| Non-human Animal Sexuality |
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Animal Sexual Behavior takes many different forms, even within the same Species . Researchers have drawn parallels between this and Masturbation , Heterosexuality , Homosexuality , Bisexuality , Intersex uality and Transgender behavior in humans. The study of animal sexuality is a rapidly developing field. It used to be believed that only humans and a handful of species performed sexual acts other than for Procreation , and that animals sexuality was instinctive and a simple response to the "right" stimulation (sight, scent). Current understanding is that many species believed monogamous have now been proven to be promiscuous or opportunistic in nature, a wide range of species appear to both Masturbate and to use objects as Tool s to help them do so, in many species animals try to give and get sexual stimulation with others where procreation is not the aim, and homosexual behavior has now been documented in over 450 species. TYPES OF ACTIVITY Masturbation (canis familiaris) masturbating against a It appears that many animals, both male and female, masturbate, both when partners are available and otherwise. For example, petplace.com comments in its guide on assessing potential breeding stock purchases: ''"Masturbation is a normal behavior in all stallions that does not reduce semen production or performance in the breeding shed, and thus the use of devices to prevent such behavior is strongly discouraged and can be harmful to the stallion."'' {Link without Title} Likewise the paper "Sexual Behavior - Current Topics in Applied Ethology and Clinical Methods" by Sue McDonnell of the Equine Behavior Laboratory, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine states: : "One example is the behavior known within the horse breeding industry as masturbation. This involves normal periodic erections and penile movements. This behavior, both from the descriptive field studies cited above and in extensive study of domestic horses, is now understood as normal, frequent behavior of male equids (McDonnell et al, 1991). Attempting to inhibit or punish masturbation, which is still a common practice of horse managers regionally around the world, often leads to increased masturbation and disturbances of normal breeding behavior (McDonnell and Hinze, in preparation)." {Link without Title} ]] Sexual release seeking is common in both domestic and non-domestic species. For example, a video (non-explicit) showing a kangaroo masturbating, inadvertently caught during a TV broadcast, can be found here . The female porcupine will use a stick as a Vibrator , holding one end of a stick between her paws and walk around, straddling the stick as it bumps against the ground and vibrates against her genitalia. [http://influx.uoregon.edu/1997/wham/] Havelock Ellis in his 1927 "Studies in the Psychology of Sex" identified bulls, goats, sheep, camels and elephants as species known to practice masturbation, adding of some other species: :I am informed by a gentleman who is a recognized authority on goats, that they sometimes take the penis into the mouth and produce actual orgasm, thus practicing auto-fellatio. As regards ferrets ... "if the bitch, when in heat, cannot obtain a dog male ferret she pines and becomes ill. If a smooth pebble is introduced into the hutch, she will masturbate upon it, thus preserving her normal health for one season. But if this artificial substitute is given to her a second season, she will not, as formerly, be content with it." [...] Blumenbach observed a bear act somewhat similarly on seeing other bears coupling, and hyenas, according to Ploss and Bartels, have been seen practicing mutual masturbation by licking each other's genitals. s or Hay , is sometimes employed as a Tool for animal masturbation]] In his 1999 book, ''Biological exuberance'', Bruce Bagemihl PhD documents (p.71, 209-210) that: :Masturbation also occurs widely among animals, both male and female. A variety of creative techniques are used, including genital stimulation using the hand or front paw (primates, Lions), foot (Vampire Bats, primates), flipper (Walruses), or tail (Savanna Baboons), sometimes accompanied by stimulation of the nipples (Rhesus Macaques, Bonobos); auto-fellating or licking, sucking and/or nuzzling by a male of his own penis (Common Chimpanzees, Savanna Bonobos, Vervet Monkeys, Squirrel Monkeys, Thinhorn Sheep, Bharal, Aovdad, Dwarf Cavies); stimulation of the penis by flipping or rubbing it against the belly or in its own sheath (White-tailed and Mule Deer, Zebras and Takhi); spontaneous ejaculations (Mountain Sheep, Warthogs, Spotted Hyenas); and stimulation of the genitals using inanimate objects (found in several primates and cetaceans).'' :Many birds masturbate by mounting and copulating with tufts of grass, leaves or mounds of earth, and some mammals such as primates and Dolphins also rub their genitals against the ground or other surfaces to stimulate themselves.'' :Masturbation in female mammals, as well as heterosexual and homosexual intercourse (especially in primates), often involves direct or indirect stimulation of the clitoris {Link without Title} . This organ is present in the females of all mammalian species and several other animal groups.'' and that: :Apes and Monkeys use a variety of objects to masturbate with and even deliberately create implements for sexual stimulation {Link without Title} often in highly creative ways.'' Oral sex Animals of several species are documented as engaging in both Auto-fellatio and Oral Sex . Although easily confused by lay-people, this is a separate and sexually oriented behavior, distinct from non-sexual grooming or scent-investigation. Auto-fellatio or oral sex in animals is documented in Goat s, Primate s, Hyaena s and Sheep at a minimum (see section #Masturbation for details). Homosexual behavior The presence of Same-sex Sexual Behavior was not scientifically observed on a large scale until recent times, possibly due to Observer Bias caused by social attitudes to Same-sex Sexual Behavior . It appears to be widespread among Insect s, Bird s and Mammal s, particularly the Ape s. Many male penguins that apparently mate for life have been observed in homosexual pairs and refuse to pair with females when given the chance {Link without Title} . One report on sheep cited below states: "Approximately eight percent of rams exhibit sexual preferences is, even when given a choice for male partners (male-oriented rams) in contrast to most rams, which prefer female partners (female-oriented rams). We identified a cell group within the medial preoptic area/anterior hypothalamus of age-matched adult sheep that was significantly larger in adult rams than in ewes..." Cross species sex attempting Coitus with a Dog . Photographs of cross species sex involving wild species are rare, since many species do not share their territory with competitor species, or are hard to observe.]] Although many people believe animal sexuality is instinctive and therefore (it is implied) almost mechanistic, in fact research regularly records that many animals are sexual opportunists, and may show an interest in partners other than their own or related species. This is more visible in domesticated species, as domestication commonly selects for increased breeding rate (and so an accelerated breeding cycle has commonly arisen in domesticated species over the centuries), and also because these species are easier to witness by humans. Nevertheless non-domesticated animals have been observed to attempt sexual activity with other species, or indeed inanimate objects. Such cross-species sex, has been observed more with animals in captivity than in the wild, probably due to ease of observation. If the pair comprises a male and a female, Hybrid offspring can result if the two species are related. However, this offspring may not be able to breed itself. The mule, for example (a horse/donkey cross) is normally sterile, whilst the Liger (lion/tiger cross) is sometimes fertile. Novosibirsk zoo director Rostislav Shilo says on the liger (born in its zoo); “It’s just that the lion and the tiger live in neighboring caves in the Novosibirsk zoo, and got used to each other. It’s practically impossible in the wild.” (large domestic animal common in Asia ) seeks Sex from a Female Horse ]] Animal sexual advances on, and attempted interactions with, humans and other species, have been documented by Ethologists such as Kohler , Gerald Durrell and Desmond Morris , as well as authoritative researchers such as Birute Galdikas who studied Orangutang s in Borneo . Peter Singer , the philosopher and animal rights activist reports: ''"While walking through the camp with Galdikas, my informant was suddenly seized by a large male orangutan, his intentions made obvious by his erect penis. Fighting off so powerful an animal was not an option, but Galdikas called to her companion not to be concerned, because the orangutan would not harm her, and adding, as further reassurance, that 'they have a very small penis.'"'' (though "the orangutan lost interest before penetration took place") {Link without Title} Opportunism and promiscuity In past research, many zoologists and writers succumbed to fantasy myths and Observer Bias , and extolled the virtues of many species said to be faithful, for a season or a lifetime, and which were held up as role models of Monogamy . In fact, we now know that many, perhaps most, animals, are Oppportunistic and Promiscuous . This includes previous exemplars such as Swan s and (depending upon circumstances) Wolves . David Barash (a University Of Washington Zoologist and professor of Psychology ) and Judith Lipton(a Psychiatrist ) document in their book ''"The Myth of Monogamy"'' that: :"A lot of people get upset if you talk about something like Infidelity and say it is natural because then it seems good and proper." and that animal behavior has been revolutionized by DNA Fingerprinting , which has revealed many species once viewed as monogamous are in fact not monogamous at all, but promiscuous ... Barash said numerous recent studies have shown that many animals and birds, such as Eagle s, Geese , Beaver s and Gibbon s, previously believed to be faithfully monogamous aren't. "A lot of hanky-panky is going on," he added. "There has been quite a revolution in scientific understanding of the lives of animals..." University of Washington summary, April 2001 :Evidence from Genetic Testing has been devastating to those seeking monogamy in the animal kingdom; even many birds, long prized as examples of fidelity, turn out to have a high incidence of extra-pair couplings Furthermore, now that researchers have turned their attention to female sexual behavior, they are finding more and more examples of aggressive adultery-seeking in "the fairer sex." [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0716740044/002-4422911-4668800?v=glance&n=283155 Amazon.com extract :When we examine the genes of baby birds, even those species long thought to be absolute paragons of monogamous fidelity, we find that 10, 20, sometimes 30 percent of the offspring are not genetically connected to the socially identified father. Social monogamy (what biologists still call, somewhat quaintly, a Pair Bond ) is not the same as sexual monogamy. Several decades ago experimenters vasectomized redwinged Blackbird s in the hope of controlling their numbers. But many females, ostensibly mated to only those Vasectomized males, laid eggs that hatched! Something funny was going on. But only now, with the accumulation of literally dozens of research studies using DNA data, do we know for sure: Females, even females in species long thought to be sexually faithful, often are not... Even swans aren't monogamous. ... :We now know that in numerous species, females go prospecting on the Territories of adjacent males, especially when their own mate is off at work, foraging or patrolling the neighborhood perhaps looking for his own EPCs. Sometimes, to be sure, females are coerced into Mating , but it is clear that even mated females are often sexual adventurers in their own right, actively soliciting EPC's from males who are not theirs. ... There are some species, including Lion s and a number of Primate s, in which adult males are likely to kill young they have not fathered. It has been suggested that in such cases females may have evolved to be sexually receptive to more than one male as a way of reducing the risk eventually faced by their offspring. ... The evidence is now undeniable: Monogamy among animals is more myth than reality. article by David Barash in salon.com, January 2001 Sexual fetishes Although not often reported, it appears animals, or primates at the least, are able to sexualize inanimate objects in a manner similar to human Sexual Fetish es. Not only will an animal that has a habitual object for masturbation sometimes appear to sexualize that object, but in some cases primates have generalized that to sexualize ''kinds of objects'' in a class where no prior sexual connection exists -- similar to human fetishes. Thus Gabriel, a chimpanzee at the Southwest National Primate Research Center , is said to have a Shoe Fetish (or possibly a Leather Fetish ) according to caretaker Bert Barrera, and it is reported (probably referring to the same individual) that: "A male chimpanzee raised in captivity developed a bit of a shoe fetish, masturbating obsessively by rubbing his caretaker's leather boot." The sexualization of objects or locations is also well recognized in the breeding world. So for example, Stallion s may often 'drop' (become Sexually Aroused ) upon visiting a location where they have been allowed to have sex before, or upon seeing a stimulus previously associated with sexual activity such as an Artificial Vagina . In this case however, the primary structure is )'' )'' Sexual imagery viewing A study by Platt and Deaner at Duke University North Carolina (reported in '' Current Biology '' and online here ), showed that monkeys will give up privileges (in this case, juice which was highly valued), to be allowed to see a female monkey's hindquarters. Deaner and his team reported that monkeys would take a juice cut to look at powerful males' faces or the perineum of a female, but to persuade the monkeys to stare at subordinate males, the researchers had to bribe them with larger drinks. "Virtually all {Link without Title} monkeys will give up juice to see female hindquarters ... they really value the images." The researchers stress that in monkey society, such sights have great social utility, and therefore it should not be considered simply "monkeys enjoy pornographic pictures". There is no evidence at this point that viewable pictures or movies of sexual activity are valued for their sexual enjoyment, although as noted above ( #Masturbation ) there are reports that watching sex in real life, may have such an effect. The subject of animals and sexual imagery is not yet well researched. Rape and apparently coercive sex Controversial interpretations and implications aside (see Sociobiological Theories Of Rape ), sex in a forceful or apparently coercive context has also been documented in a variety of species. A notable example is Bottlenose Dolphin s, where at times, gangs of Bachelor males 'corner' females. The behavior is also common in some Arachnid s (spiders), notably those whose females eat the males during sex if not tricked with food and tied down with threads, and in some Herbivorous herd species or species where males and females are very different in size) where the male dominates sexually by sheer force and size. Other animals which appear to combine sexual intercourse with apparent violent assault, also include some species of Bird such as Duck s and Geese . It has also been recorded that certain species of Mole will 'rape' new borns of their own species, the biological advantage to this is that when those moles mature and become fertile, they will become pregnant with the sperm of the mole that had mated with them at a very young age. Necrophilia , Netherlands , observed outside a live Duck and a dead one. He states that the living drake picked at the corpse of the dead one (also male) for a few minutes and then, without provocation, it mounted the corpse and began copulating with it. The act of necrophilia lasted for about 75 minutes, in which time, according to Moeliker, the living drake took two short breaks before resuming with copulating behavior. There is currently no scientific research able to verify certain other assumptions as to motive, which were made by Mr. Moeliker. NOTES ON SPECIFIC SPECIES See Also: List of animals displaying homosexual behavior Bonobos The Bonobo , which has a Matriarchal society (unusual amongst apes), is a fully bisexual species -- both males and females engage in sexual behaviour with the same and the opposite sex, with females being particularly noted for engaging in sexual behaviour with each other. Birds |
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