| Sunday, 22-Dec-2024 13:49:51 EST |
How do porcupines make love?
Introduction
How do porcupines make love? You would probably think the answer is very
carefully, but you would probably be wrong. The answer is more improbable
and much more bizarre than that. While browsing in the basement of the
library one day, I came across two papers which detailed in great detail
the details of the porcupine's sex life.
The information contained in these
two papers is of such great importance it is paraphrased and presented here.
The next time a friend asks you how porcupines make love, you can set them
straight by describing these events (in as much detail as you dare).
The Animals
The porcupines in the study were part of a colony kept at the Biology
Department at the University of Buffalo during the 1940s. The colony
consisted of 5 females (Maudie, Nightie, Prickles, Snooks and Skeezix) and 3
males (Old Dad, Johnnie and Pinkie - who was an albino). It was noted that the animals of both
sexes objected to being stroked or having their feet, tail base or genitals
touched by the authors.
The Behaviour
Female pre-copulation
In July/August, as the mating season approached, the female porcupine would
often rub her genitals on structures such as food and water dishes, sticks,
and the cage wire. As the season progresses she accepted and sought more
frequent tactile stimulation (presumably from the human investigators).
As
the mating season approached, young females become more nervous and excited
and put more "vim, vigor and action" into their activities. They would even
"seize, straddle, and ride sticks about the cage" walking erect and
stimulating their genitalia with the stick. This period of excitement is
followed by a period when the female went off her food, remained close to
the male and "moped". During this period the female even accepted the
insertion of a thermometer into the vagina (which she resisted at other
times).
Male courtship behaviour
When placed in a cage with a female the male porcupine toured the whole area
rubbing everything with his nose. He carefully smelled all items, paying
closest attention to objects which have been in contact with the female and
the places where she had urinated. He often walked about the cage on three
legs, clutching at his genitals with his free left front paw. Like the
females, the male rubbed his genitals on objects in the cage, and it
appeared that the larger the object the more attractive as a rubbing place.
The authors describe having to remove a one and a half inch spike from the
frame of one cage as they feared to animal's vigorous rubbing would result
in injury. Males also indulged in "stick riding" as described for females.
Males would often "sing" (Actually described as whining) during this period and became more aggressive with
other males.
When the male encountered the female porcupine he smelled her
all over, then reared up on his hind legs, his penis fully erect. If the
female was not ready she ran away. If she is prepared for mating she also
reared up and faced the male, belly-to-belly. In this position most males
then sprayed the female with a strong stream of urine (In one case, urine
was measured on the lab floor 6 foot 7 inches from the point of discharge),
soaking her from head to foot. (Johnnie, a young male, would charge the female from this
position, trying to wrestle her to the ground and make sexual contact
ventrally. He was never successful.)
She would
If ready for mating the female did not object strongly to this
shower. This courtship routine may occur several times in the days or weeks
leading up to copulation.
Mating
Mating occurs in November or December. While females at the peak of
receptivity would accept any male, males required a period of close
association with the females before they could mate with them. The male
makes sexual contact from behind the female. The spines of both animals were
relaxed and lay flat.
His thrusts are of the "usual nature" and were
produced by flexing and straightening the knees. Males do not grasp the
female in any way. Mating occurred until the male was exhausted. Each time
he broke away from the female she would re-establish contact. One younger
female made grunting whines throughout. If males refused to co-operate, the
female approached a nearby male and acted out the male role in coition with
the uninvolved male. Females only remained sexually receptive for a few
hours and then rejected males.
Post-copulation
While the pre-copulatory period was described as "warming up", the
post-copulatory period was a "cooling off" time. Females rejected males,
engaging in the same activities as for pre-copulation, but in reverse order.
Conclusions
Young children should be banned from the university library basements.
Sometimes the most improbable science is also the truest.
Never stand close to cage which contains courting porcupines.
References
Albert R. Shadle, Marilyn Smelzer & Margery Metz (1946) The sex reactions of
porcupines (Erethizon d. dorsatum) before and after copulation. Journal of
Mammalogy 27(2): 116-121. Albert R. Shadle (1946) Copulation in the
porcupine. Journal of Wildlife Management 10(2): 159-162.
by Wendy Cooper
Australian National University