How long have humans been around on Earth? We set up camp on this planet a while ago, and we’ve evolved and grown alongside all kinds of critters and wildlife. But no matter how long we’ve been around, we still keep discovering new species that were somehow overlooked. And the most recent one is a doozy.
I’m talking about the black-tailed antechinus, recently discovered in Australia, because of course it’s Australia. Cute little things aren’t they? Classified as marsupials, they kind of look like a cross between a mouse and a mole. But here’s the best (or worst) part: After what can only be described as a 12-hour sexapalooza, males will commonly die from exhaustion. That’s right, the men die after mating because they literally cannot deal with the extreme levels of hormones involved.
Affectionately termed “suicidal reproduction” by scientists, the act involves many, many partners engaging a sexual frenzy. Females aren’t affected by hormones the same way as males, surviving these sex marathons to give birth to multiple offspring from multiple fathers. This type of mating is actually a “fairly” common characteristic of marsupials, as well as some insects and fish.
How we had not noticed these frisky creatures before May of last year is simply beyond me. You’re telling me that no one in Australia ever stumbled upon the crazy secret orgy that is this species before last year? If that’s the case, I hesitate to speculate what freaky things the next undiscovered species is up to.
Note: The most recent hit on a Google Search for new species is a new kind of “Dracula ant”, so named due to the Queen feeding on the blood of new born ants…so there you go.