These bats are the only mammals known to mate more like birds
Male serotine bats’ penises are 7 times longer than the female’s vagina, so too big to penetrate
![A close-up of the face and upper body of a furry brown serotine bat.](https://i0.wp.com/www.sciencenews.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/112123_di_bats-kiss_feat.jpg?fit=1030%2C580&ssl=1)
Male serotine bats (Eptesicus serotinus) have penises seven times longer than the vagina of a female of the same species, which means penetrative mating is impossible. Instead, the bats use a strategy common in birds but never seen before in mammals.
Alona Shulenko