The female redknee, for example, has been known to live for up to thirty years, whilst males are lucky to survive to ten. This introduces a certain amount of conflict to their union. Females want to spend time fattening themselves up in order to lay lots of healthy eggs, so they’re in no hurry to mate. At the start of the breeding season, or when they’re young, females are likely to have food, and not sex, on their mind. The male on the other hand only ever has one objective, and that’s to locate a female and mate as soon as possible.
