One side at a time, ladies.

New Scientist pulls the covers back from an evolutionary mystery – how the spiny anteater’s penis works. Apparently, it does its magic two heads at a time:

Then Steve Johnston of the University of Queensland in Gatton, Australia, and his colleagues inherited a male spiny anteater that was not so shy. The creature had been ‘retired’ from a zoo as it produced an erection when being handled at public viewing sessions.

By filming this animal, the researchers have been able to describe the unique spiny anteater erection and ejaculation behaviour for the first time.

The spiny anteater’s four-headed phallus had been puzzling scientists.

Thank you, inappropriately exhibitionist echidna. You have answered deep and important questions.

There’s, uh, video at the link.