LiveScience Topics: Animal Sex

Animal sex is at least as strange and varied as human sex. A male might copulate with many females, but female animals of many species can be choosy, too. Homosexuality is common. Monogamy is rare. And the animal kingdom is full of swingers.

Explore Animal Sex

Sperm Prefer Attractive Females

The sperm of one male may have to compete with those from another. How and why they do it is surprising.
Promiscuous Females Continue to Mystify

When female beetles were mated, the "low-quality" male sired more offspring than males of "high" quality.
Evidence Found for Ancient Supersized Sperm

Fossil evidence suggests a tiny, ancient crustacean used sperm for mating.

More Animal Sex News and Information

Love Could Doom Deadly Lampreys

Synthetic pheromones cold be used to lure the invasive species.
Bug Love: Mosquitoes Sing Duet in Harmony

Some mosquitoes attract mates with sophisticated love songs.
Shark Pregnant, No Males Required

Biologists confirm a female shark got pregnant without mating with a male.
Creepy Cannibalism: Why Female Spiders Eat Mates

If males are small, they're easier to catch and therefore more likely to be prey.
It's A Zoo Out There: Online Dating for Rare Species

Zoos across country look for mates for rare species on online portals.
Deep-Voiced Deer Lucky in Love

This new finding might do Barry White proud.
Female Albatrosses Shack Up

Females shack up with each other for years and take turns raising offspring.
Songbird Serenade Is Sneaky Sex Strategy

Male songbirds woo females much like the way cell phone companies lure customers, a new study finds.
Dolphin Bling Gets Girls

Male Amazon river dolphins like to show off for females, like many human males.
Gorillas Caught in Very Human Act

Gorillas mating behavior surprises scientists.
Study Reveals Why Monkeys Shout During Sex

Female monkeys may shout during sex to help their male partners climax.
Sex Role Reversals Common in Wild Kingdom

Among some antelopes, the battle of the sexes runs in reverse.
Wild Sex: Where Monogamy is Rare

It might be a treasured value in many human cultures, but monogamy is rare in the animal kingdom at large. Yet that doesn't mean it's boring.