The humble antechinus has been in the news recently because, well, it has so much sex that it dies. This is not an evolutionary flaw. It is, in fact, a feature of the species.
Male antechinuses (antechinii? antechinae?) spend half their lives having sex for 14 hours a day. And it’s not leisurely, loving sex. It’s frantic oh-my-god-I-must-ejaculate-as-quickly-as-possible kind of sex.
The kind of sex that rapidly depletes their limited supply of sperm and causes their bodies to literally fall apart.
They lose their fur.
They bleed internally.
They die before they hit their first birthday.
But what a way to go!
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