Nature also has its own kamasutra, and it’s much wilder than we imagine. In Sexo salvaje, biologist and science communicator Ricardo Moure opens the door to a permanent orgy of reproductive strategies: chimpanzees with spiny penises, ducks with impossible corkscrew penises, unfaithful birds without remorse, frogs that play dead to escape persistent suitors, and 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 they die trying, rams “go at it hair and feather,” koalas organize real lesbian bacchanals, and certain bats practice oral sex among flowers that also serve as vibrators for bumblebees deeply devoted to pleasure.
Far from being a mere collection of lurid anecdotes, Sexo salvaje 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 doesn’t understand moral rules, but rather adaptation, reproduction, and pure biological creativity.
About the author:
Ricardo Moure @moureortega is a biologist and holds a PhD 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 science monologue contest, he has been part of Big Van Ciencia and has collaborated on shows like En el aire with Buenafuente, El Club de la Comedia, La Roca, and Órbita Laika. He is also a regular voice on radio and podcasts, where he tries to help us understand this absurd world a little better or, at least, make us laugh while it falls apart.
