Tuesday, December 21, 2004

Boredom leads to bad things…

Boredom leads to bad things...

I was standing at a co-worker's desk (L) as another co-worker (D) noticed a picture on L's cube wall. This picture happens to be of L and her sister the night before L's wedding. They have a giant snake wrapped around them. L informed us that she was VERY intoxicated that night. L also told us that she told her sister that her sister was holding onto the snake's penis right before the picture was taken. A short conversation on the mating habits of snakes ensued. As none of us knew how snakes really mated L told me to look it up. So I did.

This is what I found (warning - this is, um, graphic?):
http://www.szgdocent.org/cc/c-love.htm

Male snakes have two penis (called hemipenes or “half penis” in the mistaken belief that they were pressed together to form one penis). Some snakes alternate between the two for separate matings, some just use which ever is closest to the female. The hemipenes inflates when it is inserted into the female and some hemipenes may be forked or spined, probably to ensure it stays inside the female during what can be a long mating.

Some males prevent the female from mating with other males by prolonging mating (remaining connected for up to 6 hours). Other simply hang around for a few days, keeping other males off. Some plug her up with secretions. Some are even sneakier: Garter Snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis) hibernate in large communal groups. In spring, the males emerge first and wait for the females to emerge. When a female sleepily stumbles out, tons of males form frenzied mating balls around her. Some males produce female pheromones which confuse other males and give them a chance to fertilise the real female. Once a male gets to her, the others scatter because he releases a pheromone than causes temporary impotence in other males.

Some female snakes can store sperm for several years and fertilise several clutches of eggs from this store. The Brahminy Blindsnake (Ramphotyphlops braminus) can reproduce without males (parthenogenic). Her eggs are self-fertilising and produces only females.

Now you know...


Posted by Autumn Goddess on 12/21 at 12:49 PM
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