Would you be surprised if we told you that animals masturbate, just like we do? Well, not quite like us, humans, but yes – self-pleasure is a widely spread phenomenon in the animal kingdom.
In fact, masturbation in the animal kingdom was once used to explain that it’s the most natural thing for humans to do when masturbation used to be viewed as harmful. One of the most influential sex researchers, and the founder of Kinsey Institue, Alfred Kinsey tried to convince women that masturbation was normal by saying that it’s a natural urge we share with other mammals.
So, let’s take a closer look at what animal species (apart from humans) engage in self-pleasure, and answer the question of whether or not they do it for the same reasons we do.
9 Animals That Masturbate
There are more than nine animal species that masturbate, but here are the ones that have been most observed.
1. Dogs
It is a very common behavior for dogs to hump humans, pillows, and other objects, as well as lick their genitals, and all of that is a form of masturbation. Often dogs stop masturbating if they are neutered, which is common for pet owners to do.
2. Cats
Cats are also animals that masturbate. They might lick their genitals excessively, rub their genitals against soft objects or hump pillows when aroused. Once cats are neutered, though, they tend to engage in these activities less.
3. Horses
Male horses, as well as zebras, donkeys, and deer also engage in masturbation. They tend to slap, bounce, and press their penises against their abdominal in the hopes of reaching orgasm. Interestingly, 19th-century physiologist Karl Friedrich Burdach observed that mares also masturbate by rubbing themselves against whatever objects they can find and even spurt white mucus out of their genitalia.
4. Porcupines
Porcupines are large, cute-looking rodents that carry an array of sharp quills on their backs to protect themselves from threats and predators. Researchers found that male porcupines often roll in a ball and perform self-fellatio.
When researchers observed porcupines at the University of Buffalo in the 1940s, they found that both females and males manipulate their genitals with inanimate objects like sticks for example, in pursuit of an orgasm.
5. Birds
Birds are an exceptional animal on this list because they don’t have genitalia. Birds have cloaca instead, which is a hole they use for everything – to urinate, defecate, give sperm, take sperm, and lay eggs. This cloaca doesn’t have nerve endings the same way genitalia does.
But scientists have observed birds masturbating. Birds tend to hump branches, leaves, mounds of dirt, and even rocks.
6. Primates
Primates are a group of animals that humans belong to. And we’re not the only ones in this group participating in self-pleasure. Many other primates like rhesus monkeys, macaques, mandrills, and chimpanzees engage in the act of self-fellation, or oral sex on themselves.
Some species of primates love self-pleasure more than others. For example, female orangutans have been observed to make primitive dildos from sticks and pieces of liana purely for masturbation. Male orangutans also don’t lack the imagination to make self-pleasure more interesting – they use leaves, pieces of fruit, and other objects.
7. Squirrels
These furry little creatures might look innocent at first, but they also love masturbating. Researchers observed that male squirrels masturbate until ejaculation, and they also consume the ejaculate afterward. The reason for consuming the ejaculate is to prevent moisture loss, researchers believe.
8. Bats
Bats are animals that are fairly famous for their ability to reach their genitalia with their mouths and perform oral sex. What a useful skill to have, right? Scientists also observed that male bats, amongst other animal species, engage in homosexual fellatio too.
9. Penguins
Penguins are known for their risque and controversial sexual behavior. Scientist George Murray Levick observed Adelie penguins in Antarctica at the beginning of the 20th century and observed sexual behaviors like coercion, necrophilia, and masturbation amongst the species.
But Why Do Animals Masturbate?
It is difficult to pinpoint the reason why animals masturbate. While we know that some species do, there is simply not enough research to know exactly why. Some researchers believe that just like humans, other animal species also masturbate for pleasure.
Masturbation for pleasure makes sense in male counterparts because, while not all male animals ejaculate while masturbating, many do. And we know that ejaculation for males is when the orgasm happens. However, females in the animal kingdom might also find pleasure in masturbating.
All female mammals have clitorises, not only humans. It appears that scientists recently discovered that even female snakes have clitorises (a two-part clitoris!). Some more recent research also shows that dolphin females have clitorises that very closely resemble human anatomy.
While clitorises in non-human animals are not widely studied, and we don’t know the full picture of whether it works the same way when it comes to pleasure, we do know one thing about clitorises – it is an organ that’s designed for pleasure. So, the speculation that animals masturbate for pleasure could be true.
When researchers looked into the possible reasons why male Cape ground squirrels masturbate, they found that masturbation can serve as a form of genital grooming. Researchers believe that masturbation, for male counterparts, serves as a way to prevent STIs and ensure their sperm is highest quality, which increases their fertilization success. In female animals, increased arousal makes the vagina more sperm-friendly, which increases fertilization success and could explain why some animals masturbate before and after copulation.
So, as you can see, there are quite a few different possible reasons why animals masturbate, even if we don’t have conclusive evidence yet.
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