A
multiple birth is the culmination of one
multiple pregnancy, wherein the mother delivers two or more offspring, one for each
fetus. A term most applicable to
placental species, multiple births occur in most kinds of mammals, with varying frequencies. Such births are often named also according to the number of offspring, as in
twins and
triplets. In non-humans, the whole group may also be referred to as a
litter, and multiple births may be more common than single births. Multiple births in humans are the exception, and can be exceptionally rare in the largest mammals.