Peculiarities of animal behavior during the mating season. The strangest mating rituals in animals What is the mating season in animals called?
Have you ever wondered how strange marriage rituals exist in animals? In the animal world, reproduction is not always a linear process. In fact, it can be quite complex and controversial. For many, this process includes complex circuit searching for a partner and then luring her for copulation. And the competition here is off the charts. To get what they want, many males must fight other males, sometimes quite brutally, to get their mate as a reward. However, there are other cases where animal mating rituals are just as romantic as those of humans. One thing is certain: this strange world, where millions of animals vie to pass on their DNA to the next generation. Here are 25 strange animal mating rituals.
25. Banana slugs
These slimy, yellow creatures are hermaphrodites, meaning they have both male and female reproductive organs and both partners exchange sperm. When they mate, they attack each other like snakes and can even bite each other. It takes them several hours to get into the desired position and even longer to complete mating. Sometimes they can get stuck, stuck to each other. If they cannot separate, they will take turns chewing off their genitals, turning exclusively into females.
24. Honey bees
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These buzzing insects have one queen who mates only once in her entire life. During her solitary mating ritual, she flies out to open space, where the drone catches the queen in the air and inserts its endophallus into her. After this, more male honey bees land on the queen. When the male honeybee finishes mating, its endophallus is torn off from the body, and, as a rule, its abdomen is torn - the male dies. If the male honey bee somehow survives the mating ritual, he will be expelled from the nest, having completed his mission.
23. Brown marsupial mice 
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Native to Australia, the male rodent practically commits suicide during mating. After preparing to mate, he desperately tries to mate with every female he can over a 3-4 week period. Mating itself can last up to 14 hours. The male becomes so exhausted during this process that his fur falls out, internal bleeding, and his immune system shuts down. When it's over, he and all the other males die.
22. Bonobos 
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Close relatives of humans, these primates are known to be quite promiscuous in intimate relationships, copulate with several partners and view mating as a pleasant activity, separating it from reproduction. Also, unlike many other animals, Bonobos prefer to copulate face-to-face.
21. Flatworms 
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Like Banana Snails, these wriggling sea creatures are hermaphrodites, but during mating they must choose who will be the male and who will be the female. How do they make this choice? There is a real competition between them as they try to get into the enemy first. This process can take up to an hour.
20. Giraffes
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These vegetarians long necks begin the mating ritual with the so-called “flehmen sequence”. This is the process of the male rubbing against the female's rear end until she urinates. The male then tastes the urine to see if it is ready. If so, he will pursue her until he mates with her, using his neck to hold the female. In some cases, males also copulate with each other.
19. Snails
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These mollusks find each other using smell and touch. Like some of the other creatures on this list, they are hermaphrodites. Once they find a mate, they use their "love arrows" to increase the chance of successful reproduction. These arrows can be quite dangerous if they are inserted into the wrong place, such as into a vital organ, killing a partner.
18. Fishing spiders 
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These long-legged arachnids give gifts. Having found a female, before mating the male will give her a carcass wrapped in silk as a gift. Scientists believe that this is not a way to persuade the female, but a way to avoid being eaten.
17. Prairie vole
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Unlike the habits of many other animals, these small rodents prefer monogamy. Scientists have discovered that when prairie voles mate once, a gene is turned on in their brains that forces them to mate only with that partner for the rest of their lives, as well as to share space, build nests, and act as parents.
16. Cichlid fish
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These fish have a strict hierarchy, and only the alpha male can mate. Other males hang around the alpha male's territory, eating whatever they find, and have such suppressed reproductive systems that they practically resemble females. When the alpha male dies, another male can take his place, quickly rebooting his reproductive system. The male builds and, shaking his tail, lures the female into it. She lays eggs in the nest, and he fertilizes them.
15. Red-sided garter snake 
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In Narcissus, Manitoba, these slithering reptiles emerge from their lair every year to mate in one giant orgy. Males emerge first, waiting for females. When a large female approaches, the males intertwine into a giant ball, where there can be up to a hundred males.
14. Spotted hyena 
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These laughing African animals have a strict hierarchy, where females are the leaders of the pack and are very aggressive. Even more unusually, females have an elongated clitoris, which they use to urinate, copulate and give birth.
13. Birds of Paradise
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These magnificent birds, native to New Guinea, are each unique in their own way and feature an amazing combination of colors on their feathers. An even more amazing sight is mating dance males. To attract a female, they jump, shake, freeze and make sounds.
12. Bugs
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These annoying insects boast a rather cruel and frightening method of reproduction. The male mates with the female through "traumatic insemination", piercing the female with his subcutaneous genitalia.
11. Hippos 
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These hungry and dangerous African mammals have a rather dirty and foul-smelling way of attracting a mate. They urinate and defecate first, then twirl their tail to spread the scent. The partner is attracted to this, and he comes to mate. During foreplay, animals splash in the water. And then they mate.
10. Bluegills 
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Males of these fish have three ways to mate with a female. The first is to become big and strong, protecting your nest, where the female will swim to spawn. A male may also swim undetected into another male's nest, following a female of similar shape and size to fertilize the eggs. There is a third option - to come at the moment when the enemy mates with the female and add your sperm to the mixture. However, the last word remains with the male who owns the territory, because he can distinguish the eggs fertilized by him from the eggs of another male by smell, and will eat someone else’s.
9. Emperor penguins 
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These Arctic-waddling birds begin mating in March and April. They are alternately monogamous, choosing one partner per year. As soon as the female lays an egg, the male sits down to hatch it, and the female leaves to look for food. Once the egg hatches, the male feeds the chick a milky substance from his esophagus. When the female returns, the male goes off to look for food and they end up caring for the chick together.
8. Bowerbirds
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These are strange winged creatures from New Guinea and Australia go to great lengths to attract a partner. Each species of bowerbird, from the Great Bowerbird to the Satin Bowerbird, boasts its own colorful way of doing this. Typically, this involves displaying different colored objects, plastic toys and dancing - all to impress the female.
7. Earwigs
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These omnivorous creatures with giant pincers on their tails mainly lead night look life and exhibit only a few species social behavior, including mating. To find a female, they must sense the pheromones she releases in her feces. Males compete for the opportunity to mate with a female, and success usually depends on body size and mites.
6. Sage grouse
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To attract a mate, the Sage Grouse performs an amazing dance that you should see. Arriving at a special place called a “tek,” the males sway and fluff their feathers, while the females gather around to see the “product face to face.”
5. Dolphins 
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To attract a mate, male dolphins do a variety of things, some pleasant and others not so pleasant. To impress the female, they will sing, bring her gifts or do crazy things. acrobatic stunts. However, it is also known that males can form "gangs" to kidnap a female from her pack and force her to mate. After mating, the males leave the female to find a new partner, leaving her to raise the offspring on her own.
4. Porcupine 
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With long, sharp quills all over their bodies, it may seem like porcupines have no chance of mating, but they've solved the problem. Around September, the female porcupine secretes mucus and urine to attract males, letting them know she is ready to copulate. However, once the first male appears, she will not ovulate yet. He will have to wait until the rest of the males gather. A fierce fight ensues between them, and the bloodied winner receives his trophy. When the female is ready, she raises her tail over her back so as not to prick the male. She also places her quills along her body to keep him safe.
3. Orange amphiprions 
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These little Nemos are spawning all year round, and perform various dance rituals such as standing on their heads, touching the abdominal surface and bending their backs to each other. What's strange about these fish is that they always start out as males and change their behavior to female when there are no females around.
2. Whiptail lizards
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This rare breed lizards They dont have mating games, and they are all females. Apparently they reproduce by asexual reproduction. So, their mating ritual is a party for one.
1. Hokhlach seal 
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In an attempt to show their masculinity, male seals blow on their heads similar to balloon membrane A pink ball comes out of the nostrils and falls on the head. When two males fight over a female, the battle ends when a seal with a large pink ball scares the other one.
MATCHING SEASON MATCHING SEASON
mating period of animals. For the most part globe has a clear seasonal character. In B. p. in males (or much less often in females) plural. vertebrates develop secondary sexual characteristics and special forms of behavior (see GON). The development of the gonads in the reproductive system and the accompanying phenomena are carried out on the basis of internal. physiol. rhythms of the body, controlled externally. factors. To extratropical main areas ext. The regulator of the seasonality of reproduction is photoperiod. In the tropics many animals do not reproduce strictly periodically, but even here the beginning of breeding is often timed to coincide with the rainy season. The seasonal timing of births has been formed in the course of evolution in such a way that the birth of young people occurs at the beginning of the most favorable season of the year (usually summer); in animals with a short gestation period, the rut occurs in early spring and in the summer (hares, rodents, some predators), and in species with pregnancy - in the fall (large ungulates) or even in the summer (sable, marten). Depending on external conditions (weather, availability of feed, etc.) B. p. can shift in time.
.(Source: Biological encyclopedic Dictionary." Ch. ed. M. S. Gilyarov; Editorial team: A. A. Babaev, G. G. Vinberg, G. A. Zavarzin and others - 2nd ed., corrected. - M.: Sov. Encyclopedia, 1986.)
mating seasonMating period in animals. As a rule, it has a seasonal periodicity. During this period, many vertebrate animals acquire secondary sexual characteristics (for example, coloration and mating plumage in fish and birds) and exhibit specific forms of behavior (matting, tournaments, nest building). Offensive mating season is regulated by the seasonal activity of the sex glands, which produce hormones that stimulate the sexual activity of animals. see also Gon.
.(Source: “Biology. Modern illustrated encyclopedia.” Chief editor A. P. Gorkin; M.: Rosman, 2006.)
See what “MATING SEASON” is in other dictionaries:
MATING SEASON- the mating period of animals. One of the main periods in their lives, on which the number and quality of new generations depends. Associated with the mating season a complex system relationships between males and females, between them and their environment. Ecological… Ecological dictionary
mating season- EMBRYOLOGY OF ANIMALS MATING PERIOD – the mating period of animals, which is seasonal. In many vertebrates, at this time, the severity of secondary sexual characteristics sharply increases, and special forms of behavior are realized... General embryology: Terminological dictionary
- (in animals) the time of year when mating occurs. B. p. in many vertebrates is characterized by the development of secondary sexual characteristics in males (See Secondary sexual characteristics) and the appearance special forms behavior: “courtship”... ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia
mating season- traction. current. current mating. estrus, estrus. caviar (to spawn). milk. spawning. spawning. spawning ground... Ideographic Dictionary of the Russian Language
A pair of mallards in breeding plumage (a drake in front) ... Wikipedia
- (contract) an agreement of persons entering into marriage, or an agreement of spouses, defining the property rights and obligations of spouses in marriage and (or) in the event of its dissolution. In accordance with Article 40.42 of the Family Code Russian Federation,... ...Wikipedia
Marriage agreement (contract) is an agreement of persons entering into marriage, or an agreement of spouses, defining the property rights and obligations of spouses in marriage and (or) in the event of its dissolution. In accordance with Art. 48 of the Family Code of the Russian... ... Wikipedia
WEDDING WEAR- WEDDING GARMENT, external features acquired by animals during the breeding season. During the spawning period, many fish acquire a brighter color, which gradually disappears after the breeding period. Newts (males) by the period... ... Great Medical Encyclopedia
MARRIAGE, marriage, marriage. adj. to marriage1. Marriage. Marriage bond. Marriage bed. ❖ Breeding plumage (zool.) a temporary change in color, the appearance of special feathers, tails, crests, etc. in animals (mainly males) during the breeding season, for... ... Dictionary Ushakova
Let's turn to mammals. Here are typical examples. During courtship, a hare can hit a hare on the nose and tear out a clump of his fur with her teeth if he tries to start mating when she is not in the mood for it. Male European hamsters, being much stronger and larger than females, often die in captivity from their bites. They are unable to resist the aggressiveness of females, since they have a highly developed “knightly” instinct. The males of many dogs and related species - wolves and jackals - are also disarmed by the “knightly” instinct. Pet dog lovers know this very well. Let's give the floor to K. Lorenz: “There is one extremely sweet trait in the behavior of dogs, which was clearly early fixed in their central nervous system as a property that is inherited. I mean chivalrous treatment of females and puppies. No normal male would bite a female under any circumstances; The bitch is protected by an absolute taboo, and she can behave with the dog as she wishes and bite him, even seriously. The male dog has no means of defense at his disposal, except for respectful movements and a “gallant face”, with the help of which he can try to turn the attacks of an angry bitch into a game. A man's pride does not allow him to resort to another method - a fight, because... Males always make every effort to “save face” in the presence of a bitch.
In wolves and Greenland sled dogs with predominant wolf blood this chivalrous self-control extends to females only of their own pack, but in dogs with predominant jackal blood it acts in the presence of any female, even a complete stranger. A male chow-chow occupies an intermediate position: if he is always in the company of his female relatives, he can treat a bitch of jackal blood quite rudely, although I do not know of a case where he actually bit her." And then he continues that when on a male a bitch attacks “he cannot bite or even growl, but an incomparably stronger impulse pushes him to approach an aggressive female, and the conflict between manhood, fear of the sharp teeth of his opponent and the strength of his sexual impulses gives rise to behavior that sometimes turns into a real parody to human. What makes an old dog funny is mainly the playfulness, the “gallantry” that I described above. When such an animal, long past puppyhood, begins to express its love, rhythmically moving its front paws and jumping back and forth, even the least inclined observer to anthropomorphism involuntarily begins to make certain comparisons, which is facilitated by the behavior of the bitch, who, knowing that her the suitor will endure everything, behaves very arrogantly." This is remarkably accurately said, isn’t it? And what is especially interesting is that a striking analogy with human behavior is noted... We will give another short excerpt from the same source, describing the phenomenon of baiting in dogs And here K. Lorenz notes a great similarity with human behavior: “Bitches present at a meeting of males of equal strength and rank behave in a special way. Susie, the Wolf's wife, clearly wants a fight to start; She doesn’t actively help her husband, but she likes to watch him take over the other dog. She resorted to cunning tricks twice to achieve her goal. The wolf stood head to tail next to the alien dog. Susie carefully, but with great curiosity, hovered around them, but they did not pay any attention to her, since she was a bitch. Suddenly she silently but energetically bit her husband on the backside, exposed to the enemy. The wolf, believing that he, in violation of all ancient dog customs, had brazenly bitten him on the butt while sniffing, immediately attacked the blasphemer. The second dog, naturally, considered this attack as an equally unforgivable violation of the ritual, and an unusually ferocious fight ensued."
Similar examples from the lives of dogs, in connection with the striking analogy with humans, could take us far. Especially if you consider the authority of the famous ethologist who cites them. But the author of this modest work has other examples of dog behavior, which he gleaned from his own observations. I had a smart dog named Jerry, a breed very similar to a collie, with a white chest, but with a dark spotted coat and not so long and narrow muzzle. In the clarification of relationships between males, he occupied a dominant position - many large male German shepherds, Dobermans, Rottweilers, and even bull terriers and Caucasian shepherds were inferior to him. He took it by force of character. But in competition for females, he preferred to give in to many of those rivals whom he knocked down in other situations. Jerry simply stood back proudly, without getting into a fight. It seemed that he despised these games and felt superior to his fellows. The bitches couldn't drag him into conflict. In a free situation, he willingly looked after the bitches and was quite successful. And the “knightly” attitude towards them was inherent in him no less than in other dogs. Perhaps I did not know another person so proud and smart dog. I want to say that the example of incitement by K. Lorenz and my humble example are opposite to each other and this is their value - in opposition.
We need to note a couple more features of the mating behavior of highly organized animals that were not covered by examples. Let us briefly touch upon the phenomenon of rapid mating, observed in some birds (tree sparrows, gulls) and mammals (dogs, primates). Its essence is that a female, after mating with her male, suddenly allows other males, previously rejected, to mate with her. This phenomenon, reminiscent of an orgy, is observed even in those species where the males are very jealous, try to prevent “betrayal” and subsequently can kill a child that is not their own. The phenomenon of rapid mating has not yet found a convincing explanation. If a quick mating takes place virtually in front of the spouse, then the usual “betrayal” of partners to each other occurs “on the side.” Although the male sex, as a rule, is more active in this matter, the female sex also does not remain in debt. And as a result, females of many “socially monogamous” species (living in permanent pairs) give birth to offspring from different fathers. This appears to be more beneficial in terms of genetic diversity. The second phenomenon that is worthy of mention is incentive mating. It was noticed in birds of prey and non-human primates, which have developed group mating. The female holds the male for her own purposes and stimulates him to obtain food, seize territory, rewarding him with permission to mate with her. In this case, a direct relationship is observed: the more the male pleases the female, the more she pleases him with “access to the body.” In fact, it can be called animal prostitution.
All of the above features of mating behavior and sexual selection are controlled by basic instincts that ensure the vital activity of individual individuals and intraspecific balance. These instincts are biologically expedient, for example: the expediency of sexual desire, which ensures reproduction, is beyond doubt; Aggression is advisable, which allows maintaining high viability of the species. But there are trends that clearly lead to a dead end. Unilaterally directed sexual selection, when a female prefers an aggressive male, which is facilitated by the phenomenon of baiting males, leads to a gradual increase in the aggressiveness of the species, and this is not the best adaptation for existence and does not contribute to the development of in a good way words. As K. Lorenz notes: “This possibility should worry us, because - as we will see later - similar considerations also apply evolutionary development instinct of aggression in humans."
So the majority famous examples illustrates sexual asymmetry and confirms the thesis that in marital relations males are exposed to greater dangers than females. And these dangers come from rival males and from desirable females. One should not, of course, exaggerate this fact. For the more highly developed a species is, the more inclined it is to take care of its offspring, the more noticeable is the following tendency: completely useless males are left without females. But this is only on average and depending on the specific living conditions of a given species and the existing hierarchy of relationships. IN unfavorable conditions, for example, with a lack of food, with overcrowding in small area or under the influence of other stress factors, the hierarchy can become stricter, males can suppress rivals more aggressively, and in some animal species males are even capable of showing aggressiveness and cruelty towards the female and cubs. There are known facts when canine males kill their female, destroy the nest and break the clutch; a male kangaroo in a state of sexual arousal can kill the female and cubs; a male camel during a female's heat bites everyone, including her; male brown bear can tear apart a female and her cubs (this fact is mentioned in the famous story by G.A. Fedoseev " Evil spirit Yambuya"). These cases can be attributed to violations of marital behavior caused by unfavorable circumstances.
There is also such a phenomenon as the aggressiveness of adult males towards cubs, especially strangers. We have already briefly mentioned that in some species of highly organized animals (even primates), a male can kill someone else's baby. U African lions it's even a law. And females of many species, except lions, try to protect their cubs or develop behavior that misleads males about true paternity.
MALE AND FEMALE. DANGERS OF MARRIAGE RELATIONS. V.Yu.Skosar, Dnepropetrovsk
Relationships during the mating season between the sexes in the animal world deserve special attention. Most of all, of course, animals are driven by instincts during this period. However, not everything is as primitive as it seems - if you carefully study their behavior at this time, you will notice elements of psychology and even some degree of romance. Our smaller brothers, of course, tend to show much more aggression, especially in wild conditions, however, they are still characterized by manifestations of care and even affection. Proof of this is the struggle for the favor and attention of the opposite sex. One of the interesting elements of the mating season is the serenade. Males can perform love songs for their females to attract their attention. Thus, a whale’s mating serenade can last more than a day, and gibbons are famous for singing songs very loudly for their chosen ones. Coloring also plays an important role in attracting the opposite sex. Many animals with already bright colors during this period become much more colorful and brighter. Also, in the bodies of many animals, during mating games, pheromones and various odors are released, which draws attention to them and makes them attractive in the eyes of the object of affection. The courtship period is not complete without tactile interaction.
Animals try to touch their chosen ones, thus expressing their sympathy. Seals, for example, may during this period for a long time lying together on the shore, heads gently touching and cheeks shaking, while elephants intertwine their trunks and pinch their partner. During courtship, animals are not averse to presenting some kind of gift to the female they like. For example, penguins give feathers to their ladies. It is also considered a beautiful gesture to leave the largest and most delicious piece of food. Fierce fights for the lady of the heart are common in the animal world. Hippos, for example, can die in such a fight. It even happens that the winning male eats the defeated one! In general, the struggle during this period is serious. Below are examples of the most interesting and bizarre marriage rituals.