Do Monkeys 'Pay' for Sex?

A recent study conducted in Indonesia shows that male primates "paid" for sexual access to females in the form of pre-sex rituals, and that the success of these rituals was reduced as the number of available females went up. Although the conclusions are not decisive, it is suggested that sex is a "currency" in the monkeys' biological market.

In a recent study of macaque monkeys in Indonesia, researchers found that males performed several services in order to encourage females to agree to sexual intercourse. The article, "Payment for Sex in a Macaque Mating Market," was published in the December issue of Animal Behavior and is based on the work of a group of scientists led by Michael David Gumert from Hiram College in Ohio. It describes the behavior of about 50 long-tailed macaques in Kalimantan Tengah, Indonesia. After observing the monkeys for about 20 months, the scientists concluded that after the males performed their grooming ritual, sexual activity more than doubled: from an average of 1.5 times an hour to 3.5 times an hour. The study also showed that the amount of time that males spent grooming hinged on the number of females available at the time. For instance, as the number of females increased, the males spent less time picking nits off the females.

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Gorillas Mate Face-to-Face in First Photos

In the first ever photograph of wild gorillas engaging in the behavior, two lowland gorillas in Congo—nicknamed George and Leah—mate face-to-face as Leah's four-year-old daughter Nancy looks on. Leah is one of four females in George's harem.

Released to the public on February 12, 2008, the 2005 pictures originally accompanied a report in a spring 2007 issue of the Gorilla Gazette, a newsletter for gorilla scientists.

"Leah was lying on the ground and George was looking into Leah's eyes," researchers wrote in the report.

German conservation biologist Thomas Breuer, who took the photos, told National Geographic News, "It leads me to think about how similar gorillas can be to humans, [and yet] we humans are destroying them."

National Geographic

Hamster Sex Ed

After peering into our star player's cage this AM, it occurred to me the site's founder could use a lesson on bird+bees as pertains to hamsters:

hamster-pets.blogspot.com

"Hamsters become fertile at different ages dependent on their species, but this can be from one month to three months of age."

hamster-zone.com

"If the mother is housed with the father and no more pups are desired, remove the father NOW! The female hamster is capable of getting pregnant immediately after giving birth! If you don’t want any more pups within the next month then you must separate the parents."

"Unfortunately, it’s not at all uncommon to have a mother hamster eat some or all of her litter."

animalhospitals-usa.com

Pregnancy lasts only 15 1/2-16 days. Litters usually range from 5 to 10 pups.

Female hamsters with young must be provided with abundant nesting and bedding materials, and plenty of food and water. They must not be disturbed in any way. The young should not be touched or handled until they are at least 7 days old, the nest should not be disturbed, and the cage should not be cleaned during this period. Failure to heed these cautions (especially with females nursing their first litters) most often results in cannibalism of the young. Observant owners may note an interesting maternal rearing activity, especially if the female with young is excited or disturbed. She will stuff pups into her cheek pouches and deposit them into the nest a short time later when she believes the danger has passed. Occasionally, pups suffocate as a result of this activity, especially during lengthy periods of disturbance.

*cough*toldyouso*cough*

Listen to squirrel

dude knows what he's talking about.

Pandas use porn?

But they look so innocent!

Love, Or Something Like It

Sex is complicated. The why, the who, the how, rarely so simple as the love myths would like you to believe.

For instance a study was just released in New Scientist suggesting that primates may treat sex as a commodity, trading a good knit-pick for poon. In fact, after grooming a female the likelihood of her "engaging in sexual activity" is three times more likely than were the grooming to not have occured.

"And as with other commodities, the value of sex is affected by supply and demand factors: A male would spend more time grooming a female if there were fewer females in the vicinity."

Now, I'm not saying this study isn't highly insightful in its analysis of biological relationships. But really, do we need all the capitalist terminology? Down with the dollar!!!

those naughty brit animals

Watch the HD version

Rats : prescription drugs :: Japan : cell phones

Rats get all the good drugs first.

Scientists are finally making headway on that male birth control pill they've been promising. Columbia University professor Debra Wolgemuth developed a pill that interferes with sperm production in rats, after human males rejected equally effective methods involving rubbing gel on their testicles (like they weren't doing that anyway), and the same DepoProvera shots their girlfriends take.

Kirsten Thompson, director of the International Male Contraception Coalition, says the best case scenario for getting male birth control for humans is 4-5 years.

Of Mice And Men: New Male Contraceptives Successful In Rodents And Humans - sciencedaily.com

Threesome shocks zookeeper

A Bengal tiger cub shocked witnesses and zoo officials at a zoo in Northeast China when it joined another cub in a sexy romp. The couple, a 5 day old Bengal tiger and her special crane friend, seemed open to the addition. Although tigers are typically very playful as cubs, the red-crowned crane is not known for his sense of adventure. Even more shocking is the fact that the tigers are twins.


Video: Tiger cubs, chick become best friends - msnbc.com

Animals get all the action!

Because Animals are also Raunchier than You