2019 Volume 35 Issue 2 Pages 81-85
The stump-tailed macaque, Macaca arctoides, is the most distinctive in its genus with respect to reproductive anatomy and sexual behavior. Male-male mounting behaviors have been mentioned in many reports; however, ejaculation has not yet been recorded.
Herein, we report a very rare case of ejaculation in the context of male-male mounting in wild stump-tailed macaques in Khao Krapuk Khao Taomor Non-hunting Area, Thailand. The behavior was observed during documentary filming of the animals. Daily observations were conducted for 28 days from July 4th to 31st, 2018, from 8 am to 6 pm. This rare behavior was documented on July 12th, while following and filming the Wngklm group. A young male of this group, WKM-M33, and a young male of another group (Fourth group), FTH-M33, started mounting. Initially, this mounting seemed to be social interaction in the context of a group encounter. However, after a thrust of a few seconds, the mounter, WKM-M33, exhibited ejaculated-like behavior. The mountee, FTH-M33, exhibited teeth-chattering behavior and touched the mounter's genital area. After completion of the mounting, whitish semen dropped to the ground and was eaten by WKM-M33. Then, WKM-M33 squeezed out sperm from the erect penis and ate it. We were therefore convinced that the mounter, WKM-M33, had ejaculated at the time of mounting.
Although it is dificult to draw a definitive conclusion because it is a single case report, we propose two possible interpretations: 1) accidental case owing to extreme tension from group encounters during social interaction or 2) homosexual behavior between males with little access to females.
