Reproduction is a normal part of life, and while sex might seem like a quick and straightforward process for humans, that’s not always the case in the animal kingdom. Some animals reproduce in rougher ways that most people would ever imagine.
The male brown antechinus, for example, mates as much as physically possible during the mating season to ensure reproductive success; in some cases, it will have sex for up to 14 hours at a time. As you might come to expect, this sort of behavior wears the animal out, crashing its immune system in the process. Many die shortly after mating because their immune system isn’t strong enough to ward off disease or infection.
Unfortunately, the male triplewart seadevil (a type of deep-sea anglerfish) doesn’t have it much easier; he’s drastically smaller than the female and latches onto her like a parasite for nutrients and to provide his sperm. On the other hand, he typically withers away shortly after delivering his use to the female, dying in the process.
On the brighter side of things, the short-beaked echidna has a somewhat strange sex life, but the male doesn’t die after copulation. A group of males typically follow a female for up to a month during the mating season, and when one of them gets lucky, they get down to business. On the other hand, the female sports a dual-track reproductive system; to help ensure reproductive success, the male is equipped with super-charged semen that can get the job done.
Indeed, some animals have very odd ways of reproducing, but that’s nature for you!
