Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
The DU Lounge
Related: Culture Forums, Support Forumsits all that viagra testing on marsupials
http://www.wired.com/2014/05/absurd-creature-of-the-week-this-marsupial-has-marathon-sex-until-it-goes-blind-and-drops-dead/[font size = 4]
Absurd Creature of the Week: This Marsupial Has Marathon Sex Until It Goes Blind and Drops Dead
[/font size = 4]
IN THE FORESTS of Australia, every year just before spring, there erupts a sexual frenzy unlike any other on Earth. Its bigger than an ultra-romantic Neil Diamond concert, bigger even than spring break in Cancun. Here a tiny hyperactive marsupial called antechinus sprints around mating almost non-stop for an exhausting three weeks, with single romps lasting as long as 14 straight hours.
Males relentlessly bound from partner to partner, as massive hormone releases in their bodies cause their immune systems to crash and their fur to fall out. They bleed internally. Some males even go blind, yet still stumble around the leaf litter hoping for one last tryst. In a few short weeks, every single male lies dead, leaving the females to raise their offspring. And so it seems that in perpetually dangerous Australia, even the sex can kill you.
For these three weeks of sexual kamikaze, antechinus males are concerned with nothingabsolutely nothingother than mating with as many females as they possibly can. Ecologist Andrew Baker of Australias Queensland University of Technology, who studies these critters astonishing habits, has even picked up a copulating pair, who ignored him entirely and went about their business in his hands. Its pretty frenzied, said Baker. Theres no courtship or anything like that. The males basically just grab the females and go for it.
Males relentlessly bound from partner to partner, as massive hormone releases in their bodies cause their immune systems to crash and their fur to fall out. They bleed internally. Some males even go blind, yet still stumble around the leaf litter hoping for one last tryst. In a few short weeks, every single male lies dead, leaving the females to raise their offspring. And so it seems that in perpetually dangerous Australia, even the sex can kill you.
For these three weeks of sexual kamikaze, antechinus males are concerned with nothingabsolutely nothingother than mating with as many females as they possibly can. Ecologist Andrew Baker of Australias Queensland University of Technology, who studies these critters astonishing habits, has even picked up a copulating pair, who ignored him entirely and went about their business in his hands. Its pretty frenzied, said Baker. Theres no courtship or anything like that. The males basically just grab the females and go for it.
InfoView thread info, including edit history
TrashPut this thread in your Trash Can (My DU » Trash Can)
BookmarkAdd this thread to your Bookmarks (My DU » Bookmarks)
7 replies, 958 views
ShareGet links to this post and/or share on social media
AlertAlert this post for a rule violation
PowersThere are no powers you can use on this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
ReplyReply to this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
Rec (4)
ReplyReply to this post
7 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
its all that viagra testing on marsupials (Original Post)
ashling
Jun 2015
OP
And there was just a thread in GD asking what we remember best about the 70s...
malthaussen
Jun 2015
#6
Everyone talks about getting fucked to death, but only these critters do anything about it
jmowreader
Jun 2015
#7
valerief
(53,235 posts)1. Antechinus spring break. Wow!
Oh dear
Solly Mack
(90,773 posts)3. That makes me sad.
Poor things.
Copulating themselves to death.
A mindless frenzy of fatal fucking.
pinboy3niner
(53,339 posts)4. That'll teach them to call when they say they're gonna call
NV Whino
(20,886 posts)5. Evolution at its best
Darwin would be proud.
malthaussen
(17,204 posts)6. And there was just a thread in GD asking what we remember best about the 70s...
-- Mal
jmowreader
(50,559 posts)7. Everyone talks about getting fucked to death, but only these critters do anything about it