Access
This article is part of Nature's premium content.
Published online 8 February 2001 | Nature | doi:10.1038/news010208-10
News
The ram-ifications of too much sex
A dominant ram's hectic schedule takes a heavy toll on his precious bodily fluids.
The biggest, butchest sheep throw their weight around, but they don't always live up to their image, a study of feral sheep has found. By the end of the rutting season, dominant rams are so drained by their sexual exertions that their sperm production tails off, and they lose out in the fatherhood stakes to fresher males lower down the pecking order.
To read this story in full you will need to login or make a payment (see right).
Comments
Reader comments are usually moderated after posting. If you find something offensive or inappropriate, you can speed this process by clicking 'Report this comment' (or, if that doesn't work for you, email webadmin@nature.com). For more controversial topics, we reserve the right to moderate before comments are published.
There are currently no comments.
