new species fucks itself half to death every year

[Malcolm]

No, literally.

"The breeding period is basically two to three weeks of speed-mating, with testosterone-fueled males coupling with as many females as possible, for up to 14 hours at a time," researcher Andrew Baker said in a statement Monday. "Ultimately, the testosterone triggers a malfunction in the stress hormone shut-off switch; the resulting rise in stress hormones causes the males' immune systems to collapse and they all drop dead before the females give birth to a single baby."

[Leisher]

I think I have found my spirit animal.

[TPRJones]

There's a couple of other rodent species that do that same thing. I can't remember which ones, though.

[Malcolm]

There's a term for it.

Semelparity is also known as "big bang" reproduction, since the single reproductive event of semelparous organisms is usually large as well as fatal.

[GORDON]

Don't praying manti count in that category? Half of the breeding pairs don't survive mating.

[Malcolm]

Don't praying manti count in that category? Half of the breeding pairs don't survive mating.

That's different. That's sexual cannibalism. This is where the male expends so much energy, his immune system gives out.

[Vince]

Geckos need to be separated after mating because the male will keep chasing after the female and often is so focused on continuing to mount her he starves to death.

Out in the wild the outdoors is big enough that she can get away and he remembers to eat.