Bottlenose Dolphins can grow up to an average of 2.7 meters and 160kg. They are social animals that are inhabitants of the warm and temperate ocean worldwide. Dolphins in general, are known to be highly intelligent, playful and altruistic. For example, it was documented that dolphins rescued beached whales in New Zealand and saved lifeguards from shark’s attack.
Male Bottlenose Dolphins usually live in groups of 2 or 3 and are known to exhibit cooperative and altruistic behaviour to their kind. They would take turns to guard each other from predators during sleep and work in pairs or larger group to court a female Bottlenose Dolphin.
It has been argued that homosexual behaviour is an evolution of cooperative and altruistic behaviour that are crucial for the survival of Bottlenose Dolphins. Male bonding between Bottlenose Dolphins is usually stronger and last longer compared to the Male-female type. It is also observed that Male Bottlenose Dolphins engage in sexual activities together, such as “nasal penetration” and rubbing their flipper against the other male’s body. They would also retain their primary male pair-bonds even after they begin mating heterosexually. A typical male group is usually found traveling together, protecting and healing one another, and even spending the rest of their lives together. (Awww… that’s really swweeeet!)
Sommer, Volker, & Vasey, P. L. (2006). Homosexual behaviour in animals: an evolutionary perspective.Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
The Columbia encyclopedia. Sixth edition, 2001-07. (2007). dolphin, aquatic mammal. In The Columbia Encyclopedia [Web]. Columbia : Columbia University Press. Retrieved April 13, 2009, from http://www.bartleby.com/br/65.html
As the saying goes, the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. Considering that the chimpanzees share a 94% similarity with humans in terms of DNA, is it any surprise that this saying might very well apply for our ape cousins as well?
“The male Adele penguin must select his mate from a colony of more than a million, and he indicates his choice by rolling a stone at the female’s feet. Stones are scarce at mating time because many are needed to build walls around nests. It becomes commonplace for penguins to steal them from one another. If she accepts this gift, they stand belly to belly and sing a mating song. “
I never knew that stones could be considered a romantic gift! It’s rather incongruous but romantic in a strange way because neither penguin will mate again that year, which implies that faithfulness is important in the penguin world (even if it’s rather underrated in the human world sometimes). Is there a certain moral code ingrained in penguins that they follow by, such that faithfulness becomes a social construct that is strictly adhered to?
While BBC News corroborates the fact that stones are the penguins’ version of a pick-up line, I found that female penguins are turning to prostitution to get stones off their menfolk to build their nests! The unsuspecting male lets his mate go off on a guise to collect stones, when in actuality she is going off to target single males [ "otherwise the partner female would beat the intruder up" ]. In some instances the prostitute penguins are tricksters, carrying out the elaborate courtship ritual which usually leads up to mating, but instead of completing that stage, they bag their stone and run off!
Single males copulate with pleasure as their motive, whereas attached females cheat on their partners for some unknown reasons other than for collecting stones, and possibly for testing potential future mates in the event their existing partner dies before the next mating. Doesn’t that imply that female penguins are capable of very rational thought, and beyond that, are very calculative? Despite the percentage of promiscuous female penguins being very low, it does spoil the idealism that animals are yet to be tainted by such unchaste behaviour.
Incest!! Taking motherly love to a whole new level
Animals need to mate in order to reproduce. That is the law of nature, and one that ensures the continued survival of the species. Yet during mating rituals, there will be someone left out, be it male or female. Either the male was not strong or attractive enough or the female was not seductive enough that they ended up lonely. Yet one bug has managed to go against all that by creating sexual partners for reproduction.
The Histiostoma murchiei mite goes against most mating laws and rituals that we have learnt in class. Instead of the usual sexual selection that animals go through in order to determine a mate, the female Histiostoma murchiei copulates with her offspring! And this is after creating them from scratch. ie. She lays eggs that can hatch unfertilized into males, and then have sex with them to breed more females.
This is such a weird from of reproduction, but I guess it does help make things a lot simpler. Gone are the days where males had to fight each other for the attention of females, or vice versa. With the Histiostoma murchiei, you are guaranteed a mate! If you don’t have one, create one! Sick as it may sound, it does seem to ensure the continued survival of the species, and keeping everything within the family to boot!
Violence is not the way to solve things. The bonobos uses sex for everything.
Bonobos use sex as greetings, a mean of solving disputes, making up for fights, and as a favors in exchange for food. They tongue kiss, engage in oral sex, mutual masturbations, have face-to-face genital sex and even have a strange “penis fencing” ritual! What a species!!! Amazing!!
Taste Urine before courtship
The male giraffe is an interesting animal that will use their head to nudge the rump of the female to induce unrination. Then, the male will taste it. If its good then he will start the courtship. ewww… dirty….
Tasting the pee
Dolphin: Not the third Hand
The dolphin has retractablepenis. And if that’s not cool enough, his penis is prehensile. And it swivels. In fact, a male dolphin can use his penis to explore objects just like a hand.
Male dolphins also have a very strong sex drive. It can mate many, many times in a day. Now here’s the bad news: male dolphins aren’t that much of a stud. The average time to ejaculation? 12 seconds.
They often try to hump inanimate objects and even other animals like sea turtles. Wow… thinking of sex all the time.
There are other strange mating behaviour of animals. Look up the articles below. Its real inteeresting for some.
Yes, yes I am aware that the above expression is desperately corny and am obviously raising goosebumps and prompting gags. Yet, it must be the most appropriate summary of how female iridescent Heliconius butterflies find mating partners and possibly love! Recent research has shown that visual cues used by female Heliconius butterflies as mating signals, are made possible by polarized light. Polarized light refers to light that is reflected from shiny surfaces. White light is diffused off “20 layers of transparent scales” on the butterfly’s wings, creating the “brilliant blue” color and what we call “iridescence” of its wings. The sheer beauty of this phenomenon is so striking that passengers in planes flying over forests have picked up on the extraordinary scene.
An experiment was carried out by Sweeney who attempted to create the mating of male and female butterflies, in environments that vary in the presence of depolarizing light filters. She found out that when polarized light was created (in the absence of depolarized filters), iridescent males were more likely to approach iridescent females. Of course, the fundamental physical properties of the butterfly wings would affect such a process. Not all butterfly wings are able to create polarized light and thus, iridescence after reaction to sheer light.
heliconius butterflies mating
It might be interesting to explore the dimensions of the aged dichotomy of nature and nurture. At least from this phenomenon, we can see that nature holds certain reins but nurture and the opportunities the external environment provides to allow one to uncover natural gifts are also of importance. The Heliconius butterflies definitely cannot flaunt their shimmering hues cotteqishly in a low- white light context. As the journal articulates, “The color of … living creatures is determined by the wavelength-dependent interaction of incident light with the object.”
Butterfly wings are coated with a layer of scales which are systematically and elaborately patterned. One can get an idea of how highly intricate the structure of butterfly wings is from the extract below, taken from my choice of scientific journal:
“The upper surface of the scales bears longitudinal ridges roofed with overlapping lamellae, which covers a series of folds, perpendicular to the lamellae, the microribs. The longitudinal ridges are connected by crossribs, and together they frame so-called windows to the scale interior”.
In fact, such a physical structure of butterfly wings is highly flexible and can create a whole spectrum of possible iridescence and delightful colour, depending on the texture and quantity of light available. Isn’t it a wonder how Heliconius butterflies with their astounding colours are also known aptly as passion- vine butterflies?
Reference
Smithsonian Institution (2003, May 1). Butterflies Use Polarized Light To Attract Mates. ScienceDaily. Retrieved April 15, 2009, from http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2003/05/030501080033.htm.
D. G. Stavenga, S. Stowe, K. Siebke, J. Zeil and K. Arikawa, 2004. Butterfly Wing Colours: Scale Beads Make White Pierid Wings Brighter. Proceedings: Biological Sciences, vol. 271 (1548):1577-1584.
I love animals. I love them most when they are furry and warm, with whiskers and cute paws and small legs.Who can resist a bunny rabbit hopping around your legs begging you for food? Or a kitty cat snuggling into your arms for a rest? They’re simply irresistible. To do a write up about these cute animals, I might as well be setting up a website like cuteoverload.com, with pictures of baby rabbits, puppies and puggles. So on the contrary, I have decided to do a write up on the most disgusting creature I came across. This creature is by far the most heinous and repulsive, in all aspects, from its physical appearance, to its feeding habits, reproduction and most of all its defence mechanism! I present to you, the Atlantic Hagfish, also known scientifically as Myxine Glutinosa
The hagfish looks like an eel. In fact, it is very often mistaken for an eel and scientists have even debated whether or not it belonged to the fish family or the lampreys. It is the only animal with a skull but no backbone. Picture it as an underwater snake, if you will, with barbels (whisker like organ) instead of fins and a single nostril. Its colour ranges from grey to pink or brown, depending on the species and is found at a depth of 4000 feet underwater, making it a deep sea creature. The Atlantic Hagfish, as its name might suggest, is found on both sides of the North Atlantic Ocean and can go as far up as Norway.
If its appearance is not enough to repulse you, it’s feeding habits might. Albeit relatively small (16 -32 inches), the hagfish possesses a very barbaric and monstrous way of feeding. The hagfish starts off by attaching itself to another healthy fish. Unlike the Remora, the Hagfish does not stay at the sides or underneath its host, feeding on its remains, but bores its way into the host fish. The hagfish then feed on the host fish’s flesh with its tongue, literally eating its host inside out. There are instances where deep-sea fishermen found thousands of hagfish (instead of flesh) inside their catch! Be careful the next time you’re eating a Cod.
Sex with the Hagfish can be confusing. This is because some are hermaphrodites. Yes, they have both male and female sexual organs. A study conducted by Scott I. Kavanagh et Al in 2004 revealed that the production of gonadotropin-releasing hormone is highly seasonal and differs in relation to its size class and stage of gonadal development: “In the medium and large class hagfish, there was an increase in GnRH concentrations during April and May that correlated with male and female gonadal maturity. Also in these size classes of female hagfish, there was a similar rise in GnRH in November and then again in January that preceded the highest incidence of large eggs.”
What is known is that the hagfish’s eggs attach together and the Hagfish will curl itself around the eggs but it is not known if they are taking care of the eggs.Sexual Reproduction in the Hagfish is rarely documented and further study is much needed to those who can withstand its slime and grime.
Yes, the most disgusting fact about the Hagfish? Aside from its confused sexual orientation, its beastly eating habits and its unsightly appearance, the Hagfish is known for its defence mechanism. The slime. When provoked, the Hagfish excretes a whitish substance that, when in contact with water, will develop into a thick, slimy substance that reminds you of your own mucus! A Study by S.Subramanian et Al., discovered that a major constituent of the hagfish extruded slime are trypsin-like proteases. They found that stress induced slime of the Hagfish contains “various innate immune parameters in comparison to its epidermal mucus”. The slime excreted from the hagfish not only protects it from its predators (thickness of the slime clogs predators’ gills), but also from other diseases and micro organisms that might cause infection! Interestingly, the hagfish escapes from its own slime by knotting itself up and pushing this knot through its body.
The video below shows a scientist and his research animal: the hagfish.
If the video doesn’t load, click here to view: Hagfish Slime
Look at how just a teeny bit of excretion did to a beaker of distilled water! Do not underestimate the power of slime.
References:
Scott I. Kavanagh, Mickie L. Powell, Stacia A. Sower, (2005) “Seasonal Changes of Gonadotropin-releasing Hormone in the Atlantic Hagfish Myxine Glutinosa” General and Comparative Endocrinology, Volume 140, Pages 136-143.
S. Subramanian, N.W. Ross, S.L. MacKinnon, (2008) “Comparison of the biochemical composition of normal epidermal mucus and extruded slime of Hagfish (Myxine Glutinosa)” Fish & Shellfish Immunology, Volume 28, Pages 625 – 632
IS sex always a good thing? Unfortunately Male Praying Mantis says NO. This is because Female Praying Mantis consume the head (and sometimes the rest) of her mate during copulation. Yes i know what you are thinking. Even nymphomaniacs squirm at this thought.
Praying Mantis have a carnivorous appetite that include moths, crickets, flies, grasshoppers and other insects as well. These insects are also prone to eating others of their own kind. The most famous example of this is the notorious mating behavior of the adult female, who sometimes eats her mate just after-sometimes during- mating.
Yet this does stop the males from courtship and mating. The most common courtship of the males would be when he approaches the female frontally, slowing his speed as he nears. The second most common courtship is when the male approaches the female from behind, speeding up as he nears.
But research has challenged this notion of sexual cannibalism among the praying mantis. Eckehard Liske and W. Jackson Davis made videotapes of sex lives of 30 pairs of praying mantises. They discovered that the none of the 30 male mantises had their heads eaten during the mating process. Although female mantises sometimes ate their mates, the deadly act by no means occurred in every case. They observed that the behavior is influenced by captivity: Female mantises became unusually became aggressive thanks to the unusual laboratory conditions and feeding times observed by the researchers.
Yes, the female praying mantis does sometimes eat the male. In fact, it is the male mantises who actually want to offer themselves as food. There is a simple, yet, rational explanation behind it. That is, there is no point in having sex if she is going to die of starvation before she can lay eggs and pass the father’s genes onto the next generation. Some might call this True love.
Now, Guys, how far are you willing to go to sacrifice your lives for true love?
Reference:
“The Female Praying Mantis: Sexual Predator or Misunderstood” by Doughty Michele, Biology 103, 2002 First Paper, http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/node/1801
Praying Mantis by National Geographic http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/bugs/praying-mantis.html
Liske, E.; Davis, W.J.(1984) Sexual behaviour of the Chinese praying mantis v. 32(3): 916-918
While prostitution has been around for many years, it was thought to be something that humans engage in. That does not seem to be the case. Adelie Penguins, a species found along the coasts of Antartica, were discovered to engage in extra-pair copulations, sex with other penguins other than their partners. This is rare as penguins are known to be monogamous.
So how does prostitution happen in the penguin world? The female Adelie penguin will look for a single male Adelie penguin. The female will offer herself by showing courtship moves and then lying prone for the male to mount her. This action tricks the single male penguin into thinking that this female could be a possible partner and the male penguin will copulate with the female penguin. After copulation, the female will then be able to take a pebble from the single male’s nest. Permission is needed in order for the female to get the pebble as the male usually attacks other penguins who tries to steal his pebbles. After getting a pebble, the female would then return to her ‘husband’ with a new found pebble.
The next burning question in everybody’s mind would be, why pebbles? Why don’t the penguins exchange sexual favours for something more practical, like fishes? This is because pebbles are very precious to female penguins as they are the main materials to build a large good nest. Because the Adelie penguins live near the coasts, flood waters from melted ice during spring might wash away the egg if the nest was not large enough. Larger nests built with enough pebbles will keep the egg in place and also elevate the egg so that it would not be immersed in floodwaters, which might stop it from hatching . Because pebbles are so precious to these penguins, thefts of pebbles often happen and agression will occur when pebble stealing is involved. Thus, in order to be able to build decent nests without being attacked, the females , instead of stealing pebbles, exchange sexual favours from sexually frustrated single males in exchange for pebbles.
While some behaviorist speculate that this behaviour could be something the penguins are doing in order to test for a future change in mates, but there are not enough evidence to support this claims yet. Currently, what is known is the exchange for pebbles using sex. Interestingly, beneath all this promiscuity, female Adelie penguins can still be considered monogamous. After all, all this exchange of sexual favours was in exchange of materials for a safer nest in order to increase reproductive success. Let’s salute the female Adelie penguins for their selfless behavior for their families!
Sources:
Female Adélie Penguins Acquire Nest Material from Extrapair Males after Engaging in Extrapair Copulations
F. M. Hunter and L. S. Davis
The Auk, Vol. 115, No. 2 (Apr., 1998), pp. 526-528
Mating in a Material World
Maggie McKee
URL: http://www.nwf.org/nationalwildlife/article.cfm?issueID=73&articleID=1039
Pick a Penguin
URL: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/60302.stm
You’d think mosquitoes are out to annoy you with their buzzing, but research shows that “the familiar buzz of flying mosquitoes is an important matingsignal, with the fundamental frequency of the female’s flighttone signaling her presence” (Cator, Arthur, Harrington & Hoy, 8 Jan 2009).
For a long time, the buzzing of the mosquitoes was seen as an unintentional effect of their flapping wings. In addition, what sounded like a steady buzz to humans could range up to 2,000 hertz to the mosquitoes, exceeding their previously established hearing limit, whereby male mosquitoes could hear between 300-800Hz, while females were thought to be deaf.
However, this research has proven otherwise. With live Aedes aegypti mosquitoes tethered to the end of insect pins, tones made by both male and female mosquitoes were recorded to show that their fundamental tones – 400Hz for females and 600Hz for males – reached a synchronised note at 1,200Hz when brought within a few centimeters from each other, signifying a mating match.
According to Ron Hoy (in Bland, 8 Jan 2009), co-author of the study at Cornell University, “We think that females could use harmonic matching as a fitness measure for the males”. It begins with the female flying through the air and producing a complex sound including its fundamental tone and harmonics (multiples of the basic tone), which is an irresistable mating song to the males. However, the male must modulate his own sound to match the female’s, because only when she is satisfied with his love song will she mate with him.
Aedes aegypti is the mosquito that transmits diseases such as yellow fever and dengue fever, which has been exceptionally rampant in Singapore (National Environment Agency, 2009). By understanding their mating process, it may inspire better ideas to more effectively curb the breeding of these dangerous mosquitoes. Some of the ideas include creating sterile or genetically engineered males that cannot transmit dengue virus and tricking the females into mating with them, which will bear them no offspring or harmless ones (Morgan, 8 Jan 2009). In theory, the population of mosquitoes would then decline. However, there are still many obstacles to overcome, one such as the female’s ability to tell if a male has been altered, reducing their interest. Nevertheless, this research has opened up new areas to explore for the solution. As Professor Harrington, one of the co-authors of the study, rightly asserts (in Morgan, 8 Jan 2009), “If you eliminate the vector, you eliminate the disease.”
Now that the source of the problem has been determined, all we need is a solution.
