These marsupials mate to death

There is such a thing as fatal attraction, especially if you're a small mammal in Australia.

Researchers have discovered "suicidally-sexed marsupials" that mate so frequently and constantly that they die, according to research released Monday from the Queensland University of Technology in Australia.

"The breeding period is basically two to three weeks of speed-mating, with testosterone-fueled males coupling with as many females as possible, for up to 14 hours at a time," Andrew Baker, a professor at Queensland who lead the research, said in a statement.

The increase of testosterone triggers a malfunction in the animal's stress hormone shut-off switch, Baker said.

"The resulting rise in stress hormones causes the males' immune systems to collapse and they all drop dead before the females give birth to a single baby," according to Baker.

The group of marsupials are called "Dusky Antechinus"

and this most recent discovery brings the total number of known species to five, according to Queensland University of Technology. Three of them have populations that the researchers consider threatened, but not because of their mating habits. Instead, the marsupial numbers are dropping because of changing climate, habitat loss and predators like feral cats.

Australia's newest "suicidally-sexed marsupials" according to the Queensland University of Technology:

1. Tasman Peninsula Dusky Antechinus (threatened), found in south-eastern Tasmania

2. Mainland Dusky Antechinus, found in south-eastern Australia (New South Wales and Victoria)

3. Black-tailed Dusky Antechinus (threatened), found in remote sections of Springbrook National Park in south-east Queensland

4. Silver-headed Antechinus (threatened), found in the eastern escarpment of Kroombit Tops National Park, south-west of Gladstone, Queensland

5. Buff-footed Antechinus, found in scattered populations in coastal areas of south-east and central Queensland.

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