Animal Sex: News and Features

From an evolutionary and biological perspective, animals are driven to have sex in order to procreate. But there is a lot more to sexual relations between animals. Animal sex is at least as strange and varied as human sex. A male might copulate with many females. And female animals of many species can be choosy, too. Homosexuality is common. Monogamy is rare. And the animal kingdom is full of swingers. In short, with animals, sex can be wild.

Related Topics: Biodiversity, Extinction, Newfound Species, Wildlife

Latest Updates

The giant coconut crab (Birgus latro) is the biggest terrestrial crab in the world.

Seabird-eating 'monster' crabs are chatty during sex

By Mindy Weisberger

Enormous and powerful coconut crabs are known for their extreme size. They also have an unexpectedly diverse "vocabulary."

two male lion brothers snuggling

Was Same-Sex Behavior Hardwired in Animals from the Beginning?

By Stephanie Pappas

Same-sex sexual behavior might have started out on an equal footing with different-sex sex.

One of Mary's offspring is pictured as an adult.

This Fish Just Gave Evolution the Finger and Got Pregnant

By Rafi Letzter

Mary's species of fish never evolved to have sex or incubate live young. She did it anyway.

Meerkats Kissing

Animal Sex: How Meerkats Do It

By Joseph Castro

Meerkats are anything but meek — including when it comes to their mating behaviors.

Portrait of a red-eared slider turtle.

Animal Sex: How Red-Eared Sliders Do It

By Joseph Castro

Red-eared slider reproduction involves large claws, extra-long penises and numbers of eggs.

A western toad (Anaxyrus boreas halophilus) sticking it's head out of pond.

Animal Sex: How Western Toads Do It

By Joseph Castro

Western toad sex involves quiet searches, mating balls and streams of eggs.

A pod of narwhals.

Animal Sex: How Narwhals Do It

By Joseph Castro

Little is known about the mating behaviors of arctic-loving narwhals, also called the unicorns of the sea.

The female dragonfly crashes to the ground and plays dead to avoid unwelcome advances.

Female Dragonflies Play Dead to Escape Stalking Males

By Richa Malhotra

Female dragonflies say no to sex by faking their deaths, new research has found.

American lobster, Homarus americanus, in front of white background.

Animal Sex: How Lobsters Do It

By Joseph Castro

Lobster sex involves battles for dominance, calming urine and tender copulation.

A common bed bug (Cimex lectularius)

Animal Sex: How Bed Bugs Do It

By Joseph Castro

The cringe-worthy sexual behaviors of bed bugs involve traumatic insemination, no courtship activities and, sometimes, incest.

Hummingbird mates in flight.

Animal Sex: How Hummingbirds Do It

By Joseph Castro

Hummingbird mating involves using specialized courtship rituals, tail feathers that sing, and weaponized beaks.

Strange Love: 11 Animals with Truly Weird Courtship Rituals

By Mindy Weisberger

For Valentine’s Day, Live Science gathers together some of the more extravagant and outlandish courtship rituals in the animal kingdom.

orangutan-tablet

Dutch Zoo Tests 'Tinder for Orangutans' Mating Program

By Kacey Deamer

It's not as simple as asking an orangutan to swipe right or left.

Feral baby chickens crossing a road with their mother on Kauai, Hawaii.

Year of the Rooster: How Kauai's Feral Chickens Do It

By Joseph Castro

Chicken mating involves tidbitting, wing-flapping, a male waltz and the possibility of the female ejecting the male's sperm.

Doe! Deer and Macaque Caught Monkeying Around

By Mindy Weisberger

A monkey was recently seen performing sexual actions on the backs of female sika deer on Japan's Yakushima island.

nine-banded armadillo

Animal Sex: How Nine-Banded Armadillos Do It

By Joseph Castro

Though nine-banded armadillos are solitary creatures, they do occasionally get together for some genital sniffing, tail wagging and clucking in order to have sex.

Yellow-faced bees, like this one (<em>Hylaeus hyalinatus</em>), are endangered.

The Mysterious Sex Lives of Hawaii's Endangered Yellow-Faced Bees

By Joseph Castro

Everything scientists know about these bees' mating behaviors is based on anecdotal observations.

madagascar-cockroach

'Lover' Cockroaches Grow Bigger Testicles to Woo Mates

By Kacey Deamer

Madagascar hissing cockroaches can change physical characteristics to become lovers or fighters.

Fishing spiders like this one, <em>Dolomedes tenebrosus</em>, live near the water and are known to sometimes snag small fish and aquatic insects there.

Halloween Fright: The Unusual Sex Lives of Dark Fishing Spiders

By Joseph Castro

Male dark fishing spiders spontaneously die after sex — but their nutritious bodies provide fuel for their mates to have more offspring that are larger and healthier.

Nautlius seem to be solitary creatures, but when they get together they can spend hours mating. Here, a chambered nautilus (<em>Nautilus pompilius</em>).

Animal Sex: How Nautiluses Do It

By Joseph Castro

Mating in these strange-looking mollusks lasts for 2 to 3 hours, but it's unclear what exactly is going on during this time.