#male reproductive success

[typhlonectes]

WORLD’S MOST PRODUCTIVE LOON BREEDS AGAIN

Damon McCormick Common Coast Research & Conservation

Fe, the oldest documented Common Loon, hatched two chicks last week with her unbanded I Pool mate; the young were, at minimum, Fe’s 41st and 42nd offspring, extending her record for the species. Most of her prior chicks were begot with her long-term consort, ABJ, during their quarter-century partnership, but since their split in spring 2022, Fe has produced young in two of three breeding seasons. Prior to first coupling with ABJ in 1997, she hatched at least seven chicks with a color-marked male known as Dewlap. The qualifiers attending Fe’s age and lifetime productivity are necessitated by her initial banding in 1990 as a successful mother, when she was at least four years old, the threshold for Common Loon reproduction. As her earlier life history in the 1980s is a mystery, Fe could well be older than 38, and with more than 42 progeny to her credit. One of Fe’s 2024 young perished, from an unknown cause, within days of hatching. Although Refuge loon chicks collectively fare far better in terms of survivorship than their cygnet, gosling and duckling counterparts, of the roughly one in five who do not live to fledge from Seney in the fall, most disappear early, when as downy buoyant corks they are most vulnerable to predators and other antagonists. While not quite the endlessly doting parent that ABJ was, across 35 years of monitoring Fe has – assuming her second chick makes it to autumn – fledged 86% of her offspring. ABJ’s parenting is referenced in the past tense owing to a lack of reproduction since 2020. After a failed nesting attempt on E West last summer with a female two decades his junior, ABJ was evicted from that territory this spring, and again found himself on H Pool, which has served as his bachelor pad of sorts in both recent and distant years. Although this season he did attract a female known as Aye-Aye, there was no evidence of nest initiation by the pair. Historically H Pool has provided poor habitat for Common Loons, with only four fledged chicks since 1987, and if ABJ is to successfully breed again at Seney, it is likely that he will do so on a different Refuge territory. Thanks to Dani Fegan, Teresa McGill and Jen Wycoff for their ongoing observations of the Seney loon population. Picture courtesy of Dani Fegan.

via: Seney National Wildlife Refuge (MI, ISA)

[kaijutegu]

Happy Valentine's Day! When you think about love and the animal kingdom, are alligators an animal that comes to mind? No? Well, they should be, because they have some of the most interesting courtship behavior of any non-bird. (Bird displays are something else entirely.) I think it's time that you all are introduced to the Big Gay Alligator Sex Study, more properly known as Courtship Behavior of American Alligators (Alligator mississipiensis), written by Kent Vliet. You can get the paper at the link below!

This was a study done over a 3-year period in the 80s with a population of captive American alligators to look at how they interacted. Alligators are incredibly social and have complex behavioral dynamics, and their courtship rituals and routines are pretty dang interesting. In general, crocodilians spend a great deal of time interacting with each other when compared to other reptiles, and the courtship behavior of a few species is well-documented. But in this post, I'm mostly going to talk about the American alligator (with a quick detour into Cuban crocs).

Why Do We Care About Courtship?

So before I dive into talking about this study, let's talk about why we care about courtship (the social behavior that leads to mating) and mating (sexual interaction that could, hypothetically, lead to reproduction). Courtship and mating are extremely important when studying animal behavior- honestly, they're extremely important when studying zoology in general. In some cases, understanding this behavior actually a major conservation concern! For example, the Cuban crocodile is an endangered species. They're largely constricted to two swampy areas of Cuba, both of which also have American crocodiles present. And unfortunately, the female Cuban crocs find the male American crocs really, really sexy. This is a big problem, because with only about 3-4,000 Cuban crocs left in the wild (possibly even fewer), they need to be breeding with their own species to make more Cubanitos.

These. Make more of them.

But what scientists have found is that not only are there hybrid crocs in the wild, the Cuban population of American crocodiles is more closely related to Cuban crocodiles than other populations of American crocodiles, suggesting this has been going on for a very long time.

You can read more about that here if you want, but back to the gay alligators.

Alligator? More Like Alli-GAY-tor, amiright?

(actually that IS wrong it's more like alli-bisexual-tor, but that doesn't sound like alligator)

So how does a study like this happen? Back in the 80s, the American population was Feeling A Way about alligators. Something that you gotta understand when you're doing any kind of conservation is that people protect what they love, and they love what they understand. Alligators are a major conservation success story today- there's millions in the wild- but they were in serious danger of extinction in the 1960s, and it was a combination of legislation, awareness campaigns, and captive breeding at both zoological parks and commercial gator farms that helped bring them back. As a result, they were one of the first species to be de-listed from the ESA!

All of this attention meant that alligator science was flourishing in the late 70s and 80s, and that's where this study comes into being. This post is long enough so I'm not gonna go into all the details and methodology- you can find that in the paper I linked up top!

However, there is one piece of methodology we should talk about, and that's the choice of study population. It's part of what makes this particular study so interesting!. See, in a lot of cases, captive behavior really differs from wild behavior. This can be impacted by captivity conditions- what other animals the study animal has access to, what behaviors the animal has learned in captivity, even down to things like how the animals are fed. For example, some courtship behavior in captive animals can be the result of unnatural habitat conditions or limited social groupings. If you only have access to a couple of conspecifics, you don't have the same choices that you do if you have access to something closer to a wild population. If you've got a breeding group with one male and a handful of females, you can't ask or answer any questions about male/male interactions! Crowding is also an issue- too many animals in a space can be stressful, and lead to atypical sexual behavior.

But that's one of the cool elements of this study: the alligators in question live in a large social group in a lagoon that's basically just natural habitat with a boardwalk going around it. It's about as close to studying a wild population as you can get, with the advantage that it's far more accessible. And what this leads to is that that the researchers were able to see a really wide range of behavior, because all of the alligators had lots of access to lots of different mates. They were able to make choices that you wouldn't see in a smaller group. There's a trade-off that Vliet notes, and that is the population density and captive situation means that results might not quite work out the way they do in the wild- but in the years since, the results of the study have been vindicated with research into wild populations.

So, what are alligators into? Gay sex, group sex, yelling real loud, and lots and lots of... gentle caressing.

that's not a euphemism they spend a lot of time gently rubbing each others' faces

So first things first, it turns out that the vast majority of alligator mounting, which occurs after courtship behaviors like jaw rubbing, bellowing, head rubbing, and swimming together is male/male. Over the three year study period, an average of 68% of all sexual interactions were male/male. However, what they don't really notice is exclusivity, because when it comes to the sex of their sex partner, alligators... well. They aren't all that picky.

Another fascinating aspect of alligator courtship is what's called courtship groups. These are readily observed in captive settings (and in the wild, too, as mentioned in Dragon Songs), and are mixed-sex groups that spontaneously form. As other alligators approach a mounting pair, the original pair will happily split up and switch partners. Usually what happens is that the alligator on top slides off to initiate courtship with a newly-arrived individual. What's really interesting here is that, as the author notes, "males engaged in courtship with a female readily terminate that interaction and initiate interactions with males." Another fun element of alligator courtship is that while in most vertebrates, males approach females, alligator females often approach males. Usually it's the males approaching, but for many crocodilians, courtship initiation is an equal-opportunity affair.

Alligators are also really vocal during courtship! This is pretty unusual for a reptile- usually they're a quiet bunch. But crocodilians are pretty chatty. And during the breeding season, something pretty spectacular happens: infrasonic communication, better known as bellowing. This is sometimes called water dancing, due to the ripple patterns it makes. It's a loud, low-pitched rumble that conveys information about size and location, and is used for territorial displays and as a mating call. During the not-breeding season, a bellow means "stay away!" During the breeding season, it means "HOT ALLIGATOR SINGLES IN YOUR AREA."

Here's some pretty spectacular videos showing you what this looks and sounds like. The vibrations make the water above their backs splash up.

Alligators are also extremely tactile during courtship. The study has detailed analysis of touch in specific tactile zones along the head and neck of the alligators. Vliet notes "These sites have increased numbers of swollen pustular scale organs, the function of which is unknown."

What's kinda funny about this to me is that now, the functions of these organs are known- they're highly innervated tissues that help alligators detect prey in murky water. An alligator's jaws are more sensitive than a human fingertip due to the sheer number of nerve endings! So of course these areas are going to be highly sensitive, and to me it makes perfect sense that they feature so heavily in courtship.

So what can we take away from this 40-year-old study? Quite a bit! First, it's a great reminder that humans aren't special. We see same-sex mating behavior in pretty much every species we look at. We see it in cockroaches, spiders, and butterflies. We see it in sheep. We see it in alligators. We see it in every other species of great ape. Of course we also see it in humans! There's nothing that special about same-sex sexual behavior. It's a part of... pretty much everybody's evolutionary history.

Another thing I think is really important is that while this is an old study, it was absolutely pivotal as a turning point in helping people understand alligators. Remember how I said earlier that we protect what we love, and we love what we understand? This study showed the world that alligators weren't just mindless eating machines. They're socially complex! Understanding alligator sociality and how they choose mates and interact helped us care for them better. It told us more about how to keep them happy in captivity. Alligators are smart, communicative creatures. They don't always get along, but they don't always fight, either. (Don't get me wrong: they will fight each other, and they've actually evolved some pretty specific anti-other-alligator defenses... but they don't always fight, even during the breeding season.) This is interesting to me because in mammals, it's hypothesized that same-sex sexual behavior may have evolved for prosocial reasons; that is, it helps reduce conflicts. Perhaps it does the same for alligators.

In conclusion:

If you want to know more about alligator courtship and mating rituals, I can't recommend Vladimir Dinets's Dragon Songs: Love and Adventure Among Crocodiles, Alligators, and Other Dinosaur Relations highly enough. I know I talk about this book all the time, but it's easily the most accessible writing on crocodilian social behavior. It will change the way you think about and understand these animals.

Another phenomenal book is Alligators: The Illustrated Guide to Their Biology, Behavior, and Conservation by Kent Vliet. (Hm, wonder if he's written anything else...) This is basically the Bible for gator behavior. The photographs are absolutely gorgeous, too.

[grison-in-space]

I'm sorry? Pigeons have to coo to ovulate?

okay, okay, I left this one out in the tags without elaborating the other day and you were not the only person who asked-- @nanavn and @corvus--caurinus were also curious. I did not have a ton of time yesterday when my brain was not leaking out my ears, so here I am today.

First, I apparently misremembered my grad school teachings: the best-documented case study of doves being required to hear their own coo in order to ovulate is that of the ring or Barbary dove (Streptopelia risoria), not the rock dove which gave rise to our domestic pigeons (Columba livia). They look like this:

They're the domestic doves you see sometimes that aren't domestic pigeons.

But yes, I was completely serious: hens need to very specifically hear their own nest coo to ovulate. The way it works is this: these doves have a very specific courtship pattern, where courting males at different stages of the nesting process perform first a "bow" coo, then a nest coo. Then the hen makes a nest coo back, and the pair goes on to build a nest together in which the hen will lay fertile eggs.

If you prevent the hen from producing this coo--and the first paper I've linked does this in several different ways with both neural lesions and also mechanical blocks of the synrinx--she will not ovulate. Then Dr. Cheng tried rescuing the effect for doves who could hear but not produce their own coos by playing back recordings of devocalized doves' own nest coos, recordings of other hen's nest coos, recordings of male nest coos (their own males, I think, for preference?) and no recordings at all. Hen nest coo recordings, especially the recordings of the hens themselves, were enough to rescue ovulation effect... but deafened hens who could, themselves produce nest coos weren't able to make ovulation happen half the time even when the male was right there. The male nest coo and his mating display is really important, because his coo stimulates the female to make her nest coo, and that's where ovulation starts.

In 2003, a little over a decade later, Dr. Cheng wrote a whole book chapter about auditory self-stimulation as a phenomenon in neuroendocrine shifts. It makes for pretty interesting reading! I'm going to really enjoy it this afternoon. Stimulated ovulation is actually a pretty common phenomenon in animals--often it makes more sense to only bother ovulating if you know there's a partner around to use whatever eggs you yield up--but this one is one of the most interesting and elaborate systems out there, and definitely the one that offers the most options to a given female dove to potentially consciously control her reproductive output.

But grison, you might ask, what about the doves outside my window? Is this just a function of this one dove species, or are lots of doves doing this to make ovulation happen? So I went looking to find out whether anyone has checked. The thing is that the heyday of pigeon behavioral research has faded somewhat in the intervening decades since Dr. Cheng's discovery, so there's not as much as I might hope where people sat down to investigate the question. I did, however, find a neat study on Columba livia demonstrating that auditory stimulation is more important to courtship displays and success than visual displays are, although of course the multisensory courtship is stronger than either sensory modality alone. So yeah, the cooing back and forth really loudly is part of a display that is functionally necessary for successfully producing offspring, and the auditory component is important for basically every pigeon that has been studied in this respect (albeit that number is pitifully small).

I also found this really interesting review of known uses of birdsong to set internal emotional states in birds (either for the self or for a partner or flockmates) that I want to look into with more detail, plus this really thoughtful review from Dr. Donna Maney talking about how "incentive salience" can use learning and experience to make certain cues bring up neuroendocrine changes in state over time, which helps individuals control how their endocrine system is reacting to stimuli in the world they've been shaped by. Clearly I have some reading to do...

[wintertidewater]

I like separatism, but I don’t practice it fully. After calling three different places to fix the A/C, I’m bound to just go with cheapest and fastest.

I ask, “do you have any female workers that can come out?” The man on the phone seemed flustered by my question. “My dog is aggressive towards men”. But no women work there. Except for the office. Which does employ women, he reassures me, as he stutters.

Clearly, I am the first to ask.

Separatism is psychologically freeing. Why not invest in each other? Anything a man can do, a woman can too. Maybe not every woman—many of us stay in our roles at least partially and this limits us—but enough women pave paths. I offer myself as proof.

But it’s far from convenient. Every day it becomes more difficult to band together… as our language is ripped from our tight hands. White knuckles. Desperation. “It didn’t used to be like this”.

Today the public sphere is online, owned by men and male ideology. Women cannot speak freely, despite the protected right to spew abuse that our male counterparts enjoy.

“We used to be matriarchal, earth-loving”. Can we go back? Is it that simple?

Perhaps if all women just meet on farms and regain independence… “Dependence fosters abuse”. Is a homestead and female community enough to escape it all?

It’s hard to say. How many of you follow through? Why not join one of the 50 or so women’s lands in the United States (where most of us reside)?

In the ’70s and ’80s, there were around 150 such communities in the US. Today, these lands are dying out. Many of the people running them are in their 70s or older. Within a decade, will these women and these lands still be here? We don’t know.

How did this happen? Is it just a cultural shift? Why does women’s culture seem so fragile and fleeting compared to others’? How are we surrounded by ancient male religions and centuries, if not millennia, of redundant male philosophy?

A large part of this has to with how culture is spread. There is a current success rate of 81-89% for political belief transmission from parents to teenagers. Men don’t live as long and yet they are more influential because they are experts at this. It’s why they’re all so desperate to have a partner. To have a “legacy”. It’s why men being unpartnered is considered a crisis.

By having children for free through women’s labor, yet remaining the highest family authority, men get to succeed in spreading their ideologies. Having two children is the baseline, enough to “replace” the parents. More is power. Either way, reproduction is used as a tool of ideological expansion.

To create change, we must ask who is having and teaching children. If over 4 out of 5 children are going to occupy the same political space as their parents, who are the women and men who are raising the future? Or more importantly, why is it not us?

Perhaps it’s worth considering that a woman’s land dedicated to fostering girls is the answer. To keep our rights, we must consider raising feminists. As of 2021, there were 191,037 girls in U.S. foster care. Why not have them be the future?

[libby-for-life]

Just something me and @breedtheseed wrote on Discord. Even have some art done by them as well! Smut. Lots of smut. Enjoy.

Lucifer x Adam x Lilith

Heaven, a government-paid underground lab, decided to make a genetically perfect human for espionage and assassination. If they were successful, then they would create a female. Or even better. A man that could do it all.

So Project Eden began. Experiment 1-A, or Adam, was grown from a small clump of cells. They experimented on that fetus until it could have both fully functional female and male parts. They messed around with the DNA to see what yielded the best results.

He grew in a test tube until he was a fully grown adult, 21 years of age. At this point, he was a 7-foot-tall slim man with both a reproductive system and a way to reproduce.

They trained him. Hard. Adam gained muscles, strength, and intelligence, and was able to adapt to any situation they threw at him. Adam knew how to seduce both men and women for information and how to kill a human in over a thousand different ways. They created him with hyperthymestic, perfect memory. They labeled him the perfect human. The only thing they needed to do was to test him in a human environment. He needed more human contact other than just the scientists who conversed with him.

He was too old for high school. But college was right up his alley. They decided to enroll him and see how he reacted to humans his age.

They prepared Adam the best they could.

Adam barely talked, he liked to think before he said anything, but this left him silent. He had read about college of course. To Adam, that was an otherworldly experience he wouldn't know about. To think he was going to the Hazbin College, not the most creative name, to learn stuff he already knew.

When they explained to him he needed to know how to converse with others his age more smoothly, Adam reluctantly agreed that it was vital for his purpose.

They wanted him to blend in but excel in his studies. They also wanted to see how well he could adapt without any prior knowledge of what was trendy or considered normal. Sometimes, you wouldn't get the privilege of knowing everything before and you would need to wing it.

This was Adam's chance to prove he could.

The first time Adam felt the sun on his face was enough to make him smile. He read about the sun. He had just never seen it.

He was given an apartment with everything he could ever need, school supplies, and groceries delivered to him every week.

Adam knew how to cook just fine so he wasn't worried.

He made sure he picked something that would interesting but not something off-putting and weird.

He decided to major in Biology.

His first day came faster than Adam was prepared for. He was still adjusting to the overwhelming pressure of being outside and even more now that should he try to do anything Heaven wouldn't like it was game over for Adam.

They implanted a chip in him when he was asleep. Adam didn't know where but they would know where he was 24/7. If he ever defected...tried to run away, then he wouldn't be having a head anymore.

Adam walked into the building he would be studying in for the next 2 years. He had already seen the maps so he knew where he was going.

Only, there seemed to be two people struggling. Two...very beautiful people. Adam likened them to works of art. They seemed lost. Perhaps this was his first test? How would he do in a situation like this?

He approached the two people, a female and male, and quietly asked. "Do you need some help?" They both turned and looked up, Adam was pretty tall, and smiled. "Sure! Do you know where room 3-E is? This place is a maze," the shorter male said. He looked about 5'9. Blonde coifed hair, crystal blue eyes, and a smirk that made Adam blush a bit.

The woman had long blonde hair and eyes that shimmered like violets. Her natural smirk made him shiver too.

"Yeah, I know the way." They end up following him.

Adam was quick to understand that they were already very popular and everyone loved them. They had already been to college last year and they were coming again for their second.

They threw the best parties and knew the best people. Everyone wanted to be them or have sex with them. Adam knew they were physically attractive but no one knew them on a personal level. Didn't you need a connection to be in a relationship? Or was he thinking about healthy relationships?

Adam shrugged to himself as he saw the two of them surrounded by people and laughing at some of their poorly made jokes.

Why were they laughing at that? Adam didn't understand it. Unless this was their way of blending in with the crowd.

Adam though keeping an eye on then would be useful. They could effortlessly fit into crowds and compel people to tell them things. He couldn't place why but he felt he had to know more about them.

He wasn't prepared for them to come to *him*. He was just eating lunch outside campus when he felt a strong arm hug his waist. Startled he looked down and saw Lucifer grinning up at him.

"Hi!"

Another grabbed his arm and Adam turned to see Lilith holding it.

"What are you doing out here?" He wasn't used to being touched. He didn't know what they were doing. It did feel...nice. He didn't know how to explain it any other way.

Back at Heaven people would ask him odd questions all the time. He gestured to his lunch and told them he was eating.

"Looks tasty," Lucifer said. It was okay. "We wanted to invite you to a party!" A party? Adam had never been to one. Oh, sure. He trained on what he was supposed to do in that kind of situation but had never experienced something so normal.

"Do you want to go?" Lilith asked, biting her lip a bit.

Did he? It would be a good experience and he would have another normal thing to write I'm his report to Heaven.

"Sure." They looked so happy that he accepted their invitation. "Here. Let me just write the address." Lilith took his hand and Adam watched fascinated as she wrote on his hand with a pen.

"There. It's tonight!"

The way Lucifer wrapped his arm around Adam gave him a much closer look at the shorter man's face. Adam could feel like he'd seen him before he was sent to the college or at least someone with a very similar face.

Adam shrugged it off. Adam remembered everything, so if he couldn't place Lucifer's face then he hadn't seen it.

Lucifer was holding the party at his place. It was large expensive house owned by his older brother who raised him since their parents died. Since his older brother was always away at his government job Lucifer started thinking of it as his place.

Adam did some research on what time was acceptable to arrive at a party. There was apparently something called being fashionably late.

He came when the party was in full swing.

"Adam!" Lucifer greeted with a bottle of alcohol in one hand.

Drinking that stuff lowered your body's rate to function properly.

Adam would *not* be drinking tonight. He brought a sealed plastic water bottle that he would pour into a red solo cup or something and pretend he was drinking.

Adam allowed himself to be dragged to a sofa where Lucifer sat him down. He was about to ask why when Lucifer plopped right on his lap. Adam froze, not expecting that of Lucifer. Lucifer smirked up at him and winked. Oh. Either Lucifer was the teasing type or he was flirting.

Adam didn’t know where the action was going to go, he didn’t want to ask just in case Lucifer would leave him. He didn’t dislike the action he was just rather confused about why it was happening

But when Lilith sat beside and slid a hand to his neck and gently squeezed....oh. Ooooohhhhh. That felt good.

Lilith smiled as she gently rubbed his neck and played with his hair. Adam melted I to the touch.

The scientists at Heaven never showed affection like this. He loved it.

No one was paying attention to them as Lucifer's hands found their way to his chest and massaged gently. Adam's eyes snapped open as a whimper left his mouth.

A goddamn whimper. He...he hadn't done that since Heaven tested his durability. But that was a whimper of pain. This...this felt good.

"Damn...I knew you had muscles but damn..." Lucifer muttered.

"Doesn't he look pretty? Such a pretty boy." Lilith murmured in his ear making him whine. Was...was this going too fast? It...he didn't know what to do.

When he felt buttons pop open from his shirt and stifled a moan when Lucifer's fingers found their way to his nipples. They pinched.

Adam did moan. It was quiet and breathy.

Adam heard Lucifer say, "Let's take this to a bedroom." He was guided away from the couch. Strong hands. Hands that squeezed and felt good.

Adam wasn't quite sure what they were doing, but he was good at following instructions. When he was gently pushed into a bed, he understood. They wanted sex. They taught him the basics at Heaven but he was a virgin.

Lucifer licked his neck while Lilith settled behind him.

"I just knew how innocent you'd be when I saw you." Lilith whispered huskily in his ear making Adam bite his lip. He was far from innocent in most things, but experiencing was different.

Lucifer chuckled and helped him out of his shirt. "Damn, you look perfect. You must have worked hard for these abs." He did. He worked for years through blood, sweat, and tears to get this body the way it was. But to hear it be appreciated by someone who wasn't for Heaven, made Adam blush and moan.

It sounded needy to his own ears. "Aw, he has a praise kink." Lilith cooed.

Praise kink? Adam blushed and squirmed a bit against their soft touches, Lucifer’s hands had returned to his chest.

“They’re so soft when you aren’t flexing,” Lucifer hummed as his fingers traced the man’s nipples once more.

"I wonder if I just—" A loud moan tumbled out as Lucifer pinched his nipples and twisted them. He felt his hips leave the bed, chasing something....something he didn't know, but his body was reacting to Lucifer's touch like fire to gasoline.

Lucifer blinked before smirking. Lilith chuckled into his neck.

“So sensitive,” Lilith hummed as she kissed Adams neck, Adam shivered and his hips made a small jerk. Adams lip trembled this was so different than what he trained for, he knew this could happen but it felt so different than what he imagined.

It felt good.

They pinched, caressed, and pulled on sensitive flesh. Adam was a moaning mess when he felt a warm mouth suck on his nipple.

"Let's see what other treasures you might have?" And Lilith slipped a hand into his pants and rubbed his ass.

By this point, he was pitching quite the tent and his vagina was pulsing and feeling so wet.

Lilith smirked as her fingers brushed over the ring of muscles, she had to do a small double take when her fingers dipped into Adams soaked pussy, the mans hips instinctively arched into her fingers.

Her eyes grew wide at the realization as she traced her fingers around Adams ass hole and pussy the small taint separating the two.

A squeak left Adam’s lips as he flet fingers brush his very sensitive vagina.

"Oh my god....do you have a pussy?" She asked shocked and very turned on by this.

Lucifer's head whipped up, surprised etching his features and it didn't take long for him to slip Adam’s pants off along with his underwear.

There, right below a proudly standing dick, was a drooling pussy. H-holy shit. He had heard of them. Hermaphrodites. Incredibly rare. And so very arousing...

Lucifer smirked up at Adam who was red-cheeked and breathing very heavily.

Lucifer’s mouth watered and he licked his lips as he gave Lilith a look, Lilith met the look with a knowing smirk as she pulled Adams's face to hers capturing his lips in a passionate kiss. Adam moaned

Adam had never been kissed before. This was so new and he was all to happy to let Lilith take the lead.

However, the kiss broke when Adam gasped and looked back to see Lucifer between his legs, when did Lucifer do that? Adam was barely able to soak in the view when Lilith pulled him back into the kiss and ravished his mouth, while curious fingers spread his weeping pussy.

Adam moaned, his eyes rolling into the back of his head. Fingers pushed gently, exploring new territory.

"I can't believe you have a pussy." Lucifer said. Pussy? Was...was that what people called vaginas? Why call it after a cat?

He lost his train of thought when Lilith forced her tongue inside his mouth, tasting everything.

They broke for air when Lucifer pushed more in.

"God, you look beautiful like this, your pussy spreading for me so easily."

"P-pussy? Do you mean vagina?" This causes them both to laugh leaving Adam feeling very embarrassed.

They chuckled and gave gentle kisses “so innocent,” Lucifer hummed as he scissored his fingers making Adam moan. “Would you prefer I call it your vagina or cunt?” Adam didn’t answer he felt embarrassed somehow.

“Aww it’s ok Adam don’t be shy,” Lilith glided his face back to hers “We just think it’s cute that’s all,” she kissed his lips but it was softer. Adam whined, he was cute?

He had never been called cute before. Deadly. Annoying. Perfect specimen. But never cute.

"Y-you think it's cute? I know it's not...normal." And that was the kicker, wasn't it? He would never be normal. Not really. He was essentially a test tube baby. He would never understand people simply because he wasn't made for it.

Lucifer and Lilith frowned as they looked at Adam, he was so red in the face he looked so beautiful.

Who the fuck would say he wasn’t normal?

“Adam you are so beautiful,” Lucifer said as he trailed kisses up Adams body, his hands rubbing circles on Adams hips.

“He’s right Adam you’re so perfect,” Lilith whispered as she peppered his neck with kisses, Adam moaned against the touches.

Adam squealed hard when he felt a mouth directly kiss his...pussy? Cunt? He didn't know what to call it anymore more but those soft kisses were driving his sensitive p-pussy wild.

Lilith chuckled and held him down with two hands while Lucifer smirked up at him.

"Have you ever been ate out before?"

Adam frowned, was he wanting to eat him? He shook his head. And Lucifer smiled as he swiped his tongue against Adam's folds, Adams's hips stuttered at the feeling he wanted more. Lilith smiled and kissed his cheek, “it’s going to feel really good,” she whispered.

Adam's legs wanted to close, but the feeling was too strong. But Lucifer’s hands kept Adams's shaky legs open

Lilith bit and sucked his neck, loving the little noises he made while the Lucifer's skillful tongue worked its magic.

Adam whimpered and whined. To Lucifer and Lilith, it was so hot to reduce someone as strong and capable looking as Adam was to a whimpering and moaning mess.

And to find out that Adam had a pussy and a dick? God, he truly was the best of both worlds.

Lucifer couldn’t get enough he wanted to be deep inside of Adam, he rolled his hips into the bed for some friction against his aching cock.

Lilith bit her lip, she wanted to see how much Adam could take. Maybe she could bring out her strap when Lucifer was done with him, or maybe she would teach Adam how to eat a woman out. She smirked at the idea as her hands found Adams soft muscular pecs. She hadn’t expected them to be soft as he played with them, watching how Adams hips tried to ride Lucifer’s face.

It was cute.

"Aw, are we getting desperate?" Lilith whispered with another kiss. Adam whimpered out the words, "I, ah! I need more!" Adam yelped when he felt *teeth* down there.

"What do you want Adam?"

"I-I don't know!" Adam cried desperately. "I just want more!" Lucifer snickered and sucked on his clit, knowing that it would drive Adam crazy and it did. Tears looked beautiful on Adam.

And Adam was so vocal, his moans were very much like music to the two ears. As Lucifer sucked the cute bud his fingers began to trace Adam's entrance as they dipped inside and began to thrust. Adam's eyes flew open and he gripped Lilith, his grip weak as his body grew hotter.

“That’s it Adam doesn’t it feel good,” Lilith said with a soft voice against his ear.

“Hot,” Adam whimpered into Lilith's neck as he got closer to climax.

He had read about it but never experienced it. Would this be his first orgasm?

Lucifer hummed, going a bit faster.

Lilith gently rubbed and pinched his sensitive chest while she licked his lips. "Cum for me Adam."

Adam did with a scream. He breathed heavily. As the two go out of bed. Was-was that sex? Were they done?

He gulped when he saw them strip. He forgot he was the only one naked. Both sported lithe muscles and by all accounts, he was the bigger and more muscled of the two, and yet he didn't mind them being in charge. Lilith and Lucifer smirked as they...stripped teased. Yes. He was taught this. If he needed to seduce someone, he would tease them provocatively and distract them.

But Lilith and Lucifer did so effortlessly. Soon, Lucifer was only in his boxers and Lilith in a lingerie set of purple.

"Adam, " Lucifer purred. "Will you help us strip?"

Adam got up on shaky legs, when he approached them Adam easily took off the woman’s bra to which Lucifer chuckled and showed Adam how to go slow. Adam followed Lucifer’s lead, slowly stripping Lilith of her lingerie.

“That’s it Adam, just a good boy,” Lucifer hummed.

Adam moaned at the praise. "Why don't we reward you?" Lilith climbed back into bed while Lucifer guided him until he was face-first into Lilith's breasts. They were, well, huge and Adam never realized how soft they would be.

Lilith chuckled and pressed his face closer, loving to see his embarrassed and flushed face in her bosom.

Lucifer bite his lip as he saw Adam's dick already hardening and pussy dripping again.

Adam moaned again when he felt Lucifer’s hands against his ass, feeling his pussy spreading the cool air against the heated flesh made him shiver.

"I can't wait to deflower you, baby boy," Lucifer growled as he sunk the tip in. Adam yelped and squirmed but Lilith held him in her surprisingly strong grip.

"That's it, baby. Doing so good. You're the best baby boy in the world."

There it was again. Baby boy. Why were they calling him that?

"Baby boy?" He moaned out while Lilith cooed at his fucked out face. Lucifer was going slow to give Adam some time to adjust to his enormous girth and size. She knew exactly how big Lucifer was and only someone who had experience could take him going wild animal on them.

Adam deserved it nice and slow. At least at first.

Lilith chuckled at his question. "Cute nickname, right?" Then she smirked mischievously. "Unless you prefer baby girl?"

Adam whimpered, he wasn’t a baby, he moaned when a particular thrust pushed him further into Lilith. It felt so big inside him, he whimpered and his training kicked in. He arched into the thrusts, and hugged Lilith for some kind of grounding as Lucifer rolled his hips into Adams sweet heat.

Lucifer’s view was amazing seeing how Adam’s pussy took him so well, he bit his lip looking at the tight ring of muscles above the entrance.

He wondered if Adam had a prostate. He’d have to do that another time.

Lilith was definitely going to be eaten out tonight. They found a treasure trove. A man with no hang-ups about sexuality or was judgemental about having a threesome. In fact, the only reason they were interested at first was because Adam looked and acted different from everyone else. He was an empty canvas and Lilith and Lucifer were going to be the artists. Plus, it helped that Adam was adorable. Who knew a seven-foot giant with muscles for days would be this subby in bed? He was the perfect sub.

Lucifer groaned when he finally bottomed out.

Adam whimpered against Liliths breasts, “Adam baby,” her soft voice called to him. “Will you make me feel good too~” Adam whimpered as the shifted putting Adams face right against Liliths soaked cunt, Adams mouth watered as he looked up at her for instructions.

“Go on Adam, give it a try,” Lucifer said from behind him. Adam hesitantly swiped his tongue against Lilith's soft folds making his insides clench around Lucifer’s cock.

"That's it. Why don't you go a bit deeper?" Lilith suggested with pink cheeks. Adam moved a bit closer and dragged his tongue across Lilith's pussy. She moaned and gripped his hair tightly, causing him to moan. He licked and sucked at her entrance, trying to bring up the diagram he was shown of the female anatomy. Hmm...there should be something called the clitoris somewhere...lick. "Ah! Yes! Right there!" Lilith screamed as Lucifer began moving again.

Adam tried desperately to make her feel good, he liked the way her moans made his insides twitch around Lucifer’s cock.

He sucked and licked trying to mimic what Lucifer did as much as possible, he moaned loud against her folds as Lucifer's thrusts began to grow faster.

Adam shoved his face deeper as Lucifer and Lilith moaned, reaching their own climax. Lilith gripped Adam's dick and rubbed it, causing him to squeal in overstimulation.

She bit her lip as he began crying again, giving her pussy little kitten licks.

Lucifer continued to roll his hips into Adam making sure to milk every last bit into the man as Adam reach overstimulated territory.

“So perfect,” Lucifer whispered as he ran a hand down Adams back.

“He really is,” Lilith agreed as she helped Adam cum, Lucifer bit his lip feeling how Adam's thrusts pushed Lucifer’s cock deeper into him.

Adam screamed the loudest when he came. Dick squirted cum onto Lilith's and his stomach while his pussy spasmed. He got a mouthful of Lilith's juice and he was quick to swallow it all.

"Baby girl is so good for us," Lilith said to Lucifer as they watched him whimper on her thigh, face covered in her orgasm.

"Aw, he's so cute like this. All fucked out and drooling." Lucifer pulled out gently and kissed Adam's back.

Adams legs gave out and his brain was fogged, was that sex were they going to leave him like this? Adam shivered when Lucifer fingered him cum back into Adams pussy.

“Such a good boy you are Adam,” Lucifer said as he helped Adam get more comfortable on the bed.

“Won’t you stay our baby girl Adam~” Lilith hummed as she and Lucifer looked down at his tired state.

"Mmmm....yesh." He slurred. He felt so protected right now and relaxed. He snuggled up and lied down on Lilith's plush breasts, yawning tiredly.

"Aw, so tired." Lucifer cooed as Adam fell asleep.

Everyone had trickled out, it was 2 am, and that meant they were alone. He came back and stripped out of his clothes before climbing into bed. He snuggled up to his girlfriend and possibly boyfriend.

"God, he's perfect. I can't believe we found him."

“Me too,” Lilith matched his excitement as they looked at their secret treasure. He was so perfect.

“We should clean him,” Lucifer said as he was about to get up.

“Nah I think he’s fine plus look how tired he is, we wouldn’t want to ruin his sleep,” Lucifer couldn’t disagree with her on that one. “Plus I read that hermaphrodites are mostly infertile,” she finished as she snuggled up to Adam, Lucifer shrugged and joined her.

Adam woke up to the sound of humming. He whimpered, God he was so *sore,* but still had his eyes closed. He was on something soft and warm. It felt like there were two warm...bodies next to him.

Opening his eyes, he noticed that Lilith and Lucifer were both asleep on top of him. They snuggled close to him, eager to soak in his warmth. He blushed when he realized they were all naked. It turned out the humming was just Lilith sleep-talking.

Adam blushed at them holding onto him. Especially since he was feeling his morning wood pop up along with Lucifer's which was poking his thigh.

He needed to get some water. He could tell he was dehydrated.

If you all liked this, there will be a part 2! Love you guys!

[egypt-museum]

"The history of Egyptology is often told as yet one more grand narrative of powerful men striving to seize the day and the precious artifacts for their competing homelands. But that is only half of the story. During the so-called Golden Age of Exploration, there were women working and exploring before Howard Carter discovered the tomb of King Tut. Before men even conceived of claiming the story for themselves, women were working in Egypt to lay the groundwork for all future exploration.

In Women in the Valley of the Kings: The Untold Story of Women Egyptologists in the Gilded Age, Kathleen Sheppard brings the untold stories of these women back into this narrative. Sheppard begins with some of the earliest European women who ventured to Egypt as travelers: Amelia Edwards, Jenny Lane, and Marianne Brocklehurst. Their travelogues, diaries and maps chronicled a new world for the curious. In the vast desert, Maggie Benson, the first woman granted permission to excavate in Egypt, met Nettie Gourlay, the woman who became her lifelong companion. They battled issues of oppression and exclusion and, ultimately, are credited with excavating the Temple of Mut.

As each woman scored a success in the desert, she set up the women who came later for their own struggles and successes. Emma Andrews’ success as a patron and archaeologist helped to pave the way for Margaret Murray to teach. Margaret’s work in the university led to the artists Amice Calverley’s and Myrtle Broome’s ability to work on site at Abydos, creating brilliant reproductions of tomb art, and to Kate Bradbury’s and Caroline Ransom’s leadership in critical Egyptological institutions. Women in the Valley of the Kings upends the grand male narrative of Egyptian exploration and shows how a group of courageous women charted unknown territory and changed the field of Egyptology forever."

— Women in the Valley of the Kings: The Untold Story of Women Egyptologists in the Gilded Age, by Kathleen Sheppard

[hotwifeky1]

Alpha Males, Sperm competition, and Cuckoldry

(our kinks from an evolutionary biology perspective)

The phenomenon where males experience an increase in desire and fertility when observing their mate engaging with another partner, is often referred to as "sperm competition risk"

From an evolutionary biology perspective, this behavior can be understood through several theories:

Sperm Competition Risk:

Increased Ejaculate Volume: Males typically respond to the perceived risk of sperm competition by greatly increasing the volume of their ejaculate. This is thought to function as a form of displacement, increasing the chances of their sperm outcompeting that of potential rivals.

Increased Sexual Arousal and Fertility: 

When males perceive or observe their partner with another mate, particularly when chance of sperm competition exist (other males trying to fertilize the same egg), this triggers an adaptive response in the form of greatly increased sexual arousal, desire and fertility. This is thought to be an adaptation to compete effectively in situations where multiple males are vying for the opportunity to father offspring. 

Potential benefits

From an evolutionary perspective, the heightened desire, arousal, focus, and drive provide a large competitive advantage. If there's a chance of sperm competition, being sexually impassioned increases the likelihood of the observing male's sperm fertilizing the egg. The continuous denial of sexual interaction further amplifies these benefits. By maintaining a state of heightened desire without immediate release, the observing male sustains an elevated level of reproductive readiness. This prolonged state of arousal becomes an advantageous strategy, potentially increasing the male's chances of success not only in reproduction but also in various aspects of everyday life. The surplus of energy, focus, and drive may contribute to success across different domains, aligning with the overarching goal of evolutionary fitness.

Cuckoldry Detection and Response:

Adaptive Jealousy: 

Evolutionary psychology suggests that males who exhibit jealousy and distress over potential infidelity may have had a reproductive advantage. 

This emotional response acts as a mechanism to deter a mate from engaging with other males, reducing the risk of cuckoldry. 

The cuckold male may also gather information by observing the mating behaviors of potential rivals. This is thought to be an adaptive strategy to understand the competition and adjust his own behaviors accordingly.

Paternal Investment: 

In species where males invest significantly in parenting, there is an evolved response to protect their paternal investment. The greatly Increased arousal along with increased romantic and sexual interest in response to perceived mate infidelity is a strategy to safeguard resources and parental care for their own genetic offspring.

The alpha male typically refers to a dominant and high-status male in a social group. The alpha male generally has preferential access to mates and reproductive opportunities.

Alpha Male Cuckoldry reproductive strategy:

Within the context of cuckoldry, the alpha male strategically reserves exclusive access to mates. Cuckoldry occurs when the non-dominant male knowingly or unknowingly raises offspring that do not carry his genetic material. 

This reproductive strategy is advantageous for the both the alpha male and his mate, allowing him to pass on his own genes while minimizing resource-intensive parental duties. The female benefits by mating with a genetically superior male while sharing parental responsibilities with the non-dominant male.

By ensuring that the non-dominant male invests in raising offspring that carry the alpha male's genetic legacy, this reproductive approach aligns with the collective goal of the female and alpha male, maximizing his reproductive success within the social structure. The alpha male's dominance and preferential access to mates become central elements in shaping the dynamics of cuckoldry as an evolutionary strategy.

Often, the non-dominant male, in his role, finds personal satisfaction in having his sexual and reproductive desires denied as he plays a crucial part in perpetuating the genetic lineage of the dominant alpha male rather than his own.

[fishenjoyer1]

Fish of the Day

Today's fish of the day is the candy darter!

The candy darter, known by scientific name Etheostoma osburni, is an endangered fish endemic to the East coast of America. Living in the Kanawha River, which is a tributary of the Ohio river, and flows through the Appalachian mountains, winding through Virgina, with a majority in West Virginia. Identifiable from the lookalikes likely to be found in the same general areas by the distinct saddles in front of the dorsal fin, and by the number of blue and orange bars on the fish. Despite the wonderfully bright color of the males, there is a significant case of sexual dimorphism, with the females of this species bearing the same marking but in a much cooler olive color.

Described in 1932, these fish are a rare find in freshwater areas of North America, being described as "[possibly] the most vivid freshwater fish in North America"- by A Field Guide to Freshwater Fishes, Page and Burr 1991. These fish used to have a historic range across 37 known sites, but can now be found in only 10, being impacted greatly by human interference. The biggest issue these fish face is the introduction of a second species of darter, the variegate darter (Etheostoma variatum) which is thought to have been introduced into the area by bait bucket dumping into streams. These fish are able to hybridize, and offspring are closer to variegate darter, than their cander darter parents, overtime wiping out candy darters from their natural habitats. Habitat loss is also a worry for these fish, as they rely on pure and unsalted waters and clean gravel to lay eggs on. But, hope remains for the fate of these fish. Conservation efforts for candy darters are well underway, and the ability to save these species is still very possible.

Candy darters can get as large as 4 inches, and have a lifespan of 3 years. Only hitting sexual maturity at about year 2. Their spawning season is April-May and is in a preferred temperature of 15-18 degrees C. Females during this season are bound to the river bottom as they brood hide, choosing only to lay eggs on fine pebbles and gravel. This is why excess sediment in rivers like this is such a huge concern for this species. During this breeding season male candy darters become aggressive and infight for the ability to fertilize eggs, leaving only the largest and most successful males the ability to pass their genes forward

During their lifespan the diet of the candy darter consists of macro-invertebrates. Mostly flies, caddisflies, mayflies, and larvae that they can get their hands on. Later in their life, they will be eaten by larger fish primarily. Along with these, these fish are known for their ability to help the reproduction of freshwater mussel species. This helps keeps river clear

Have a wonderful day, everyone!

[beta-therapy]

You are not Entitled to Sex

Society has made massive strides in allowing women to be sexually free, the most important of which being the development of effective technology for contraception and female reproductive health, as well as the large-scale social destigmatization of public displays of female sexuality. Although this societal transformation is only just getting started, we are now at a point where women in Western countries can dress how they want in public without getting judged (for the most part; misogyny still exists but more and more people are taking a stand against it). We are at a point where women can have sex without having to worry about getting pregnant. As such, the downsides of sexual promiscuity have been eliminated, and women are no longer required to constrain themselves to a monogamous relationship in order to have sex. They are free to have sex with whoever they want without being forced to settle for a man who will actually dedicate himself to a long-term relationship.

And we are all familiar with the main result of this sexual liberation: a small minority of hyper successful men get to experience the vast majority of sexual encounters, and if this is not you, then you either remain a completely sexless virgin, or you have to fight for crumbs of attention from older, less attractive, or “ran-through” women who don’t respect you and will cheat on you in a heartbeat. After all, women fantasize about sexual encounters with hyper successful men, and in modern times they are free to act out this fantasy without having to worry about whether the man will stick around or not. We as a society have outgrown the “ideal” from ancient times of a 1-1 male to female pairing where sex is practically guaranteed to anyone willing to commit to a relationship. Now, your mere willingness to commit to a woman does not make you worthy of sex. Society is now embracing the fact that not all men are meant for sex.

For many men, this is a tough pill to swallow: that just being a good guy with a decent personality does not mean that you are entitled to sex. It can feel quite frustrating when you see women in public dressed in a way that flaunts their sexuality, but you also know that this display is not for you. Furthermore, any attempt you make at flirting or trying to make a sexual advance on these women is met with extreme social blowback. Who do you think you are? Trying to “pick up women?” They’re not just sexual objects for your disgusting pleasure, perv. Learn to respect people’s boundaries. Women should be able to exist in public life without getting harassed by lonely horny men who think their provocative outfits are an invitation to disturb them. The toughest pill to swallow is the fact that yes, staring is harassment, and if you get caught making a woman uncomfortable with your inappropriate glances, you deserve to get kicked out of whatever place you’re in, and you likely will.

“But she’s asking for it, right? With what she’s wearing, she’s advertising her sexuality on purpose! How am I supposed to completely avoid looking at her or getting an erection/orgasm?”

By learning to be an ally to women instead of a misogynist. Learn to have empathy. Does she want some creep approaching her and asking if she’s single? Or would she rather you keep your head down and mind your business? Yes, in modern times there are lots of beautiful women showing a lot of skin in public. You must learn to control yourself around them. If that’s too much for you to manage, you don’t belong in public at all.

“But then how am I supposed to meet a woman? When I approach them in public, it’s like they can smell the virginity on me, and they always reject me. And I can’t secure any dates online either. What am I supposed to do? Just respect their decision to reject me and stop creeping them out with my unwanted advances?”

Exactly. We aren’t living in the 1900’s anymore. Just being a nice, respectful guy doesn’t give you the right to sex. The men who get all the sex have been doing so since high school. They have very large social circles, which function almost like a funnel that brings them more women to fuck, thereby increasing the scope of their social circle even further. They have social media accounts that illustrate their social dominance. After all, it’s 2024 and one of the main ways people meet their hookup partners nowadays is through Instagram DM’s or dating apps. There certainly is a positive feedback loop causing the male social elites to have sex with more and more women, whereas for a male virgin, one reason women avoid him is specifically due to his lack of experience, thus perpetuating his sexlessness.

[kariachi]

I've said it before, I say it a lot honestly, but I love the reasonable assumptions we can make about firelizards breeding and social habits based on what we see in primarily DragonsDawn.

Like, we've got the basic 'greens Rise a lot and don't tend their nests while golds Rise more rarely and fiercely tend their nests'. That's great, we love us some behavioral morphs in species. But then you also have to consider what would lead to such a thing, namely that both of these behaviors have to be successful, and successful in comparison to each other, in order for one to not completely take over from the other. Meaning that each option has benefits over the other.

For instance, in years or seasons where there's a large predator population, gold clutches are probably the most successful as they're the best guarded. But if you're dealing with horrible weather, or gods forbid a Pass, the fact green clutches are spread out far and wide means it's more likely one or more will survive, while a gold needs just one bad storm or Fall to wipe her whole year's breeding opportunities off the map.

But like, the most obvious one is a pure numbers game. If you don't invest in your eggs post-laying, that frees you up to get back into laying condition sooner and make more eggs. For instance in emus you'll see a female lay 5+ eggs in a single nest, but then she leaves that business to the male and runs off to eat well and find another guy to foist eggs on, ending up with sometimes even five nests in a season. But if you do invest in your eggs post-laying, you get more security in-so-far as assuring your eggs hatch. In emus the males do that, they get the best of both worlds there, but even more effective is to have multiple individuals looking out for the eggs.

Which is where their eusocial-style behavior comes in! By having the rest of the group dedicated to supporting the gold as she guards and tends her nest, the cost of nest tending is spread out, reducing the load on any one member of the group. The same thing happens with youngcare, which seems to be wholly communal, again reducing the cost for any individual member of the group. But eusocial behaviors are most efficient when members of a group are related, you don't want to waste your life raising young that don't share your genes.

Then you remember that firelizards form mental bonds at birth, bonds that they can break with no issue but that they can and do maintain throughout their lives. Taking this and the last paragraph into account, most likely collections of wild firelizards are mostly formed of sibling groups. Even if your bronze brother didn't catch the gold this year, helping with the clutch improves the odds he'll catch next year, and in the meantime you have plenty of opportunity with the greens.

This also probably plays into the fact they hum for all allied births. A green's nest doesn't get tended, but the young still need feeding at hatching. If you're a male then coming when you get the psychic 'birth here now' signals is an easy choice because there's the real chance these are your brother's offspring and his reproductive success is second only to your own. If you're a female, this nest is likely a sister's, in which case same deal, their success is only second to yours. On either side, having more babies around means a higher chance of any individual baby not being eaten by a predator, increasing the survival odds of your own children.

And then all this likely plays into the various male morphs and the color and size differences between ranks. I've mentioned elsewhere- the various male morphs are likely optimized to chase different female morphs. Blues can keep up with the quicker, more agile greens, bronzes with the slower, longer flying golds, and browns are a 'jack-of-all-trades' rank that doesn't specialize but instead can successfully chase either female morph, just with lower odds than the specialized males.

As far as size differences go, it's again all on the females to start. Golds lay larger clutches and defend them from things like wherries, they need to be larger to fit more eggs, to better defend their nests, and to drive off rival golds. Bronzes have to be large to keep up with the golds when they Rise. Greens specialize in laying more clutches and so likely smaller clutches, so they don't need to get as big and can instead focus on evading predators and even being able to lure predators from a freshly laid clutch without getting snatched up, small size is useful there. Blues are also small because it allows them the speed and maneuverability to chase greens. Presumably the reason they're larger than greens are is due for some reason to their being male, likely related to the complex genetics likely tied to rank*. Browns are in the middle because it allows them enough speed and maneuverability to go for greens, but also enough stamina to try for golds.

Color, meanwhile, is likely a camouflage thing. Blues, greens, and browns are all natural colors, perfect for making it harder for predators to notice you. According to the DLG firelizards come in a variety of shades, I wouldn't be surprised if there was even a degree of midtones between the various ranks. Golds and bronzes, meanwhile, I think are more likely a matter of reflective camouflage. A gold on a nest may be hard to look at in bright light, or at a glance appear to just be a patch of wet sand. If a gold has to leave the nest, more likely the sire would be left to guard it, and similar camouflage would fill a similar role. It might even, for some bronzes, give the impression that the larger gold is still on the nest, deterring predators that don't want to tangle with one. Since the smaller ranks are far less likely to be on a nest, more matte tones to mack dirt, wood, sky, foliage would be most effective.

It's all just fascinating and not quite like anything we have on Earth, though you can make parallels between several different Earth species. Absolutely love it.

[bestanimal]

Round 1 - Phylum Nematoda

(Sources - 1, 2, 3, 4)

Nematoda is a diverse phylum of animals commonly called roundworms or eelworms. Most are free-living and feed on microorganisms, but some are parasitic.

Nematodes are very diverse, but usually appear as small, slender worms. The smallest are microscopic, while the largest free-living species can be up to 5 cm (2 in) long. Some parasitic species can be even longer, reaching up to 8.4 m (27.5 ft) in length! Nematode heads are radially symmetrical and, in many cases, have head-shields radiating outwards around the mouth. The mouth has either three or six lips, which often bear a series of teeth on their inner edges. They have a dense, circular nerve ring which serves as their brain. They are covered in sensory bristles that provide a sense of touch. There are two small pits on the head that likely serve as chemoreceptors. Some aquatic nematodes have eye-spots, but it is unknown if they are actually sensory. They have seperate male and female individuals, with females usually being larger than males, though some species are hermaphroditic. They reproduce sexually, and females have a glandular uterus. They lay eggs, though some species are ovoviviparous. Larvae of free-living nematodes look like smaller adults, though parasitic nematodes usually have more complex life cycles.

Nematodes are perhaps the most successful phylum on Earth. They have adapted to nearly every ecosystem: from marine to freshwater, from soils to trees, from tundra to rainforest, at the tops of mountains, in deserts, in oceanic trenches, and up to 3.6 km (12,000 ft) below the surface of the Earth. They represent 90% of all animals on the ocean floor, and 80% of all individual animals on Earth. They often exceed a million individuals per square meter. This ubiquitous nature means they play a role in every ecosystem, most crucially in polar ecosystems where life is otherwise scarce. Of the parasitic forms, about a third of genera occur as parasites of vertebrates, and about 35 nematode species occur in humans.

Propaganda under the cut:

Nematodes play an important role in the decomposition process, aiding in recycling nutrients.

There are approximately 60 billion nematodes per human inhabiting the Earth’s topsoil. Those are your government assigned topsoil nematodes. Do with them as you wish.

One soil-living nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans (see first image), has had its entire genome sequenced, the developmental fate of every cell determined, and every neuron mapped. They are considered a model organism: a non-human species that is extensively studied to understand particular biological phenomena.

While some species of nematode are detrimental to agriculture, other species are considered beneficial as they prey on agricultural pests. These species are bred commercially as biological pest control agents which can be used as a much safer, environmentally-friendly alternative to pesticides.

The largest known nematode, Placentonema gigantissima, can reach sizes of up to 8.4 m (27.5 ft) long and 2.5 cm wide. It has been found living as a parasite in the reproductive tract of a sperm whale.

As stated by nematologist Nathan Cobb:

“In short, if all the matter in the universe except the nematodes were swept away, our world would still be dimly recognizable, and if, as disembodied spirits, we could then investigate it, we should find its mountains, hills, vales, rivers, lakes, and oceans represented by a film of nematodes. The location of towns would be decipherable since, for every massing of human beings, there would be a corresponding massing of certain nematodes. Trees would still stand in ghostly rows representing our streets and highways. The location of the various plants and animals would still be decipherable, and, had we sufficient knowledge, in many cases even their species could be determined by an examination of their erstwhile nematode parasites.”

[todropscience]

SEXUAL PARASITISM DROVE THE SUCCESS OF ANGLERFISH IN THE DEEP OPEN OCEAN

A recent study shows that sexual parasitism helped anglerfish invade the deep sea during a period of global warming, an ancient climate crisis 50–35 million years ago.

Researchers investigated the evolution of anglerfishes, one of the most species-rich vertebrate clades in the bathypelagic, or "midnight," zone of the deep sea. These deep-sea anglerfishes, nown scientifically as Ceratioidea, are the only vertebrates that possess sexual parasitism, where males temporarily attach or permanently fuse to females for reproduction. The study found that the rapid transition of ancestrally benthic anglerfishes into pelagic habitats occurred during a period of major global warming. This transition coincided with the origins of sexual parasitism, which is thought to increase the probability of successful reproduction once a mate is found in the midnight zone, Earth’s largest habitat.

The reconstruction of the evolutionary history of anglerfishes, along with the loss of adaptive immune genes and the presence of sexual body size dimorphism, both variably present in anglerfishes outside the ceratioid radiation, likely promoted their transition into the bathypelagic zone.

Sexual parasitism in the deep sea works in synergy with other traits associated with anglerfish, driving their diversification and enabling them to thrive in the deep oceans.

Photo: Bufoceratias microcephalus by Hsuan-Ching HO

Reference (Open Access): Brownstein et al. 2024. Synergistic innovations enabled the radiation of anglerfishes in the deep open ocean. Current Biology.

[mpreglover225]

Chapter 1: The Journey Begins—Understanding Conception in Expectant Fathers

Introduction

Embarking on the journey to parenthood is an exciting and transformative experience. For expectant fathers, understanding the intricacies of conception is the first step towards a healthy and fulfilling pregnancy. This chapter delves into the biological processes of male fertility, the various methods of conception—including natural intercourse, artificial insemination, and in vitro fertilization (IVF)—and the significance of the monthly heat cycle when ovulation occurs.

The Male Reproductive System: An Overview

Anatomy and Physiology

Understanding your body is essential for maximizing fertility and achieving conception.

Testes: Produce sperm and the hormone testosterone.

Ovaries (Male Ovaries): Specialized organs that release eggs (ova) during the heat cycle.

Heat Cycle: A monthly period of increased fertility when ovulation occurs.

Uterus (Male Uterus): The organ where a fertilized egg implants and develops into a fetus.

Anal Canal: Serves as the birth canal during delivery.

Hormonal Regulation

Testosterone: Influences sperm production and libido.

Estrogen and Progesterone: Regulate the heat cycle and prepare the uterus for pregnancy.

Luteinizing Hormone (LH) and Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH): Control the release of eggs during ovulation.

The Heat Cycle: Timing is Everything

Understanding Ovulation

The heat cycle is a critical window for conception.

Duration: Typically lasts 5-7 days each month.

Ovulation: Occurs mid-cycle, releasing a mature egg ready for fertilization.

Signs of Heat:

Increased body temperature.

Heightened libido.

Mild abdominal discomfort.

Clear cervical mucus discharge.

Tracking Your Cycle

Calendar Method: Mark the start and end of each heat cycle to predict ovulation.

Basal Body Temperature: Measure daily temperature to detect the slight rise during ovulation.

Ovulation Predictor Kits: Detect LH surge indicating imminent ovulation.

Monitoring Symptoms: Be attentive to physical and emotional changes.

Natural Conception: The Traditional Path

Sexual Intercourse During Heat

Engaging in sexual activity during your heat cycle increases the likelihood of conception.

Optimal Timing: 1-2 days before and after ovulation.

Frequency: Regular intercourse every other day during the fertile window.

Positions for Conception:

Positions that allow deep penetration may facilitate sperm reaching the egg.

Remain lying down for 15-20 minutes post-intercourse to aid sperm travel.

Factors Affecting Fertility

Lifestyle Choices:

Nutrition: A balanced diet rich in vitamins and minerals supports reproductive health.

Exercise: Regular physical activity promotes hormonal balance but avoid excessive training.

Substance Use: Limit alcohol and avoid smoking or recreational drugs.

Health Conditions:

Hormonal Imbalances: Can affect ovulation and sperm quality.

Chronic Illnesses: Conditions like diabetes or thyroid disorders may impact fertility.

Medications: Certain prescriptions can interfere with reproductive function.

Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART)

When natural conception is challenging, assisted methods offer alternative pathways to parenthood.

Artificial Insemination (AI)

Overview: Sperm is collected and directly inserted into the reproductive tract during ovulation.

Types:

Intrauterine Insemination (IUI): Sperm placed directly into the uterus.

Intracervical Insemination (ICI): Sperm deposited near the cervical opening.

Procedure:

Performed in a clinical setting by a healthcare professional.

Sperm can be from a partner or a donor.

Success Rates: Vary based on age, fertility issues, and sperm quality.

In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)

Overview: Eggs and sperm are combined outside the body, and the resulting embryo is implanted into the uterus.

Procedure:

Ovarian Stimulation: Medications stimulate multiple eggs to mature.

Egg Retrieval: Eggs are collected using a minor surgical procedure.

Fertilization: Eggs are combined with sperm in a lab.

Embryo Transfer: One or more embryos are placed into the uterus.

Considerations:

Time Commitment: IVF requires multiple clinic visits and procedures.

Emotional Impact: The process can be emotionally taxing; support is essential.

Cost: IVF can be expensive; explore insurance coverage and financing options.

Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)

Overview: A single sperm is injected directly into an egg during IVF.

Indications: Used when there are sperm quality or quantity issues.

Procedure: Similar to IVF with the additional step of sperm injection.

Preparing for Conception

Preconception Health Check

Medical Evaluation:

Visit a healthcare provider for a comprehensive health assessment.

Discuss medical history, medications, and any chronic conditions.

Fertility Testing:

Semen Analysis: Evaluates sperm count, motility, and morphology.

Hormonal Tests: Measures levels of testosterone, FSH, LH, estrogen, and progesterone.

Ultrasound Examination: Assesses the reproductive organs for any abnormalities.

Lifestyle Modifications

Nutrition:

Increase intake of folic acid, zinc, selenium, and antioxidants.

Consume plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins.

Exercise:

Engage in moderate physical activity to maintain a healthy weight.

Stress Management:

Practice relaxation techniques like yoga, meditation, or deep-breathing exercises.

Avoid Environmental Toxins:

Limit exposure to pesticides, heavy metals, and endocrine-disrupting chemicals.

Supplements and Vitamins

Prenatal Vitamins:

Start taking prenatal vitamins at least three months before attempting conception.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids:

Support hormonal balance and fetal development.

Consult a Healthcare Provider:

Before starting any supplement regimen.

Emotional and Psychological Preparation

Communication with Your Partner

Shared Goals:

Discuss family planning desires and expectations.

Emotional Support:

Be open about feelings, fears, and hopes.

Intimacy:

Maintain a strong emotional and physical connection.

Coping with Challenges

Infertility Concerns:

Acknowledge that conception may take time.

Seek professional counseling if needed.

Managing Expectations:

Understand that each journey to parenthood is unique.

Building a Support Network

Family and Friends:

Share your plans with trusted individuals.

Support Groups:

Join communities of other expectant fathers or couples trying to conceive.

Professional Guidance:

Consult fertility specialists, counselors, and reproductive endocrinologists.

Conclusion

Understanding the process of making a baby empowers expectant fathers to take proactive steps towards achieving pregnancy. Whether through natural conception during the heat cycle or utilizing assisted reproductive technologies, being informed about your options and preparing both physically and emotionally are crucial components of this journey. Remember, patience and persistence are key, and seeking support along the way can make the experience more rewarding and less daunting.

Key Takeaways

Know Your Cycle: Understanding your heat cycle enhances your ability to conceive.

Healthy Lifestyle: Nutrition, exercise, and avoiding harmful substances improve fertility.

Explore Options: Familiarize yourself with both natural and assisted conception methods.

Emotional Preparedness: Open communication and emotional support are vital.

Professional Guidance: Regular consultations with healthcare providers ensure optimal care.

[quitealotofsodapop]

Nobody bays an eye at the fact that MK's mom is a very much male presenting person. They live in a world where shape-shifting is the norm, and there is literally a famous story about a kingdom with a river that can make anyone, no matter the gender, pregnant. Its not an impossible thing to imagine for them, especially since they suspect MK to be a demon at that point anyway, which means his mom is guaranteed to be one too. No, the biggest surprise in regards to Wukong's pregnancy comes more from who Wukong is rather than any sort of gender he presents as, but it's rather easily explained away. After all, there's no reason for Wukong to hide the fact that Stone Monkey pregnancies are often fatal and result in many complications, so as the stronger and more durable between himself and his mate as well as the one with mor most layers of immortality, it's simple logic that he'd be the one to bear their young.

At least, that's how Wukong describes it later. What he neglected to realize is that just because the specifics of Stone Monkey pregnancies have become somewhat common knowledge amongst the celestials, the mortals do not share in that knowledge and hus rather blase attitude in regards to potentially dying in childbirth does little to ease DBK, Pigsy, Tang, or Sandy's concern. PIF is a little more understanding of Wukong's position, having gone through similar complications with Redson's birth, and actually applauds his willingness and bravery in bringing more children into the world, even whilst almost losing his life to bring his eldest into the world.

prev post.

That and they don't want to assume anything in case MK's mom is a trans person. Wukong is fine with both Mama/Baba titles, and if he carried the kid it only makes sense to him to be "Mom" to them.

In a world of demons, trans people, shapeshifting, and rivers that make your pregnant, you just grow up knowing that sometimes a dude gets pregnant.

Regular Stone Monkey pregnancies aren't anymore fatal than say wild monkey statistics, but the Stone Egg method is super dangerous. Stone Monkeys basically donate so much of their life energy to the world around them that there's very little left over for themselves. The "Boulder" atop FFM is even described as spreading orchids and mushrooms into the earth around it.

PIF admires and envies Wukong a little for his success, despite the terror surrounding little Xiaotian's arrival. She wonders if DBK hadn't been imprisoned, if they could have had such luck.

Wukong very simply explains to the Noodle Gang that he's like the healthiest demon around, and his mate is slightly more fragile than him (literally born in the anaerobic enviroment of the moon = no immune system), so he takes over for baby-incubating. The gnag are super intrigued!

Tang: "So when did you decide to have MK?" Wukong, laughing: "Oh, that was a happy accident! A happy, kinda-scary, 14 year accident." Noodle Gang: (*all nod on understanding/awkwardness*) MK: "Yeah, thats why I grew up being told never to bury myself under a mountain." Noodle Gang: "...wut?" Tang:, JTTW brain activating: "Wait. Did you say 14 years!? As in during the Journey!?!"

Wukong pretty much pulls out corkboard of crayon drawings (like in "The Plan Man") to explain the process and how Macaque accidentally left Wukong "rock pregnant" under Five Finger Mountain - a collage crafted specifically back when MK had first asked about the "Birds and the Bees". The Noodle Shop Gang are horrified - and so is MK for having to re-live it.

Everyone comes away from that specifc lunchtime knowing a little too much about the reproductive habits of Stone Monkeys.

Hilariously I can imagine a situation like with the Eclipse Twins in the TMKATI au (both monkeys got el-pregante with either twin) happening here.

But with the current day. Remember how I pointed out that out of all the Nodelets, one shadow planet was missing? >:3

Once the LBD situation is dealt with at the end of S3;

Guanyin: (*gently grabs Macaque by the scruff of the neck*) Guanyin: "How long were you going to run around getting into danger without telling him [Wukong] you were expecting as well?!" Macaque, honestly confused: "Pardon???" Wukong: (*GASP!*) "Hypocrite!" Macaque: "In my defence, I didn't know that could happen."

MK barfs just *a little* at the announcement (MK: "I TOLD you they were being gross!").

Que the last Lunar Nodelet; Ziqi being made. This time via a very nervous Macaque.

Shadow monkey is on 24 hour lockdown pretty much to watch out for health complications, a reasonable punishment for his little disappearing act. Complications arise only because Mac was away from FFM for an appointment with Lao Tzu when a certain Scroll got found...

[celticcrossanon]

BRF Reading - 3rd of June, 2024

This is speculation only

Cards drawn on the 3rd of June, 2024

Question: What is that Death card in reverse about?

The card referred to is the first card in a reading I did on why Meghan wanted to produce children in the first place. That reading is linked at the end of this post.

Interpretation: It was about securing her position in the BRF

Card One: The Nine of Swords

This is a card about mental stress. You may be physically comfortable but you are so stressed that you can not sleep at night. It can also mean fear, anxiety, feeling isolated, negativity, and despair.

The energy of this card is that it was very important to Meghan to produce children somehow - so important that she was very stressed about it. The energy of this card is very anxious. It has a strong sense of "I have ti produce this now and I'm not allowed to fail" to it. I don't know if Meghan lied about her ability to have children and/or used pregnancy to get things in the past (e.g. married to Harry), but she felt an enormous pressure to produce two children - an heir and a spare.

Looked at logically, there is no reason for Meghan to feel this way, but I have given up on applying logic to her thoughts and I will just go with what the energy says.

Card Two: The Ace of Wands in reverse.

The Ace of Wands is a card of new beginnings, especially creative new beginnings. It is a very phallic card, so those new beginnings could be creating a baby,

The energy of this card is extremely phallic, and that is putting it mildly. It is all about the male power of reproduction. In the reverse, this male reproductive energy was not happening. The male (Harry) could not father children. This was exacerbating the stress of the Nine of Swords card. Meghan needed children and Harry could not provide them.

Note that the energy of this card is that Harry (the male) can not create children. That could be natural creation, or creation via IVF or other artificial means, or both. The phallic symbol is reversed. The creative component is not happening.

Card Three: The Three of Wands

This is a card about early plans coming to fruition, your ships coming in. It is also my card for the transfer of power in the BRF and the Line of Succession.

For some reason, it was important to Meghan to produce children that would be seen to be in the Line of Succession. I'm getting an energy of power and jockeying for position. It is almost as if she thought that once she had 'an heir and a spare' that she could push Princess Catherine out of the way and take her place, either literally or in terms of the power she wielded. (I say Princess Catherine because it is a female energy that appeared in the energy from the card).

This is so irrational that it is not making any sense,

I drew two clarifiers for this card, because I thought I was going off into woo-woo territory. The question I asked was 'Is this about Meghan replacing Princess Catherine"

Clarifier One: The Sun. This is an absolute yes. For some reason, Meghan thought that having children would enable her to replace Princess Catherine, either as the wife of the heir (goodbye Harry, hello William) and/or as taking the popularity and power that Princess Catherine has for herself.

Clarifier Two; The Queen of Cups. This card is giving me Princess Catherine/Princess Diana/children and motherhood energy. Meghan wanted to be the most popular royal, like Princess Diana was and like Princess Catherine is now (at least that is how Meghan saw it). Meghan saw as being the most popular royal as the same thing as being the most powerful royal. She thought that having children was the way to take that position for herself. (note that The Queen of Cups can be a pregnancy and motherhood card).

OK, Meghan is officially batshit crazy in my books. Just - Why? How? What was she smoking?

Underlying Energy: Four of Wands in reverse.

The Four of Wands is a card of home, celebration, stability, community. It can be a wedding card as well.

In the reverse, it is about feeling unwelcome, not having a community, transience, not being stable, and conflict at home.

This card tell me that Meghan felt her place in the BRF was a temporary one. Rightly or wrongly she felt unwelcome, not at home, and not stable, not safe in her position (this could be because she was planning to bolt back to Hollywood in the not so distant future, if some rumours are to be believed). Having children was one way of tying herself to the BRF and increasing the stability of her position. This added to the sense of urgency she had with respect to producing children.

There is also an energy of conflict at home around her having children. Either she wanted them and Harry didn't (or not so soon), or Harry wanted them soon and she didn't, or Harry was upset that he couldn't father children - there appears to have been some sort of conflict between her and Harry over the issue of children (this could even be her shaming Harry for his inability to have kids).

Conclusion:

I haven't learnt anything that ties in to the meaning of Death in reverse, but I have learnt an awful lot about how cray-cray Meghan is.

Half of me still thinks I wandered off into woo-woo territory with this.

Ok, if I am reading the cards correctly, then part of what the Death card in reverse was about was that Meghan was incredibly stressed about having children and literally forcing herself to have children, Harry was unable to create children, so she needed two children who were recognised as being part of the LoS as part of her plans to replace Princess Catherine as the most popular royal and transfer the power she saw Princess Catherine as holding to herself. Underneath all this was the need to use the children to secure her place in the BRF/ her ties to the BRF, a desire that I think sprang from her own security and nowhere else.

That resonates energetically but my goodness - I still think I am reading from an alternate dimension and not this one.

I still don't know how the Death card in reverse ties into this, unless it is the literal death of King Charles and Meghan's plans for when that happened.

I am putting the cards down and backing away from this topic.

I still do not believe what I have picked up energetically, so if you are having trouble believing this, I am right there beside you.

Yet it all resonates. I haven't got everything, but what I have got is not pulling against the energy/feeling jarring.

Link to reading that formed the basis for this reading:

[senespera-ffxiv]

Bakooling His Ja Ja's

Okay so this entire thing started when my friend and I started seeing posts about how Bakool Ja Ja would have two Ja Ja’s. And so I was like “hmm I wonder what lizards actually have” and here I am at the bottom of this rabbit hole wondering how I got here

I’m gonna split this into roughly three sections

The sexual anatomy of lizards (as explained by someone who knows about it through wikipedia)

The potential neural circuitry of a two-headed individual’s nads (as explained by someone who refuses to look up case studies that could elaborate on this so this is largely speculative)

The implications of the first two sections on what certain activities with Bakool Ja Ja would be like

//NSFW TEXT AND CARTOONISH IMAGERY BELOW THE CUT

//There's no actual things there, just badly drawn Ja Ja's lol

Section 1: The Sexual Anatomy of Lizards

Our journey starts with a thing called a Hemipenis. Now, when I first looked this up I was also severely confused cuz I was like “what the fuck is a hemipenis, is it like half a penis, like a fucking cylinder that got cut in half or something” well turns out they’re a little bit more fucked up than that

They are essentially inverted dicks that are pushed out by erectile tissue, and lizards will typically have two. They can also be ornamented with shit like spines, it all looks very weird unfortunately they very much do look like dicks on lizards so I’m gonna include one from a rattlesnake instead which just kinda looks like a spiny blob that way tumblr admins don’t kill me

The weirdest part is that the tube through which semen flows is Outside (unlike in the human penis where the urethra should be inside the penis) and is instead called the Sulcus Spermaticus. I can only assume this translates to “cum groove” in Latin.

I should also mention something about the spines cuz there’s multiple theories as to why they’re there. Cuz a spiny dick seems somewhat counterproductive to sex.

Theory #1 is that it’s involved in a lock-and-key mechanism to ensure that no one else that isn’t a lizard of that same species can fuck it. Female lizards have been observed to have cloacas with similar structures to male lizard hemipenes, etc.

Theory #2 is that the spines are there to promote longer and more successful reproduction for males. Make of this information what you will.

There’s also theories as to why there’s two dicks and it has to do with how female lizards can just kinda store semen for later, which does mean that it’s possible that even after fucking a male lizard won’t be able to actually have children. Thus, the two dicks come in for multiple consecutive fuck sessions, that way if one starts running out of juice the other one can sub in while the first one recovers.

Section 2: The Potential Neural Circuitry of a Two-Headed Individual’s Nads

I’m not looking up case studies for this so you’ll get my neurobio undergrad speculative theories on this shit, but there’s two possibilities I can think of for Bakool Ja Ja’s specific situation, and it has to do with how bifurcated his two heads’ nervous systems are.

Their nervous systems are only really differentiated at the neck up (implies that their spinal cords merge at or just below the neck)

Their nervous systems are bifurcated across the entire body (implies that their spinal cords either don’t merge at all or only merge at the very bottom)

As an additional note I should mention that by spinal cord I mean the nerves themselves. Most likely even if their spinal cords didn’t merge, they’d be running in parallel and be shaped in such a way as to resemble a normal spinal cord, just with a gap maybe right down the middle

So there’s a concept in neurology known as a “Dermatome” which is essentially a region of skin that is innervated by sensory neurons from dorsal root of any given spinal nerve (of which the major dermatomes are defined by the spinal nerve they originate from).

Using this concept, we can maybe define the Dermatomes on Bakool Ja Ja similarly, and this is where the organization of his spinal cords matter. If scenario #1 is correct, then his dermatomes will look similar to that of a human. Sensory information is also most likely copied and sent to both heads, meaning that both heads will be able to sense what happens to their entire body

If scenario #2 is correct, however, then we have something slightly more interesting and it’s that each head receives somatosensory information from the contralateral (opposite) side of the body, similar to how the brain’s two halves receive somatosensory information from the rest of the body. Here’s a really low quality diagram from my kinesiology class that shows the ascending pathways for discriminative touch (orange) and pain/temperature/affective touch (brown)

You can see that no matter where specifically they cross over, both pathways do end up crossing over to the other side. Here’s a rough diagram of how this would work out for Bakool Ja Ja that I drew myself with the relevant “dermatomes” (these aren’t actual dermatomes I just highlighted which dick is wired to which head) highlighted

The three testicles were added for sexual effect, I don’t think lizards actually have testicles but I added them to Bakool Ja Ja. For you. Please recognize my sacrifice.

Suffice it to say I’m going with Scenario #2. Not because it’s scientifically accurate or anything (scenario #1 makes more logical sense in like every single universe), but because it has funnier implications. Speaking of implications—

Section 3: The implications of the first two sections on what certain activities with Bakool Ja Ja would be like

This section is going to get NSFW real fast so you have been warned

Using our conclusion from Section #2, we can see that Bakool Ja Ja’s two Ja Ja’s will only send sensory information up to their respective head. This means that if you’re doing anything to one of them, only one head will be feeling anything, meaning that this legendary tweet by @kwehzy is now mandatory so that you don’t accidentally blue ball one of the heads

Also DP or at the very least two consecutive fuck sessions will also be mandatory to avoid blue balling one of them. Unless if that’s your goal in which case more power to you.

However, the entire universe will be working to try and stop you from fucking that two-headed lizard man because his dicks have a decently high chance of being hooked and/or covered in spikes. This has stopped exactly 0 people from trying to fuck lizardmen anyways so I don’t know why I even mentioned this, just try not to break anything.

Given all of the evidence in Section #1, whatever you decide to do with Bakool Ja Ja’s Ja Ja’s will probably end up taking a really fucking long time, so enjoy I guess

That’s it, that’s all the analysis I had. tl;dr Bakooling his Ja Ja’s will be a lengthy and potentially dangerous affair with high potential to accidentally fuck over one of the heads. Have fun.