Hi Richard
I mentioned some of this in my book "Fauna of Kakadu and the Top End" (1993)
under dasyurids, eg the "frenzied mating".
You're not the only one interested in such subjects. I once guided two
American women whose main interest was to see the reproductive organs of a
female marsupial. One was curator of primates at the San Francisco zoo (if
I remember correctly) and her sister was a biology teacher. We spent a
happy few hours dissecting an antilopine wallaroo on the side of the road.
The University of NSW has been using "Fauna" as a "core text" for their
summer school for thirteen years (we're now preparing a second edition). I
doubt whether the sex is the main selling point but I'm sure at least some
of the students have been fascinated in the details.
Interest in the sex life of animals is a reason why I included a section on
bird sex in "Birds of Australia's Top End". If anyone has ever been up
close and personal to an emu phallus then they'll realise a little of what I
put my family through in producing this book - I'm sure my son lost a few
girlfriends. Paul Horner, past curator of vertebrates at the NT Museum
nearly choked while preparing the phallus for preservation, and it wasn't
the formalin.
regards
Denise Lawungkurr Goodfellow
PO Box 71, Darwin River,
NT 0841
043 8650 835
On 10/10/13 12:09 AM, "Richard Nowotny" <> wrote:
> I found this interesting item about the reproductive strategy of
> antechinuses on my daily news digest "The Shortlist Daily" - it is from
> National Geographic. Birdwatchers are quite likely to come across
> antechinuses in the field and may be interested in this piece (Ctrl+Click on
> the red text below).
>
>
>
> Richard NOWOTNY
>
> Port Melbourne, Victoria
>
> M: 0438 224 456
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> <http://phenomena.nationalgeographic.com/2013/10/07/why-a-little-mammal-has-
> so-much-sex-that-it-disintegrates/> Why a little mammal has so much sex that
> it disintegrates "He mates with as many females as he can, in violent,
> frenetic encounters that can each last up to 14 hours. He does little else.
> A month ago, he irreversibly stopped making sperm, so he's got all that he
> will ever have. This burst of speed-mating is his one chance to pass his
> genes on to the next generation, and he will die trying. He exhausts himself
> so thoroughly that his body starts to fall apart."
>
> - National Geographic
>
>
>
>
>
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