WASHINGTON – Australian marsupials face extinction because half of the population is wiped out each year when males die after mating too long.
Scientists say during a small time frame each year, the male antechinus mates ferociously in sessions lasting more than 14 hours. But within a few weeks, they have exerted so much energy their immune system shuts down and they often die, with hardly any of them living for more than a year. Often they bleed internally, have ulcers, their fur falls off in patches, and sometimes they’re stumbling around blind and still trying to mate, ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) News reports.
Although two new species of these rare marsupials known for their frequent and fatal sexual behaviors have been discovered, scientists fear that the marsupials may be under threat of extinction not only due to their sexual appetites, but other factors including climate change, feral pests and habitat loss.
According to ABC News, Queensland and Tasmanian researchers are applying to have the marsupials listed as endangered before they become extinct.
