Bats, whose penises are seven times larger than the female's when erect, are the first mammals to engage in 'non-penetrative mating'
Mating without intromission in a bat: Current Biology
https://www.cell.com/current-biology/abstract/S0960-9822(23)01304-0
This Bat's Member Is So Exceptionally Large It's Used as an Extra Arm: ScienceAlert
https://www.sciencealert.com/this-bats-member-is-so-exceptionally-large-its-used-as-an-extra-arm
Bats with weirdly giant penis have sex for up to 12 hours in a way never seen in mammals before | Live Science
https://www.livescience.com/animals/bats/bats-with-weirdly-giant-penis-have-sex-for-up-to-12-hours-in-a-way-never-seen-in-mammals-before
Nicolas Fasel, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland, and his colleagues published a paper on mating in the biology journal Current Biology in November 2023. According to the paper, observations have confirmed that the serotin bat is the first example of 'non-insertive reproductive intercourse' in mammals. Fasel said, 'The penis of the serotin bat is known to be disproportionately large, about seven times longer and wider than the female's genitals. Therefore, I have long wondered how they mate.'
The researchers set up cameras in the attics of churches in the Netherlands and at a bat rehabilitation centre in Ukraine to record bats mating 97 times, but no penis insertion was observed during any of the matings.
The following movie was released by ScienceAlert, a scientific media outlet, and shows a serotinous bat mating. In the movie, you can see how the erect penis continues to rub against the female's body in front. The movie is a cut-out, but this contact mating took an average of 53 minutes, and the longest one took 13 hours.
Mating behavior of the serotine bat - YouTube
In all of the observed footage, the male was seen grabbing the female by the neck and pushing his huge erect penis against the female's vulva (the outside of her genitals) and moving it. According to the researchers, it is known that dogs and other animals mate by inserting their penises before they are erect, but the penis of the Serotani bat expands before coming into contact with the female's vulva, eliminating the possibility that 'the penis is too large when erect to mate, so it is inserted before it is erect.'
The research team also closely observed the penis of a living serotinous bat. As a result, it was recorded that the tip of the penis is swollen in a 'heart shape.' The paper points out that 'the end of the penis is covered with several short hairs and consists of two large erectile tissues. We think that these hairs may function as sensors to help locate the female vulva.'
Researchers speculate that the reason why the penis of the Serrotina bat is so large is due to a function of the bat's 'tail membrane.' The tail membrane is used to cover and protect the lower half of the body when flying and to catch insects for food. Fasel said, 'The tail membrane is also used by females to protect themselves from males, and males have developed large penises to get past the tail membrane and reach the vulva.'
'Contact mating' without penetration in serotinous bats has been observed in birds and other species in the past, but this is the first time it has been observed in a mammal. In this observation, the release of semen from the male's penis during non-penetration was confirmed, but the exact details could not be observed, so the researchers say they are working on developing specialized facilities that will make it easier to observe.
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