Experts have discovered bats with a penis so long that it can only be used as a third arm instead of mating.

As a result, the male bats have adapted a new and bizarre mating strategy to get around excessive members. Using their ‘third arm’ for mating ahead of penetrative sex.

It has been observed in serotine bats, found in Eurasia. They are one of the largest bat species in Europe with an impressive wingspan of around 11-16 inches—according to a study published in the journal Current Biology.

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When the male bats are fully erect, their penis grows to seven times longer than the vagina of the female. Experts added that the members, which are usually “heart-shaped” also swell to seven times wider than the females opening.

Both the length and shape of the penis would make penetration post-erection impossible, prompting experts to ask questions and discover the new behaviour.

Study author Nicolas Fasel with the University of Lausanne in Switzerland told Newsweek the study represents the first time that non-penetrative sex has been documented in mammals.

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She said: “By chance, we had observed that these bats have disproportionately long penises, and we were always wondering 'how does that work’. We thought maybe it's like in the dog where the penis engorges after penetration so that they are locked together, or alternatively maybe they just couldn't put it inside, but that type of copulation hasn't been reported in mammals until now."

Very little is known about how bats have sex—most previous research has only been able to observe the backs of mating pairs. But in the latest study, the researchers managed to observe the bats' genitals during copulation by examining footage shot by cameras placed behind a grid that the bats could climb on.

In collaboration with a bat rehabilitation centre in Ukraine and a citizen scientist in the Netherlands, Fasel and colleagues managed to record the unusual mating behaviour.

Fasel added: "We could describe a novel copulatory behaviour in mammals. Until now, it was believed that all mammal species use penetration during copulation. Thanks to a great collaboration with a passionate bat researcher in the Netherlands and the staff from the Ukrainian Bat Rehab centre, we could obtain amazing videos.

"These recordings revealed that the bats do not engage in penetrative sex, and we noted that the erectile tissues of the penis were enlarged before they made contact with the vulva." So instead of penetrative sex they grasp their partners by the nape and move their pelvises with their erect penis.

They use the ‘third arm’ to probe until they make contact with the vulva. They then stay still in a long embrace.

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Once they have orgasmed, they use the penis like an arm to push the protective tail membrane out of the way so they could engage in what scientists call "contact mating."

Fasel added: "Following copulation, we observed that the female bats' abdomens appeared wet, suggesting the presence of semen, but further research is needed to confirm that sperm was transferred during these putative mating events. Sexual selection has driven the evolution of incredible traits selective pressures have been known to play a role at the level of male-male competition or female choice."

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