There are several animals who only mate once and then die shortly afteword. This has made me wonder- has the actual act of mating (or the stuff associated with it) trigger some sort of reaction in the animal that causes them to die?
Some animals such as Octopi, squid, salmon, male ants, and probably quite a few more that I can’t think off offhand seem to die pretty quick after they reproduce. Is their lifespan just happen to be near the end when they mate?
Also, with animals like Praying Mantids, it seems like winter kills them off; if you were able to keep them in stable environment would they live indefinitely?
I read an experiment where they sexually neutered an octopus (don’t remember whether it was male or female) and it lived a long life (for an octopus, anyway). If I can find it, I’ll supply more (unless a real expert chimes in first).
I know that several insects just don’t have any way of feeding thelselves in their adult state. They’re sort of “intended” to die quickly, and just have time enough to mate.
Salmon stop eating when they move from salt water to fresh water. By the time they get to their spawning stream, they are pretty well depleted and near death anyway. Their skin actually starts to slough off even before they are dead.
Also in the travelling salesman who’s car breaks down.
And there are some insects where the male genetalia remains in the female after mating… without the rest of the males’ body.
The, uh, dismemberment is a pretty severe and probably fatal reaction.
I’m wondering if there is some sort of hormone some animals have that makes them die.
I know some animals die after they mate because they don’t eat up to that point.
But I saw a nature show that showed this species of squid (little guys, couldn’t be more than 3 inches long) who would keel over literally minutes after mating. Which makes me think that mating is DIRECTLY connected with them dying.