Sex, death and cannibalism: antechinus lives get nastier
The tiny mammals in the antechinus genus have a big reputation in ecology. The males literally mate themselves to death: they all perish in a few weeks around
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The tiny mammals in the antechinus genus have a big reputation in ecology. The males literally mate themselves to death: they all perish in a few weeks around
They have a 100% whore-tality rate. Meet the Australian antechinus, a promiscuous marsupial that redefines "happy ending" due to the males' penchant of dying during sex, and then being cannibalized so the others can resume romping.
The antechinus, a mouse-like mammal in Australia, is famed for its killer sex marathons. But something darker happens after the mating.
If you are exploring our beautiful Australian wilderness this year, keep an eye out for animals behaving in interesting ways.
Antechinus males drop dead after breeding, poisoned by raging hormones. Some also get eaten by their own