A Little Mammal Has So Much Sex That It Disintegrates

[n2doc]

by Ed Yong
It’s August in Australia, and a small, mouse-like creature called an antechinus is busy killing himself through sex. He was a virgin until now, but for two to three weeks, this little lothario goes at it non-stop. He mates with as many females as he can, in violent, frenetic encounters that can each last up to 14 hours. He does little else.

A month ago, he irreversibly stopped making sperm, so he’s got all that he will ever have. This burst of speed-mating is his one chance to pass his genes on to the next generation, and he will die trying. He exhausts himself so thoroughly that his body starts to fall apart. His blood courses with testosterone and stress hormones. His fur falls off. He bleeds internally. His immune system fails to fight off incoming infections, and he becomes riddled with gangrene.

He’s a complete mess, but he’s still after sex. “By the end of the mating season, physically disintegrating males may run around frantically searching for last mating opportunities,” says Diana Fisher from the University of Queensland. “By that time, females are, not surprisingly, avoiding them.”

Soon, it’s all over. A few weeks shy of his first birthday, he is dead, along with every other male antechinus in the area.

more

http://phenomena.nationalgeographic.com/2013/10/07/why-a-little-mammal-has-so-much-sex-that-it-disintegrates/

[kestrel91316]

1. The only surprise here is that more male mammals don't do this.

[mike_c]

3. it's not at all common among mammals....

Semalparity only occurs among some few didelphid and dasyurid marsupials. This fellow is one of the latter.

[kestrel91316]

4. You're no fun at all.

[Salviati]

2. Death by snu snu!

[sir pball]

14. I nevwr thought I would die this way..

But I've always really hoped!

[Lordquinton]

5. And here we humans just go blind.

[Xipe Totec]

8. Only if you follow the manual

method.

[formercia]

15. ...and grow Hair on our Palms....n/t

[Callmecrazy]

6. well bless their hearts.

[MFM008]

7. hmmmm

lucky little bas*ards

[OnyxCollie]

9. To paraphrase Iron Maiden,

If you're gonna die, die with your hard on.

[Warren DeMontague]

10. I blame the...

...oh, never mind.

[BlueJazz]

11. Awww...I think the little guy is cute. (on the other hand, I bet they smoke a lot of cigarettes)

[Javaman]

12. it's the cigs that are actually kiling them...

[BlueJazz]

13. LOL! (Bob...you got a smoke? Naw...I bought a carton yesterday but you know how it is)