Animal lust
RANDY reptile Diego may be 100 years old – but he’s been nicknamed “sex machine” after fathering more than 800 children!
The giant tortoise, above centre, has finally retired after being brought in to help save his species on the Galápagos island of Santa Cruz. Weighing in at 12st 6lbs, the lumbering critter may not be speedy, but he’s a fast mover when it comes to mating – as he is reckoned to be dad to 40% of the 2,000 giant tortoises alive today.
But he isn’t the only animal with a raging libido. Here, JAMES MOORE reveals the creatures whose love-making makes the “birds and the bees” look positively tame…
RABBITS: You’ve heard the phrase “breeding like rabbits” and the furry creatures deserve their reputation. Mating only lasts 20-40 seconds, but baby rabbits are born within 30 days and with litters of up to 12, a rabbit can give birth to 1,000 young in a lifetime.
LIONS: Despite their reputation for sleeping most of the day, when lions are on heat they develop a roaring appetite for sex. They’ll mate every 15 to 20 minutes over two or three days – up to 300 times.
BONOBOS: Dubbed the king of the swingers, it’s reckoned 75% of these primates’ sexual activity is not for reproduction. They kiss with tongues and enjoy romping in lots of different positions. One expert observed that they “behave as if they have read the Kama Sutra”.
PIGS: It seems porkers enjoy a bit of nookie. Researchers have found that they can experience orgasms lasting 30 minutes and even 90 minutes has been known.
SNAKES: Serpents scale the heights when it comes to romps. Snake sex usually lasts about an hour but can go on for a whole day.
GIANT CUTTLEFISH: These Aussie sea dwellers meet for a massive orgy every winter. Outnumbering females by eight to one the male cuttlefish have to flash crazy colours on their skin to get a look in.
RODENTS: A pair of rats could have enough sex to produce nearly half a billion descendants in just three years. In Australia, the mouse-like brown antechinus has sex for up to 14 hours at a time during a twoweek mating season and promptly drops down dead with exhaustion. North African rodents called Shaw’s jirds can have sex 240 times in an hour.
DOLPHINS: They’re cute, but flipping saucy, having sex up to 50 times a day, though each session will only last 20 seconds. Some dolphins are also bisexual.
ELEPHANT SEALS: Male elephant seals typically surround themselves with 30 to 100 females and can father around 500 pups in their lifetimes.
STICK INSECTS: Talk about getting wood – pairs of Indian stick insects have been known to stay in sexual union together for 79 days at a time.