# Do any other animals have sex for fun? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 24, 2003, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-other-animals-have-sex-for-fun/203620 "2003-09-24T20:01:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![heimarkj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c2a13f/32.png) [@heimarkj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heimarkj)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-other-animals-have-sex-for-fun/203620/1 "2003-09-24T20:01:10Z")
Someone told me that in addition to humans, dolphins, and chickens also like to “do the deed” for recreational purposes as well…I hadn’t heard this before…anyone know anything about this? ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-other-animals-have-sex-for-fun/203620/2 "2003-09-24T20:10:03Z")
As far as I know, all other mamals do it ONLY for fun. They haven’t the awareness to distinguish between doing it for procreation and doing it for pleasure, so they do it because it feels good. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-other-animals-have-sex-for-fun/203620/3 "2003-09-24T20:12:47Z")
Not only do other animals have sex for fun, but humans are probably the only animal that ever has sex for any other reason. Nonhuman animals probably don’t know that sex leads to young’uns; they just do it because it feels good. You didn’t think that a dog humping your leg really expects your leg to have puppies, did you? ---
**Author:** ![NBIT33](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@NBIT33](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NBIT33)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-other-animals-have-sex-for-fun/203620/4 "2003-09-24T20:17:30Z")
I’m not buying this. Then why do they only do it when they’re in heat? Take whitetail deer for example - the males pretty much ignore the females except during mating season? And then there are fish - who don’t even have contact. Are you saying THAT feels good to them?? ---
**Author:** ![NTChrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e274bd/32.png) [@NTChrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NTChrist)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-other-animals-have-sex-for-fun/203620/5 "2003-09-24T20:20:46Z")
[http://www.dolphinsex.org/](http://www.dolphinsex.org/) Long, but worth the time to read all of it, just for the laugh. The guy that wrote this is one loopy dude. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Harmonix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonix)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-other-animals-have-sex-for-fun/203620/6 "2003-09-24T20:22:25Z")
iirc Bonobo monkeys do it all the time. Their social structure is pretty much based on sex. Theres pretty much no taboo in their culture either. They have sex with their mother, father, sisters, brothers etc… Of course they don’t do so to procreate… ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-other-animals-have-sex-for-fun/203620/7 "2003-09-24T20:22:40Z")
[Bonobos.](http://songweaver.com/info/bonobos.html) Haj ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-other-animals-have-sex-for-fun/203620/8 "2003-09-24T20:28:41Z")
Dolphins and chimps have recreational sex. ---
**Author:** ![DougC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@DougC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DougC)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-other-animals-have-sex-for-fun/203620/9 "2003-09-24T20:39:25Z")
- - - “Recreational sex” is generally to be sex occurring when the female is not at the fertile point of her reproductive cycle. To that end, not many animals have recreational sex, and the reason is usually because the females have no interest in it and will usually fight off males who forcibly attempt it. ~ ---
**Author:** ![heimarkj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c2a13f/32.png) [@heimarkj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heimarkj)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-other-animals-have-sex-for-fun/203620/10 "2003-09-24T20:51:42Z")
NTChrist…that link is hilarious…thanx ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-other-animals-have-sex-for-fun/203620/11 "2003-09-24T20:53:45Z")
How do you know that you are ever having sex just for fun? ---
**Author:** ![BlueMit11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7feea3/32.png) [@BlueMit11](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlueMit11)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-other-animals-have-sex-for-fun/203620/12 "2003-09-24T21:06:38Z")
[http://www.snopes.com/critters/wild/pleasure.htm](http://www.snopes.com/critters/wild/pleasure.htm) Snopes says it’s true for a very specific definition of “sex for pleasure”. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-other-animals-have-sex-for-fun/203620/13 "2003-09-24T21:46:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by NTChrist \* > \*\*[http://www.dolphinsex.org/](http://www.dolphinsex.org/) > > Long, but worth the time to read all of it, just for the laugh. The guy that wrote this is one loopy dude. \*\* He’s also a bit [confused](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&postid=2746899&highlight=dolphin#post2746899). ---
**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-other-animals-have-sex-for-fun/203620/14 "2003-09-24T21:48:16Z")
> [@](#): > > **DougC** “Recreational sex” is generally to be sex occurring when the female is not at the fertile point of her reproductive cycle. Huh. If you use this definition, the only human beings who ever have recreational sex are post-menopausal women. ---
**Author:** ![mmmiiikkkeee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/edb3f5/32.png) [@mmmiiikkkeee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mmmiiikkkeee)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-other-animals-have-sex-for-fun/203620/15 "2003-09-24T21:55:56Z")
It’s almost impossible to scientifically _know_ whether an animal is doing something for fun or not - I don’t even think we can scientifically measure pleasure in humans yet. That being said I do think it’s much much much more _likely_ that most if not all animals have sex for fun (or personal gratification) rather than having the intention of making more animals to take care of. Not that long ago we didn’t even fully understand exactly how babies happened, and understanding the whole cycle and exactly what-will-happen-why is certainly not something that a kid (or adult) will come to realize on their own. _People_ have to be taught what the end result is… even if a couple had 10 kids they’d probably still only have a vague notion of what might be causing what to happen without some outside education. So the idea that Bambi even has a clue is rather laughable. Uh, who said male/female fish don’t even have contact outside of breeding seasons? You need to get yourself a tank full of guppies my friend. Nor do you need to be _constantly_ doing something for it to feel good, humans certainly aren’t humping everything on 2 legs every waking hour (well most of them anyways), so having cycles or being in heat doesn’t preclude something from feeling good whenever it happens. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-other-animals-have-sex-for-fun/203620/16 "2003-09-24T22:53:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by tremorviolet \* > \*\*Huh. If you use this definition, the only human beings who ever have recreational sex are post-menopausal women. \*\* No. A human female is only fertile for a few days each month. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-other-animals-have-sex-for-fun/203620/17 "2003-09-24T23:44:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Harmonix \* > \*\*iirc Bonobo monkeys do it all the time. Their social structure is pretty much based on sex. Theres pretty much no taboo in their culture either. They have sex with their mother, father, sisters, brothers etc… Of course they don’t do so to procreate… \*\* Bobobos are a species of chimpanzee, and are therfore **an ape, not a monkey**. They do engage in a considerable amount of non-procreation related sex. ---
**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2003, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-other-animals-have-sex-for-fun/203620/18 "2003-09-25T01:06:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Q.E.D. \* > \*\*No. A human female is only fertile for a few days each month. \*\* More correctly, she is _most_ fertile for a few days each month. And animals such as cats (as far as I know) don’t even ovulate until they’re either in heat or the mating act itself (I forget which). ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2003, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-other-animals-have-sex-for-fun/203620/19 "2003-09-25T01:09:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lissener \* > \*\*Dolphins and chimps have recreational sex. \*\* Together? Ewwwwwwww…