Davian behavior

Davian behavior is a scientific term of art (technical term) referring to copulation with a dead conspecific. It was first observed in ground squirrels and was named after an old limerick[1]

“ There was an old miner named Dave
who kept a dead whore in his cave
You have to admit
He hadn't much wit
But look at the money he saved!		 ”

Davian behavior has since been observed and published in birds[2] and anurans[3]. This behavior termed as necrophilia also occurs in humans and the fact that there are laws against it, assumes that it must be controlled. Such laws are typically titled "abuse of a corpse." [4]

References

  1. ^ Dickerman, Robert W. (1960). ""Davian Behavior Complex" in Ground Squirrels". Journal of Mammalogy (Journal of Mammalogy, Vol. 41, No. 3) 41 (3): 403–404. doi:10.2307/1377510. JSTOR 1377510. 
  2. ^ Lehner, Philip N. (1988). "Avian Davian Behavior". The Wilson Bulletin 100 (2): 293–294. http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/Wilson/v100n02/p0293-p0294.pdf. 
  3. ^ Lewis, 1989 S. Lewis, Cane Toads: an Unnatural History, Doubleday, New York (1989).
  4. ^ Meshaka, Walter E., Jr (1997). "Anuran Davian behavior: a Darwinian dilemma". Florida Scientist 59 (2): 74–75.