An up close photo of the shoulders up of a serotine bat.
The serotine bat is found all over Europe.
  • By chance, researchers noticed that one bat species had a very large penis.
  • This led the scientists to question how the species mate, which led to a shocking discovery.
  • They found that serotine bats are the first mammals known to reproduce without penetration. 

For one species of bats, bumping uglies has just taken on a whole new meaning.

A group of scientists observed a population of serotine bats in Europe and found that these animals are the only mammals that don't mate via penetration, according to a press release from the American Association for the Advancement of Science.