The Secret Sex Lives of Animals

Book excerpt: Birds do it, Bees do it, even educated fleas do it...but how? Reveal the secrets of procreation in this beautifully illustrated and fascinating look at the sexual life of animals. Nature has an infinite number of ways to reproduce generation after generation of amazing creatures. From the mussel who creates 25 million offspring at a single birth to hermaphroditic worms who lie head to tail with their partner so they both can enjoy parenting, the information is astonishing and often times miraculous. Imagine this pairing: the male blanket octopus is only one inch long, while the female is six feet long. Or how about the male mantis who is sometimes devoured by his mate in the midst of fertilization--and is still able to continue the process! However, on the lighter side, whales courtships are a ritual of caressing, nuzzling, and rubbing. Enter this world of basic breeding and gain a true understanding of the complexity of it all.