Serotine Bats Discovered to Mate Without Penetration

Unique mating behavior observed in Dutch church reveals new insights into mammalian reproduction.

Researchers have discovered that the serotine bat, also known as Eptesicus serotinus, may be the first mammal known to mate without using penetration.
The male bat uses its penis more like an arm to move a protective membrane away from the female bat’s vulva, according to a study published in the journal Current Biology.
The discovery was made possible by a Dutch retiree who set up 18 video cameras in a church in the Netherlands that was home to a roosting colony of serotine bats.
The male bat’s penis is around seven times longer than its female counterpart’s vagina, and it has a heart-shaped head that is seven times wider than the vaginal opening.
The researchers have not been able to definitively prove the transfer of sperm from male to female bats and said that will be a focus of future research.