Macaques in Japan are now also having sex with... deer

in #steemstem6 years ago (edited)

During my research for an article on animal homosexual behaviour (see here: https://steemit.com/stemstem/@holothewise/homosexuality-in-nature-an-evolutionary-perspective) I came across a gem of a study, conducted by sciences from the University of Lethbridge, Canada. In a population of macaques where they were studying female homosexual behaviour, they found that the females were also reacting sexually to Sika deer.

Now apparently it's not unknown for them to mount and ride the deer around, but these ladies clearly have something else in mind...
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7a9gQWBJA5U

The team have stated that theirs is: "the first quantitative study of sexual interactions between a non-human primate and a non-primate species."

Based on mounting behaviour and the fact the monkeys make the same calls when mounting deer as during sex with conspecifics, the researchers have concluded these are genuine sexual interactions. Possible reasons for the behaviour include sexual practice by young females and alternatives for sexual behaviour when rejected by other potential partners.

You can check out a full article here: https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/12/japanese-macaques-sika-deer-sexual-interactions-spd/
and the team's research paper here:
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jean-Baptiste_Leca/publication/321732677_Deer_mates_A_quantitative_study_of_heterospecific_sexual_behaviors_performed_by_Japanese_macaques_toward_Sika_deer/links/5a2f0c7faca2726d0bd6ae04/Deer-mates-A-quantitative-study-of-heterospecific-sexual-behaviors-performed-by-Japanese-macaques-toward-Sika-deer.pdf

Well, as always, nature is stranger than fiction. Happy Steeming People,
The Wise Fox

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We had a dog who would jump the other female dog in the family. And before we got that other dog, she jumped the cat, who wasn't too happy about it. He was male, though, or had been...

Well, one of the theories for the behaviour is that the monkeys are just 'horny'. I've seen a bunny have a go at a bunny shaped slipper before too, so I guess anything goes 😂

LOL, this made me giggle out loud :D

Not really sure if it is as strange as people think, considering that many male humans do this in remote less developed regions, or in times of war for lack of a sexual partner. How many goat jokes do we hear during our youth... While I find any sexual contact without consent reprehensible when it comes to humans as the initiator, primates most likely do not have developed to the point of mulling over the finer points of ethics and philosophy, so they are hardly to be held in contempt for their behaviour. Fun fact it is still anchored in U.S military law that soldiers are allowed to rape a horse without repercussions - I kid you not!

Yeah, interestingly though the deer do sometimes shake the Macaques off, for the most part they are apparently totally unphased. Perhaps as there is no actual penetration due to the monkeys being female.

yea they are probably like" whatever -having fun up there?" but when the pinis comes they are like "ok that goes to farthis is just rude off with you"- LOL ...

Oh my these comments are priceless! Love it!