- Can any animals mate with two partners at once?<\/a><\/li>
- 10 things you never knew about animal sex<\/a><\/li><\/ul>
From detachable appendages and corkscrew shapes to multi-functional tools, the diversity in animal penises is not just bizarre \u2013 it\u2019s a testament to how evolution<\/a> solves reproductive challenges.<\/p>
Here\u2019s a dive into some of the weirdest, most mind-boggling penises that prove biology is anything but boring!<\/p>
World’s weirdest penises in the animal kingdom<\/h2>
Argonaut <\/strong><\/h3>
By Bernd Hofmann at de.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 2.0, https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/w\/index.php?curid=4521432<\/figcaption><\/figure> Reproduction in argonauts<\/strong> is a deadly experience. Male argonauts have a detachable penis called a hectocotylus, which amazingly breaks off to swim off independently to a nearby female to fertilise her eggs \u2013 and this sadly spells the end of the male, who promptly dies.<\/p>
Spotted hyenas<\/h3>
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2024\/09\/Spotted-hyenas-scaled.jpg\")
Getty images<\/figcaption><\/figure> Did you know there are some female animals that have penises? Well, fake ones anyway. Female spotted hyenas have a pseudopenis or fake penis \u2013 and in fact, they are even more unique in being the only female mammals to lack an external vaginal opening. <\/p>
- Why female spotted hyenas rule the pack<\/a><\/li><\/ul>
We still aren\u2019t sure why the females have a pseudopenis, but it clearly has its perks, including having absolute control over who they mate with \u2013 and their full cooperation is required.<\/p>
Water boatman<\/strong><\/h3>
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2024\/09\/water-boatman.jpg?fit=1024,1024\")
By ExaVolt – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/w\/index.php?curid=59121531<\/figcaption><\/figure> One species has a singing penis \u2013 yes, you have heard that right. The 2mm-long\u00a0water boatman (Micronecta scholtzi<\/em>) male rubs a ridge on its penis against ridges on its abdomen, thereby setting the pond \u2013 and any female in it \u2013 abuzz.<\/p>
M. scholtzi<\/em>\u00a0has been recorded generating 99.2 decibels \u2013\u00a0around the volume of a lawnmower \u2013 although it usually sings around 78.9 dB (closer to a vacuum cleaner). This acoustic accomplishment is all the more incredible given the stridulating organ is less than 50 micrometers across \u2013 about the width of a human hair.<\/p>
Argentine lake duck<\/h3>
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2024\/09\/Argentine-lake-duck.jpg\")
By Dude Daniels (http:\/\/theworldbirds.org\/) – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/w\/index.php?curid=11157923<\/figcaption><\/figure> Not only does the male Argentine lake duck have, proportionally,\u00a0the biggest penis<\/a> among all vertebrates\u00a0(it’s about as long as he is), it also has one of the weirdest as it is shaped like a corkscrew.\u00a0When not in use, it\u2019s\u00a0tucked\u00a0away\u00a0inside\u00a0the body, but is erected explosively\u00a0under internal pressure, like\u00a0an inverted finger\u00a0popping out\u00a0of a rubber glove.<\/p>
- Which animal has the biggest testicles? The results might surprise you…<\/a><\/li><\/ul>
Barnacles<\/h3>
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2024\/09\/barnacles.jpg\")
Getty images<\/figcaption><\/figure> As barnacles<\/a> are anchored to one spot for the entirety of their adult life, finding a mate can be a tad difficult and for this they have to rely on\u00a0an\u00a0extraordinarily long penis\u00a0to do the searching for them. Doubling the length of the penis quadruples the area\u00a0\u2013 and hence the number of mates \u2013\u00a0that\u00a0can be reached.\u00a0And barnacles have pushed theirs\u00a0to the point that it becomes a liability. At\u00a0up to eight times their body length,\u00a0this flexible appendage is at\u00a0risk of being snapped off by the currents.<\/p>
Snakes<\/h3>
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2024\/09\/Pair-of-pit-vipers-on-a-branch-mating.jpg?fit=1024,1024\")
Pair of pit vipers on a branch mating. Getty images<\/figcaption><\/figure> When it comes to penises, male snakes are a tad greedy. Not content with the standard single penis, they have two, known as hemipenes, and can use either to mate. Depending on the species, the organs may be covered with recurved spines, cups, bumps or folds to ensure that the male stays attached to the female until his sperm is released. <\/p>
- How do snakes mate? A guide to snake sex<\/a><\/li><\/ul>
Echidna<\/strong><\/h3>
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2024\/09\/GettyImages-1408131347.jpg\")
Getty images<\/figcaption><\/figure> Incredibly, the <\/strong>echidna has a penis with four heads, or glans as they’re known, and while only two glans are ever used during mating, the echidna can choose which he uses. And that’s not the only weird thing about the echidna as they are also a member of the rare egg-laying mammal family called monotremes<\/a>.<\/p>
Damselfly<\/h3>
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2024\/09\/Damselfly.jpg\")
Getty images<\/figcaption><\/figure> The penis of the male damselfly has a unique skill to try and ensure it’s his sperm that fertilises the female’s eggs So, they try and eradicate any rival’s sperm<\/a> from inside the female, and place their sperm in pole fertilising position.<\/p>
To achieve this end, the male’s penis, or aedeagus, in many species of damselfly has evolved a dual function: the ability to transfer his sperm into the female’s spermathecae (sperm storage organs) but also, and rather more cunningly, to remove any rival sperm prior to making his own seminal deposit.<\/p>
- How do damselflies mate?<\/a><\/li><\/ul>
This double trouble has resulted in the evolution of some extraordinary penis shapes that wouldn’t look out of place in a medieval armoury. In some damselfly species the penis has evolved two hooked-like extensions at its tip, which can scoop away the sperm of the previous male like a pair of elaborately curved spoons. In others, the penis has evolved rows of sharp bristles to achieve this important spring-cleaning job.<\/p>
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- Do animals cross breed in the wild? How and why interbreeding between different species happens<\/a><\/li>
- Which animal has the most sex?<\/a><\/li><\/ul> <\/body><\/html>\n
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- Can animals be gay? Homosexual behaviour in animals examined<\/a><\/li>
- Can animals be gay? Homosexual behaviour in animals examined<\/a><\/li>
- How do damselflies mate?<\/a><\/li><\/ul>
- How do snakes mate? A guide to snake sex<\/a><\/li><\/ul>
- Which animal has the biggest testicles? The results might surprise you…<\/a><\/li><\/ul>
- 10 things you never knew about animal sex<\/a><\/li><\/ul>