Biologists from around the world are tweeting horrifying and stunning pictures of genitalia at one another.
The junk off began with tweets challenging scientists to tweet their most beautiful, terrifying or weird animal genitals. Some explained it as a way of showing young scientists the value of Twitter as a research tool and community — and others just delighted in the weirdness.
Either way, biologists and other scientists joined in the fun, or horror, quickly.
ATTEN: WE ARE HAVING A JUNK-OFF https://t.co/jPYnudIL36
— Anne Hilborn (@AnneWHilborn) August 26, 2015
Some of the pictures didn’t look at all like genitals, and might have almost been beautiful, were it not for the phrase “tips break off inside female’s reproductive tract”.
Black widows have corkscrew-shaped emboli - tips break off inside female's repro. tract #junkoff [photo @MikeHrabar] pic.twitter.com/wsw0zLvqy7
— Catherine Scott (@Cataranea) August 26, 2015
There were some entries that didn’t necessarily show genitals, but — terrifying — reproductive organs.
Not genitals, but repro organs nonetheless.Scent glands help moths find mates #JunkOff via http://t.co/SfPLjwn919 pic.twitter.com/Bo9I1bT4WQ
— Rob O' Sullivan (@Rob0Sullivan) August 26, 2015
Others were perhaps beyond words — and the animals attached to them looked remarkably pleased with themselves.
The echidna has a 4-headed penis that is both amazing and horrifying: http://t.co/Nm2ooypgcC #junkoff *drops mic* pic.twitter.com/oS2kECFXXE
— Noah Gray (@noahWG) August 26, 2015
This #JunkOff needs more inverts like this gorgeous #whelk proudly showing off what he got! ;) pic.twitter.com/PwSLP6dhXW
— Carina M. Gsottbauer (@CarinaDSLR) August 26, 2015
Let's take #Junkoff into the #deepsea. Check out the claspers on this Roughskin #dogfish from the #Azores. #sharks pic.twitter.com/nf8skfSv2U
— Christopher Bird (@SharkDevocean) August 26, 2015
Burmese pythons appear to be able to do the YMCA dance with their man-tackle... #JunkOff Via http://t.co/LoFBGwaH4F pic.twitter.com/7UBFBWy8To
— Rob O' Sullivan (@Rob0Sullivan) August 26, 2015
Harbor porpoise junk. Photo from @MontereyBayWh #JunkOff pic.twitter.com/s4BV3ZDGsw
— Michelle Klein (@MichelleNKlein) August 26, 2015
Q. How does one examine crocodile genitals? A. Very, very, carefully.
Saltwater crocodile by Rob Gandola #JunkOff pic.twitter.com/TA6LFpvCLq
— The HSI (@HerpSocIreland) August 26, 2015
But the best junk might be no junk at all. David Steen, an assistant research professor, tweeted about the Great Siren — whose junk remains a mystery.
A Greater Siren, an abundant salamander in SE United States. We don't even know how they reproduce. In 2015. #JunkOff pic.twitter.com/NAf1VBLGbW
— David Steen, Ph.D. (@AlongsideWild) August 26, 2015
