father who cannot or will not spend time with his child(ren)
Second father – a non-parent whose contact and support is robust enough that near parental bond occurs (often used for older male siblings who significantly aid in raising a child, sometimes for older men who took care of younger friends who have no families)
Stay-at-home dad – the male equivalent of a housewife with child, where his spouse is breadwinner
Weekend/holiday father – where child(ren) only stay(s) with father on weekends, holidays, etc. Non-human fatherhood
For some animals, it is the fathers who take care of the young. Darwins frog (Rhinoderma darwini) fathers carry eggs in the vocal pouch. Most male waterfowl are very protective in raising their offspring, sharing scout duties with the female. Examples are the geese, swans, gulls, loons, and a few species of ducks.