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...Indeed, 60 percent of sexual encounters between Springboks – one of nearly 2,000 mantis  (bọ ngựa) species (loài) across the globe (trên toàn cầu) – end in males being eaten as a snack.

"Males play Russian roulette whenever they encounter cannibalistic (ăn thịt đồng loại) females."

All male mantises show extreme caution when approaching a prospective partner. Hard to blame them.

But whereas most will sneak up from behind (lẻn lên từ phía sau) or distract (làm xao lãng) the female with a tasty morsel (mẩu thức ăn ngon), the Springbok has an entirely different – and previously unreported – strategy (chiến lược) for staying alive.

"Under threat of cannibalistic attack, males try to subdue females by pinning them down in violent struggles," said Burke, co-author with colleague Gregory Holwell of the study.

Males who win the lovers' tussle are far more likely to succeed in consumating the relationship, "which suggests that wrestling is both a mating tactic and a survival tactic (chiến thuật sống còn)," he added.

Bài trước: Tuyết rơi ấm áp một mùa đông