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VeryNearlyAnArmful t1_j6wickb wrote

Reply to comment by drchris498 in Endangered male northern quolls are giving up sleep in favour of having more sex – and it could be killing them, according to a study that investigated why male northern quolls usually mate themselves to death in one season while females can live and reproduce for up to four years. by MistWeaver80

Are we just finding out about an existing behaviour or has something changed in their environment to bring it on?

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drchris498 t1_j6wp4h9 wrote

This is a natural behaviour. What we didn't know was why the males were actually dying. Scientists thought it could be excess stress hormones, but the levels were not elevated in this species. We decided to record their movement behaviour and found this lack of sleep. Given their symptoms we think this is what kills them.

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