8 Weirdest Mating Rituals in the Animal Kingdom

Some animals were found to have bizarre practices when it comes to mating.

As attracting female animals is not a walk in the park, the males have developed ways to catch their attention.

Here are some of the animals that have odd intimate and sexual practices:

1.Bonobos

Bonobos are observed to have inhabit the lush rainforests of the Congo Basin. Bonobos, who are characterized as prudes, are unlike their more uptight cousins, the chimpanzees, as they prefer to settle their differences between the sheets or trees.

They usually engage in intimate activities such as passionate kissing and caressing. Further, their intimate and caressing ways often create strong bonds within the group, and it is not just for making baby bonobos.

Studies have also indicated that bonobos are not picky when it comes to their partners and they do not mind a bit of same-sex activities. They use sex to make friends as well as to form group bonds.

Further, they are one of the few non-human animals to copulate face-to-face.

2.Anglerfish

When it comes to anglerfish relationships, it is observed that it is all about the big-small dynamic.

The females dwarf their male counterparts, often swallowing them whole after the mating process. It is believed that female anglerfish also flaunt their bioluminescent headgear like a neon disco ball in order to lure in unsuspecting males like moths to make love with them.

The males, on the other hand, are practically blind, which probably explains why they fall for the glow every single time.

The male is a clingy partner as it literally sinks his teeth into the female. He attaches himself permanently and lives as a parasite on the female's larger body. Later on as their bodies fuse, the male becomes completely absorbed into the female, losing any independent existence.

A pair of gonads usually remains which the female keeps to use when she is ready to reproduce.

3.Bowerbirds

Bowerbirds, which are found in Northern Australia, are often all out to lure.

Each bowerbird species has a particular color preference, and the males meticulously arrange their collections of colorful objects to impress the discerning eyes of the females that they are targeting.

It is said that nothing is off-limits in their quest for love and partnership.

Scientists said that bowerbirds often show off their dance moves, puff up their chests, and unleash a symphony of sounds to woo their potential partners.

When a potential mate arrives, the male stands in the court by the bower's exit and shows her the colorful objects he had collected.

4. Bedbugs

During intimate action, a male bedbug will sidle up to his unsuspecting partner and pierce her abdomen with his sharp reproductive organ.

Some species of bedbugs are also into the whole group activity thing wherein multiple males will get in on the action.

Read Also: Mating Helps In Predicting How Animals, Plants Respond To Temperature Changes, Study Finds

5. Porcupines

The porcupine mating window is small.

The male porcupine usually opens by climbing a tree and soaking the female with urine from up to seven feet away. If she likes how it smells, then she will mate with him over and over again until her partner is completely exhausted.

Scientists said that the 12-hour mating period is enough to get the female pregnant 90% of the time.

6.Humpback Whales

Like many birds, male humpback whales usually sing to attract females. However, unlike most animals, they do so in chorus.

When these species are looking for mates, males gather in large groups in areas researchers call "arenas'' and they spread out and sing together to let the women know where they are.

7. Manakins

Manakin seduction is a double-act. Males approach in pairs, sing a duet and perform a dance together. After watching the double-act, the female decides if she wants to mate.

However, studies said that only the alpha of the pair will have the chance to mate.

The beta is a chaste sidekick, but he may not always remain so. Acting as a beta helps a manakin learn the moves to use if he becomes an alpha.

8. Bees

When a drone bee has the rare chance to mate with the queen, it would be the last thing he does.

He ejaculates with an explosive pop, rupturing his endophallus.

The bee then becomes paralyzed and flips over backward. His barbed endophallus remains in the queen, ripping open his abdomen as it's torn from the rest of his body. He dies and the female bee holds onto his semen for later use.

Related Article: Animals Prefer Mating With Their Relatives, But It's Not As Bad As You Think