Tag Archives: biology

#1 DAD

So many limbs, so little anything else

My original post was kindly corrected by Dr. Bonnie Bain, who pointed out that the secretions- mainly emitted by cement glands on the femurs- the eggs were wrapped in were probably not mucus, but no one has investigated the material in depth. Dr. Bain’s paper has a lot of other interesting details about the mating of the sea spiders (pycnogonids), including some fascinating descriptions of courting behavior, and aggression between females for mates.

Bain, B.A. and Govedich, F.R., 2004. Courtship and mating behavior in the Pycnogonida (Chelicerata: Class Pycnogonida): a summary. Invertebrate reproduction & development46(1), pp.63-79.

Other references: Woods, Anne. REPRODUCTION & LIFE CYCLE OF SEA SPIDERS. Pets on Mom.com. https://animals.mom.com/spiders-reproduce-live-birth-eggs-7404.html Accessed 11/20/2020.

Image reference: Bernard Picton, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

This is a series of little illustrated factoids about animal reproduction, posted daily. I’d love to hear your suggestions/ feedback. I also post these on my insta.

OSTRICH

This is the grossest penis I have yet drawn.

Ostriches evert (turn inside out and inflate) their penises both to have sex and to poop. I guess it would get in the way otherwise?

Reference: Brennan, P.L. and Prum, R.O., 2012. The erection mechanism of the ratite penis. Journal of Zoology, 286(2), pp.140-144.

This is a series of little illustrated factoids about animal reproduction, posted daily. I’d love to hear your suggestions/ feedback. I also post these on my insta.

Penis fencing

Most flatworms are a little more chill about mating.

Reference: Michiels, N., Newman, L. Sex and violence in hermaphrodites. Nature 391, 647 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1038/35527

This is a series of little illustrated factoids about animal reproduction, posted daily. I’d love to hear your suggestions/ feedback. I also post these on my insta.

Needlessly complex

There is a LOT of debate about why genital structures are so varied among species. SO MUCH DRAMA.

Reference: Alexander, C.P., 1970. Bredin-Archbold-Smithsonian Biological Survey of Dominica: The Crane Flies. Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology.

This is a series of little illustrated factoids about animal reproduction, posted daily. I’d love to hear your suggestions/ feedback. I also post these on my insta.

size matters

I’m guessing they pheromones to find their mates, but I like to imagine a large rock covered in barnacles, little penises emerging from all of them, feeling around like long thin little fingers.

Reference: Neufeld, C.J. and Palmer, A.R., 2008. Precisely proportioned: intertidal barnacles alter penis form to suit coastal wave action. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 275(1638), pp.1081-1087.

This is a series of little illustrated factoids about animal reproduction, posted daily. I’d love to hear your suggestions/ feedback. I also post these on my insta.

Twice the fun

SO MANY SPINES!

Reference: Keogh, J.S., 1999. Evolutionary implications of hemipenial morphology in the terrestrial Australian elapid snakes. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 125(2), pp.239-278.

This is a series of little illustrated factoids about animal reproduction, posted daily. I’d love to hear your suggestions/ feedback. I also post these on my insta.

Always erect

There is an amazing video of this- the link is in the references. It just pops out like a jack-in-the-box!

Reference:

edyong209, 2013. Alligator penis surprise. SERIOUSLY WATCH THIS! Youtube. Attributed to Brandon Moore.

Kelly, D.A., 2013. Penile anatomy and hypotheses of erectile function in the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis): muscular eversion and elastic retraction. The Anatomical Record, 296(3), pp.488-494.

This is a series of little illustrated factoids about animal reproduction, posted daily. I’d love to hear your suggestions/ feedback. I also post these on my insta.

Worm lies

They do have long proboscises, tho.

These poor worms in phyla Priapulida mate through external fertilization.

This is a series of little illustrated factoids about animal reproduction, posted daily. I’d love to hear your suggestions/ feedback. I also post these on my insta.

mucus cuddle

This is my favorite penis fact, by far. Such a cute little slug mucus cuddle.

Reference: Davison, Angus, 2019. Leopard slugs mate in the most beautifully bizarre way – and nobody knows why. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/leopard-slugs-mate-in-the-most-beautifully-bizarre-way-and-nobody-knows-why-128284

This is a series of little illustrated factoids about animal reproduction, posted daily. I’d love to hear your suggestions/ feedback. I also post these on my insta.

The little death

I did my best to draw this honey bee penis, but honestly I have no idea how well I did.

Reference: Chapman, R.F. and Chapman, R.F., 1998. The insects: structure and function. Cambridge university press.

This is a series of little illustrated factoids about animal reproduction, posted daily. I’d love to hear your suggestions/ feedback. I also post these on my insta.