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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesSame-sex sexual behavior has been documented across animal groups, but the published record captures only part of what researchers have observed. A 2024 survey of mammal researchers found a substantial gap between noticing the behavior and systematically studying or publishing it. That makes the animal world’s diversity clearer, while making any simple estimate of how common the behavior is impossible.
What does “queer” mean when we talk about animals?
Scientists generally describe measurable acts as same-sex sexual behavior (SSSB), rather than assigning animals a human sexual identity. In a 2024 survey, researchers used the term for behaviors such as sexual mounting, intromission and genital contact between same-sex individuals. Other studies may include courtship, pair bonds or alloparenting, so the boundaries of the category can vary.
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Context matters: a mount or genital touch is not automatically sexual, and behavior that looks similar across species may have different social meanings. “Queer” can be a useful lens for challenging the assumption that animal sexuality is exclusively heterosexual or reproductive. It is not evidence that an animal understands or experiences identities such as gay, lesbian, bisexual or queer as humans do.
What do the studies actually show?
Two recent studies illuminate different parts of the evidence: one asked researchers what they had seen and reported; the other analyzed published reports about mammals. Their numbers should not be combined into a count of how often SSSB occurs.
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| Study | What it measured | Key result | What the result does not establish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anderson et al., PLOS ONE, 2024 | Survey responses from researchers about their study species; data gathered June–August 2021. | Of 73 responses, 56 (76.7%) reported observed SSSB. Of those 56, 27 (48.2%) reported collecting data; five of those 27 (18.5%) reported publishing on it. | How often the behavior occurs in animals, or how common it is across species. |
| Gómez, González-Megías and Verdú, Nature Communications, 2023 | Literature-based analysis of reports and evolutionary correlates in mammals. | The study’s dataset described SSSB in 261 mammal species. | A complete census of mammals, a prevalence rate, or a count across all animals. |
Anderson and colleagues also report that survey respondents named 44 unique species; 17 (38.6%) had no published report known to the authors. The survey was preliminary, represented primatology more heavily than other fields, and asked whether researchers had observed the behavior—not how frequently it happened. Its results describe this sample, not all animal researchers or taxa.
The authors of the 2024 PLOS ONE study summarize the broader literature this way: “Same-sex sexual behaviour (SSSB) occurs in most animal clades, but published reports are largely concentrated in a few taxa.” The statement is about the uneven distribution of published reports, not a complete inventory of species.
Why is same-sex behavior in animals underreported?
Observation and publication are separate stages. A researcher may see a behavior without having a study design that records it, enough observations to analyze it, or a reason to publish it as a separate finding. The survey suggests that the gap can arise before a behavior reaches the scientific literature.
- It can be easy to miss. Bouts may be brief; animals may be hard to see or identify; and observers may not know an animal’s sex.
- It can be classified another way. Researchers may code a behavior as affiliation, play or dominance rather than as sexual behavior. The same action can require species-specific interpretation.
- It may not become a research priority. In the survey, the most frequently selected reasons for not collecting or publishing included perceiving the behavior as rare or anecdotal and a lack of fit with lab priorities.
No respondent selected discomfort or sociopolitical concerns as a reason in this survey. That describes the answers from its limited sample; it does not establish that social bias is absent from science more broadly.
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Does the behavior have one explanation?
No single function is established for every species or every instance. Researchers have discussed social bonding, conflict management, dominance and other evolutionary explanations. These are hypotheses or context-dependent interpretations, not a universal account of why animals engage in SSSB. A behavior can also have different consequences in different social and ecological settings.
The mammal analysis examines evolutionary correlates across reports; it does not turn those patterns into a single explanation that can be applied to every species. Likewise, identifying an act as SSSB does not by itself tell us what an animal experiences or intends.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How should you compare claims about different species?
A list of species with reported behavior can show the breadth of observations, but it cannot rank which species are “most queer” unless the underlying evidence is comparable. When assessing a claim, look for:
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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minute- What was observed: the specific behavior and how the researchers defined it.
- How it was recorded: systematic sampling or opportunistic observation, and whether frequency was measured.
- Where and in what context: taxonomic, ecological and social details, including whether the data came from captive or wild animals.
- How it was interpreted: whether the behavior was treated as sexual, affiliative, playful or dominance-related.
The 2024 survey did not distinguish captive from wild observations in its questions, so it cannot support that comparison. More broadly, the published record is shaped by what observers notice, how they classify it and what researchers choose to study. The documented diversity is real; its frequency across the animal world remains much harder to measure.
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