To wonder how snakes have sex?

[JazzAnnNonMouse]

Or fish?
or great blue whales? (must cause huge waves...)
or worms?
or eels?

Do they not both produce a clitellum Jemima? Worms I mean. I thought they did. Though 'eggs' is a bit misleading I admit as I think the clitellum thing is more like a sort of cocoon which the worm sheds and in which the young grow.

I seem to remember some earthworms do parthenogenesis (asexual reproduction) as well though no idea which ones.

I'm not a worm expert you understand.

They do undertake parthenogenesis; but I understood this to be in worm "hardship times".
In fertile times they differentiate (so I was led to believe). You then get females (with clitellum) and males (no clitellum). This ensures exchange of genetic material and is preferred.

Although not expert in worm I can categorrically (sp) state that a cut worm is a dead worm. It's what gardeners tell each other so we don't feel so guilty.

9m?

OMG!!

Adding nothing to the discussion really, but we have a corn snake. He is fabulous.

V.low maintenance once you've got the kit - and fascinating. Way better than hamsters and crap like that. They live for ages (up to 20 yrs iirc) and grow rather big, but they take up surprisingly little room (relatively speaking).

I love him.

yay for fellow snake owner.

We have a corny, 2 milks, a king, 3 pythons and a Boa. oh and a leopard geko.

PMSL at 'snaky knot'.

I am absolutely knee-tremblingly terrified of snakes. Don't even like typing the word.

whale sex!

I really really hate snakes, not afraid of them just hate the way they look and move - freaks me out! - sorry!

that whale had it hidden and it just kinda flopped out... hahaha

As far as I know, not all snakes penises (I think penes is the correct plural actually, but sounds a bit odd...) are forked, but they are all barbed to some degree - helps to hold on when you haven't got legs, I guess. What's more, snakes have not one but two of them, called hemipenes. They only pop out one at a time though - the other one stays in and refuels.

Snake owner here too; one rather elderly royal python.

JazzAnn - the way they move is what I love about them; so graceful and powerful. Spiders on the other hand......

Penesis.
Peni.
Penesis.

Willies

What's the plural mumsnet?

I'm very ,much looking forward to watching this

Look at ! there is a video for all of your animal sex questions.

Sorry - got mixed up with feet and metres (durr...!!)

9 ft long which is only 2.5 metres - a vast difference ...

haha I liked the bee sex thing, tis a bit strange though.

2.5 metres is still pretty big, though not in comparison to them...

Isabella Rossellini in animal porn shocker!

....