Nature also has its own kamasutra and it is much wilder than we imagine. In Wild Sex, biologist and science communicator Ricardo Moure opens the door to a permanent orgy of reproductive strategies: chimpanzees with spiny penises, ducks with impossible corkscrew shapes, unfaithful birds without remorse, frogs that play dead to get rid of persistent suitors, or fungi with three, four, or thousands of different sexes.

The book details how some fish change sex, others carry the genitals of their former mates, drones ejaculate with such force that they die in the attempt, rams “go at it with hair and feather,” koalas organize genuine lesbian bacchanals, and certain bats practice oral sex among flowers that also serve as dildos for bumblebees deeply devoted to pleasure.

Far from being a mere collection of lurid anecdotes, Wild Sex is a popular science essay that combines rigor, up-to-date references, and a very cheeky sense of humor. Moure uses jokes and exaggeration to explain concepts of biology, evolution, and sexual diversity, and to remind us that nature does not understand moral rules, but rather adaptation, reproduction, and pure biological creativity.

About the author:

Ricardo Moure @moureortega is a biologist and holds a doctorate in molecular biology, although he is often seen more disguised as a chicken, anteater, or Cupid than wearing a lab coat. Born in Cantabria, he spent his childhood collecting bugs in the meadows until comedy “infected” his brain and he decided to mix scientific rigor with cheeky humor.

Winner of the Famelab scientific monologue contest, he has been part of Big Van Ciencia and has collaborated on programs such as On Air with Buenafuente, The Comedy Club, The Rock, and Orbit Laika. He is also a regular voice on radio and podcasts, where he tries to make this absurd world a little easier to understand or, at least, make us laugh while it falls apart.