# Do any vertebrates have specialized sperm?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-vertebrates-have-specialized-sperm/660105>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 4, 2013, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-vertebrates-have-specialized-sperm/660105 "2013-06-04T10:39:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![FuzzyOgre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@FuzzyOgre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FuzzyOgre)\
**Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-vertebrates-have-specialized-sperm/660105/1 "2013-06-04T10:39:58Z")

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Half of us produce those little egg headed wigglers. I imagine in humans the size is pretty consistent.

What about other animals? Does anything have larger sperm? What about smaller, longer, shorter tails, perhaps a somewhat different shape?

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**Author:** ![Iggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iggy/32/3364_2.png) [@Iggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggy)\
**Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-vertebrates-have-specialized-sperm/660105/2 "2013-06-04T13:21:01Z")

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There are [differences](http://frvs2011.ptacisvet.cz/?title=ukoly-rozmnozovani_a_vyvoj-meioza&lang=en) in size of sperm head, tail length, acrosome size and shape, and even the numbers of tails.

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**Author:** ![FuzzyOgre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@FuzzyOgre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FuzzyOgre)\
**Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-vertebrates-have-specialized-sperm/660105/3 "2013-06-04T21:04:17Z")

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Thanks Iggy! That is quite a difference just among mammals.