While they might not shake their penises at each other, their mating ritual is certainly just as strange.įor one thing, the creature's genitals are hidden on their necks behind their eye stalks. Like flatworms, snails and slugs are hermaphrodites that have to battle as part of their reproduction process. Well, at least they get something out of the horrific experience. When the insects are provided with ample water, female interest in mating drops drastically, but when things get dry, they suddenly have an insatiable thirst for love. It turns out that because the beetles live in such an arid climate, the ejaculate fluid provides females with much needed hydration. Researchers have concluded that larger spikes somehow help the males win out in the genetic arms race, and that those with the biggest, sharpest spikes also sire the most offspring.Īs for why the females would even agree to mate with a partner knowing they would have to go through such a traumatizing experience, scientists have an answer for that one too. That's because the male has a disturbingly spiky penis that always injures the female in the process of copulation. When it comes to beetle sex though, few have it as bad as the female Seed Beetle. There are over 350,000 species of beetle and their reproductive methods vary drastically.

In fact, throughout all the biting, scratching and screeching, many females end up killed in the process, only to be eaten by their angry partner.Īs if nature wished to compensate the females for their suffering, many of the males put out so much energy during the mating season that they lose weight, start balding and die within only a few weeks of their sexual rampage. Like many human males trying to compensate for something, the quoll males are violent and ruthless. That's because the males don't release very many sperm at a time, so they must ejaculate multiple times to ensure their genes are passed on. Average mating sessions last up to three hours, but can go on as long as a full day. The males will try to mate with as many females as possible, grabbing their newest mate by the neck and dragging them off to do the nasty. Every winter, the females all go into heat at the same time, causing a breeding frenzy within the species. While you may not have already heard of a quoll, if you know enough about their mating rituals, you won't soon forget the species.

Rarely known animals