Strange Courtships and Crazy Sex in Nature

Do you ever just think about the dirty deeds that go on in the wild? That crazy animal sex that happens deep in nature? Yeah me neither, but it is something we are going to explore nonetheless. Animals do not have it easy as us when it comes to finding a mate. What I mean is that it can be difficult for two like species to find each other due to the limited amount of them. Some have it tough for the opposite reason with too many of a certain species leading to competition among males for a female. Every organism has adapted to obtaining a mate in their own way through courtships, some being completely outrageous and exotic. This is still not the end of it, however. It is only half the battle actually. These different animals aren't just looking for a mate, but in fact a reproduction partner. Thats right ladies and gentlemen they just was to find themselves a lover to produce offspring with. This process can be quite the ordeal for some species, and it can be just as interesting as the courtship ritual to find a mate.

The Birds of Paradise 

Images thanks to NatGeo

Arctic Hooded Seal

A courtship is all about finding your mating partner. The love and affection can be there, but you're really doing whatever you can to impress or "woo" her into the sack. What animals out there are doing this you may ask? Well truthfully, all of them. Everyone is trying to produce offspring because really thats the point to life, biologically speaking. The animal able to attract a mate is seen as the most fit. Thus the expression "survival of the fittest." Common courtships out there are the males proving themselves to the females through strength and dominance usually over other males. Gorillas, rams, and deer are just a few of the many species who will fight, sometimes to the death, over a possible female mate. Although, this is not always a possibility for some species. The energy exerted is not always worth it so other methods have been evolved by different animals around the world. Take for instance the Arctic Hooded Seal. This guy is huge people, and can simply not waste the energy to fight, unless absolutely necessary. They have evolved the ability to inflate an appendage over their nose, which basically looks like a giant pink balloon. As manly as possible, they wave this pink balloon in the air in an attempt to scare away the enemy and hopefully attract a female. In a warmer climate on the other side of the world you will find the birds of paradise. Located in Papau New Guinea, with a few in Eastern Australia, these species of birds are the most exotic I could find. The male's feathers are bright, beautiful and arranged in spectacular ways in order to attract their mate. Some have even come up with different dance moves used to seduce the female of the species. Birds, in my opinion, are the most creative when it comes to attracting a mate. The video below is of the Red-Capped Manakin and the dance moves he uses to find a lady friend.

Video Thanks to BBC ONE

Now to the sex in nature that you all were waiting to hear about. I am sure the anticipation has been killing you. You need this release as do many of the species below. These are some of the most bizarre animal sexual behaviour I could find. I leave humans out only because the our sexual behaviour gets a little too outrageous. So without further ado, these are 10 of craziest species when it comes to sex.

1. Earwig: Lucky enough to have two penises. Or is he? They are extremely fragile and will fall off on occasion.
2. Bonobo: Species of monkey known to have sex for pleasure not just for mating (dolphins have been accused of this act of pleasure as well.)
3. Black Widow: Will sometimes kill the male mate after sex, thus the name.
4. Red-Sided Garter Snake: Has been having orgies in the outdoors, but at a ratio of 100 males to every 1 female.
5. Preying Mantis: Rips the head off the male during sex which causes more sperm to be produced, giving greater odds of fertilization.
6. White-Fronted Parrot: Actually pukes in their mates mouth. Talk about one up-ing the "french kiss."
7. Giraffe: This one isn't so much about sex as it is about finding a mate. The male will nudge a female when it finds one to induce urination. It gets stranger. He then proceeds to drink the urine, which if he likes it will then continue with the courtship.Snails: These guys or gals are actually hermaphrodites. Having both organs they will throw "love darts", made up of calcium, at each other for a better chance at fertilizing one another.
8. Brown Antechinus: Mousey little creatures that do it like rabbits. During their mating season they will get dirty with a mate for up to 12 hours before finishing and then just moving onto another one right afterwards. Sadly they die soon after the mating season, but happier than ever I'm sure.
9. Banana Slug: Last but certainly not least, the most extreme of them all; I believe the men out there can attest to this. These slugs can grow to be about 8 inches in length with a penis just as long as his body. Impressive I know. However, if he can not find a female able to deal with the whole thing she will take matters into her own hands...or mouth. The female may find it necessary to chew it down to an acceptable length. WTF?!?!?! 

Brown Antechinus

Banana Slug

Earwig

Images thanks to Virgin Meida

There you have it folks. Some of the weirdest sex maniacs out there. Now get out there and tell your friends, hell even tell your family. This is a great conversation starter and an even better dinner topic. Lets people know how knowledgeable you really are about the world around you. Even the dirty secrets of the animal kingdom need to be revealed.

References:

"Animal Sexual Behaviour." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 26 Oct. 2013. Web. 29 Oct. 2013.

"11 Animals That Mate for Life." Mother Nature Network. MNN Holdings, LLC, n.d. Web. 29 Oct. 2013.

"Bizzare Animal Mating Rituals." Virgin Media. Virgin Media, n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2013.