Despite same-sex sexual behaviours in animals often being portrayed as note-worthy or an oddity, animals have an astonishing diversity of sexual behaviours, and interactions between members of the same sex are not uncommon. Same-sex behaviours have been recorded in over 1,500 animal species across many major groups, vertebrates and invertebrates alike, from dolphins to dragonflies<\/a>.<\/p> What exactly do we mean by sexual behaviour? Included in this, in addition to genital contact, are other behaviours that in a different-sex context may contribute to reproductive success, such as courtship, affection, pair bonding, and parenting. All of these have been observed between same-sex pairs.<\/p> A much-cited example is that of bonobos. Bonobos<\/strong><\/a> are a sister species to chimpanzees<\/a>, and as such are among our closest animal relatives. They use sex in quite a different way to chimpanzees, however \u2013 sometimes described as the apes who \u201cmake love, not war\u201d. In bonobos sexual contact, like genital rubbing, is used to greet friends, de-escalate conflicts, and cement relationships, and they seemingly do not discriminate based on sex, with female-female and male-male pairings common. Individuals do not appear to conform to a particular orientation, however. They are also promiscuous rather than monogamous, having many short-term pairings.<\/p> Check out our guide to bonobos<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p> This is in contrast to Japanese macaques, another primate in which same-sex sexual behaviour is commonly observed. Females of this species will routinely pair off with other females, forming temporary but exclusive sexual relationships known as \u2018consortships\u2019, which involve courtship behaviours as well as sexual contact. Females will even compete with males for same-sex partners and choose a female partner even when given a direct choice with a male alternative.<\/p> Same-sex sexual behaviour is very much not limited to primates. Some of the most famous examples have been found in birds. One pair of male chinstrap penguins<\/a> at Central Park Zoo, Roy and Silo, became celebrities when they attempted to incubate an egg together and later successfully reared an adopted chick. Same-sex parenting has also been observed in snow geese, where females pair up to raise the offspring of both, and in black swans, in which an estimated one-quarter of all pairings are male-male.<\/p> Read more<\/strong><\/p> From these examples alone it is clear that same-sex behaviour is fairly common in the natural world. It is, however, also likely that it has been frequently underestimated or overlooked. Many records come from incidental observations, so it is probable that many have been missed or else left unrecorded due to being deemed as unimportant or even shameful by naturalists.<\/p> It is also likely that many incidences of same-sex behaviour have been simply miscategorised as different-sex, where scientists have viewed a sexual act and consequently made assumptions regarding the sex of the individuals. <\/p> This was the case for Johnathan, the world\u2019s oldest tortoise, who had been mating with a supposed female called Frederica for nearly 20 years before it was discovered that \u2018she\u2019 was likely a he!<\/p> Of course, these assumptions may go both ways, and behaviour that may be better classed as \u2018affection\u2019 may be assumed to be sexual. Social animals of many species frequently engage in what might be classed as \u2018touchy-feely\u2019 behaviours, such as hugging, mutual grooming, preening, and licking, with friendly group members of both sexes. The function of these behaviours may vary, from a kind of \u2018you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours\u2019 reciprocity, to forging and reinforcing friendly social bonds.<\/p> Such potentially ambiguous same-sex affection has been recently observed in humpback whales, as evidenced by a series of extraordinary images, captured by photographers Brandi Romano and Lyle Krannichfeld. The whales were first thought to be a mating different-sex pair before it was realised that both were males. These photographs appear to show the two males engaged in a copulatory-like pose, with one penis visible. This looks to be fairly clear evidence of same-sex sexual behaviours.<\/p> However, unlike as is seen in male dolphins, no copulation actually takes place, and similar petting, stroking, nose to genital contact, and full body rubbing has been seen previously in male humpback whales and been classed as affection. Perhaps the lesson to take from this is that it is very difficult to know why exactly an animal is performing a particular behaviour, and that, as ever, we should be wary of ascribing human motivations and desires to other species. Just because something would be deemed sexual in a human context, it may not necessarily be in other animals.<\/p>Bonobos<\/h4>
Japanese macaques<\/h4>
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Birds<\/h4>
But that’s not all…<\/h4>
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How<\/strong> do we separate intimate social interactions that may have no sexual element from same-sex sexual behaviours?<\/strong><\/h3>
Why do animals engage in same-sex sexual behaviour? Is there an evolutionary explanation?<\/strong><\/h3>
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