This mammal has the heaviest testicles in the world

Size doesn’t always matter – even when it comes to reproduction. But it’s impressive how much the testicles of this whale bull weigh. We are talking about the whale (genus Eubalaena), which entered the Guinness World Records list with its impressive genitals.

“The largest testicles of any animal species are found in whales, each of which can weigh up to 500 kilograms and produce up to 4.5 liters of sperm,” write the authors of the Guinness Book. Means: both testicles together weigh about 1,000 kilograms (or a ton). For comparison: that is about one tenth of the total weight of the animal (between 50 and 56 tons) – and therefore as heavy as an Opel Corsa.

Since there are usually two to three years between nests in whales, often less than a third of the females in a region are ready to conceive. And if they are, they want the best genetics possible. In addition, whale cows can be inseminated by several bulls, which are in a kind of sperm competition with each other. And if you have large testicles, you can also produce a lot of sperm. As with the right whale subspecies southern right whale, also called southern right whale.

By the way, whale testicles, unlike many land mammals, are inside the body. The simple reason: In marine mammals, the temperature of the sperm must be around 35 degrees to fertilize an egg. This temperature can only be reached in the world’s oceans if the testicles in the body are also heated.

The German name Glattwal comes from the fact that the marine mammal has no dorsal fin. The species is divided into three subspecies, the right whale, the southern right whale and the bowhead whale. In English, the smooth whale is called “Right Whale” (translated: the right whale). This gives an indication of how heavily these animals were once hunted – namely more heavily than any other species. It was the “privateer” in terms of resources (lots of baleen, blubber, meat, fat and oil) and in terms of the actual hunt. Because the rather slow animals were easy prey and floated on the water surface after their death due to the high fat content.

Current whale populations are drastically reduced remnant populations. However, they are considered stable. Because the animals like to stay close to the coast, nets, traps and propellers are now a source of danger. About 38 percent of all deaths are due to ship collisions, writes “Biology-Page.”

(t-online/cpf)