List of animals displaying homosexual behavior

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Roy and Silo, two Central Park Zoo male chinstrap penguins similar to those pictured, became internationally known when they successfully hatched and cared for an egg.[1]
Couple of two male mallard ducks in a nature reserve in Germany

For these animals, there is documented evidence of homosexual behavior of one or more of the following kinds: sex, courtship, affection, pair bonding, or parenting, as noted in researcher and author Bruce Bagemihl's 1999 book Biological Exuberance: Animal Homosexuality and Natural Diversity.

Bagemihl writes that the presence of same-sex sexual behavior was not "officially" observed on a large scale until the 1990s due to possible observer bias caused by social attitudes towards LGBT people, making the homosexual theme taboo.[2][3] Bagemihl devotes three chapters; Two Hundred Years at Looking at Homosexual Wildlife, Explaining (Away) Animal Homosexuality and Not For Breeding Only in his 1999 book Biological Exuberance to the "documentation of systematic prejudices" where he notes "the present ignorance of biology lies precisely in its single-minded attempt to find reproductive (or other) 'explanations' for homosexuality, transgender, and non-procreative and alternative heterosexualities."[4] Petter Bøckman, academic adviser for the Against Nature? exhibit stated "[M]any researchers have described homosexuality as something altogether different from sex. They must realise that animals can have sex with who they will, when they will and without consideration to a researcher's ethical principles." Homosexual behavior is found amongst social birds and mammals, particularly the sea mammals and the primates.[3]

Animal sexual behavior takes many different forms, even within the same species and the motivations for and implications of their behaviors have yet to be fully understood. Bagemihl's research shows that homosexual behavior, not necessarily sex, has been documented in about 500 species as of 1999, ranging from primates to gut worms.[5][6] Homosexuality in animals is seen as controversial by social conservatives because it asserts the naturalness of homosexuality in humans, while others counter that it has no implications and is nonsensical to equate animal behavior to morality.[7][8] Animal preference and motivation is always inferred from behavior. Thus homosexual behavior has been given a number of terms over the years. The correct usage of the term homosexual is that an animal exhibits homosexual behavior, however this article conforms to the usage by modern research,[9][10][11][12] applying the term homosexuality to all sexual behavior (copulation, genital stimulation, mating games and sexual display behavior) between animals of the same sex.

Mammals

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Selected mammals from the full list:

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Birds

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Selected birds from the full list:

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Fish

File:Arctic Grayling.jpg
Arctic grayling (Thymallus arcticus) leaping for a fly fisherman's bait. Research going back to the 1950s has shown both male and female graylings exhibit homosexual behavior.[46]

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Reptiles

The all-female Whiptail lizard species Cnemidophorus neomexicanus (center), which reproduces via parthenogenesis, is shown flanked by two sexual species having males, C. inornatus (left) and C. tigris (right). Research has shown that simulated mating behavior increases fertility for Cnemidophorus neomexicanus. One female lies on top of another, playing the role of the male, the lizard that was on bottom has larger eggs. The lizards switch off this role each mating season.[53]

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Amphibians

Insects

The head of a darner dragonfly (Basiaeschna janata).

Male homosexuality has been inferred in several species of dragonflies. A survey of damsel and dragonflies reveals characteristic cloacal pincher mating damage in 20–80 percent of the males, indicating a fairly high occurrence of sexual coupling between males.[61][62]

Male flour beetles are believed by scientists to engage in same-sex coupling to practice mating and to rid themselves of "old, less effective" sperm.[63]

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Other invertebrates

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See also

Bibliography


References

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  2. Bagemihl (1999)
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 News-medical.net (2006)
  4. Bagemihl (1999) page 213
  5. Bagemihl (1999)
  6. Harrold (1999)
  7. Solimeo (2004)
  8. Solimeo (2004b)
  9. Bagemihl (1999) pages 122-166
  10. Roughgarden (2004) pp.13-183
  11. Vasey (1995) pages 173-204
  12. Sommer & Vasey (2006)
  13. 13.0 13.1 Bagemihl (1999) page 405
  14. Bagemihl (1999) page 441
  15. 15.0 15.1 Bagemihl (1999) page 469
  16. Bagemihl (1999) pages 388,389
  17. Bagemihl (1999) pages 81, 88
  18. Bagemihl (1999) pages 81, 82, 89
  19. de Waal (2001)
  20. Liggett (1997–2006)
  21. Imaginova (2007j)
  22. Bagemihl (1999) pages 276–279
  23. 23.0 23.1 Bagemihl (1999) page 339
  24. Bagemihl (1999) page 334
  25. Bagemihl (1999) pages 310, 314
  26. Bagemihl (1999) page 427
  27. Bagemihl (1999) pages 218, 231, 317
  28. Bagemihl (1999) page 391
  29. Imaginova (2007d)
  30. Bagemihl (1999) pages 81, 165, 205, 226, 231
  31. 31.0 31.1 Bagemihl (1999) page 432
  32. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  33. Wellings, K., Field, J., Johnson, A., & Wadsworth, J. (1994). Sexual behavior in Britain: The national survey of sexual attitudes and lifestyles. London, UK: Penguin Books.[page needed]
  34. Bagemihl (1999) page 455-457
  35. Bagemihl (1999) page 448
  36. 36.0 36.1 Bagemihl (1999) pages 632-5
  37. Bagemihl (1999) pages 83
  38. Bagemihl (1999) pages 544-8
  39. 39.0 39.1 Bagemihl (1999) page 621-6
  40. Bagemihl (1999) pages 602-5
  41. 365 Gay.com (2005)
  42. Bagemihl (1999) pages 491-5
  43. Bagemihl (1999) pages 606-10
  44. Bagemihl (1999) page 639
  45. Mating Call (1979)
  46. 46.0 46.1 46.2 46.3 Bagemihl (1999), page 665
  47. Bagemihl (1999), page 37
  48. 48.0 48.1 48.2 48.3 Bagemihl (1999), pages 658, 664
  49. 49.00 49.01 49.02 49.03 49.04 49.05 49.06 49.07 49.08 49.09 49.10 49.11 49.12 49.13 Bagemihl (1999), page 658
  50. Bagemihl (1999), page 664
  51. Bagemihl (1999), pages 658, 665
  52. Bagemihl (1999), pages 232, 233, 244
  53. LeVay, (19 September 2007)
  54. 54.0 54.1 54.2 54.3 54.4 54.5 54.6 Bagemihl (1999), page 657
  55. 55.00 55.01 55.02 55.03 55.04 55.05 55.06 55.07 55.08 55.09 55.10 Bagemihl (1999), page 657, 658
  56. 56.0 56.1 Budzinski, R.-M. (1997) Homosexuelles Verhalten bei Geckos der Gattung Phelsuma. Sauria 19 (3): 33-34
  57. Bagemihl (1999), pages 232, 664
  58. 58.0 58.1 Bagemihl (1999), pages 663–664
  59. 59.0 59.1 Bagemihl (1999), pages 657, 658
  60. Bagemihl (1999), pages 243, 664
  61. Dunkle (1991)
  62. Utzeri (1990)
  63. 63.0 63.1 Out magazine, By The Numbers sourced to the Journal of Evolutionary Biology; February 2009. Accessed 2009-01-17.
  64. 64.0 64.1 64.2 64.3 64.4 Bagemihl (1999), page 666
  65. Tatarnic1 et al., 22 March 2006
  66. 66.00 66.01 66.02 66.03 66.04 66.05 66.06 66.07 66.08 66.09 66.10 Bagemihl (1999) page 660
  67. 67.0 67.1 Bagemihl (1999) page 667
  68. 68.0 68.1 68.2 Bagemihl (1999) pages 704, 713
  69. 69.0 69.1 69.2 69.3 69.4 Bagemihl (1999) pages 150, 232, 236, 246
  70. 70.0 70.1 70.2 Bagemihl (1999) pages 33–34, 196, 217, 219, 232
  71. Bagemihl (1999) page 668
  72. 72.0 72.1 72.2 Bagemihl (1999) page 666
  73. Bagemihl (1999) page 595
  74. 74.0 74.1 Bagemihl (1999) pages 9, 649, 665
  75. Bagemihl (1999) page 658
  76. Bagemihl (1999) page 3
  77. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  78. 78.0 78.1 78.2 78.3 Bagemihl (1999) page 232
  79. 79.0 79.1 Bagemihl (1999) pages 666, 660
  80. Bagemihl (1999) pages 661–2
  81. Bagemihl (1999) page 661
  82. 82.00 82.01 82.02 82.03 82.04 82.05 82.06 82.07 82.08 82.09 82.10 82.11 82.12 Bagemihl (1999), pages 661–2
  83. Bagemihl (1999), page 659
  84. Bagemihl (1999), page 661
  85. Zimmer (2000)
  86. 86.0 86.1 Bagemihl (1999) page 657
  87. 87.0 87.1 87.2 Bagemihl (1999) pages 236, 704, 713
  88. Bagemihl (1999), pages 668, 667