In this study the mating behaviors of tortoises on Golem Grad Island in North Macedonia were analyzed and it was determined that a significant proportion of females died young, and from walking off cliffs in particular. While it was noticed that males died in this way as well, the females falling off cliffs significantly outnumbered the males. In some parts of the island the male to female ratio was as lopsided as 19-1, and many females were found with injuries to their genitalia. While there is the potential to unduly anthropomorphize non-human animals in response to a study like this, it is nonetheless worth considering whether the sexual advances of male turtles is truly the leading culprit in this interesting ecological context. It’s also worth noting that there are several species known to play dead to either avoid or attract mates. Some species of frogs – for instance – lay immobile to avoid mating, a behavior scientists have named “tonic immobility”. However, until this study, there are no known examples of species (aside from humans) being driven to suicide as an avoidance strategy of sexual violence.
Female Tortoises Commit Suicide to Avoid Sexual Harassment
