Night fairies are the only species of living beings that can mate with distant species, but they are also the only living beings that depend on other species to reproduce. This is why their reproduction is so unusual, but it's not the only thing that's unusual about it.
Night fairies are mammals. This means that they suckle their offspring. Nevertheless, they lay eggs. Very few mammals do that.
In almost all mammals, birth is a live birth. In live birth, the offspring are kept in the womb for the duration of early development and are not enclosed in an egg shell. Mammals are less than 1% of all animal species. In 99% of all animal species, birth is an egg birth. During egg birth, eggs are laid that are either already fertilized or will be fertilized in the near future. The only mammals that lay eggs are individual half-humans, such as night fairies and harpies, and otherwise only cloacal animals, such as the platypus.
In cloacal animals, the rectum, urinary tract and genital tract all end in a single organ, the cloaca. Many animals have a cloaca, but cloacal animals are the only mammals that have a cloaca, hence their name. The structure and function of the reproductive organs in cloacal animals is similar to that of birds and other animals that lay eggs. In night fairies and harpies, the external appearance of this body region is similar to that of humans, but of course there are anatomical differences within the body.
In birds, the cloacae are pressed together during mating and seminal fluid from the male flows into the female's cloaca. Male birds do have a penis. In most species it is only present as a small bump or fold inside the cloaca. In a few other species it is inside the cloaca most of the time, but comes outside the body for mating. In cloacal animals it is the same as in the latter group. In female birds, almost always only the left ovary is developed. There are thousands of eggs in the ovary, which can be used one after the other. Yellow yolk is accumulated on an egg cell. The yolk ball moves into the fallopian tube, where it may or may not be fertilized by a sperm cell. If fertilization occurs, a germinal disc forms on the yolk ball, where the embryo grows. The yolk ball continues to move. Egg white and hail cords are formed. A cloaca is formed around the egg. Finally, the egg is laid over the cloaca. The entire process is repeated several times until the female has laid enough eggs.
Most birds only brood one to two eggs a year, but some more than 20. Wild birds rarely lay unfertilized eggs. Some species of domestic birds may often lay unfertilized eggs, depending on how they are kept. Some species of farmed birds are bred to lay unfertilized eggs regularly or even daily.
Almost all female mammals have a uterus with oviducts and ovaries. An egg is released from an ovary and travels to the fallopian tube. In the fallopian tube, the egg cell is fertilized by a sperm cell. The egg then travels on to the uterus, where it implants in the lining of the uterus and then grows over time.
In these mammals, the lining of the uterus renews itself in cycles. The mucous membrane grows and thickens. The mucous membrane is ready to receive an egg and may continue to grow. If an egg has implanted, the mucous membrane is maintained. If no egg has implanted, the mucous membrane is broken down again. The mucous membrane renews itself again and again in order to provide an optimal and long-term nutrient base for a fertilized egg.
In almost all mammals, the uterine lining is absorbed during degradation. In some others, it is shed. Women have their period during this time. Some women would certainly prefer to do without it and you might wonder why this is not the case with animals. Science wonders the same thing. One well-known theory is that shedding the lining of the uterus is a way for the mother's body to get rid of unhealthy embryos.
The timing of the cycle of mammals can vary greatly between species and also between individuals of the same species. The cycle can also be terminated or paused. For many living beings, a certain period of the year is best suited for rearing offspring. You are probably familiar with concepts such as a deer's rut or a cat being in heat. During this period, ovulation occurs repeatedly, but outside this period the sexual organs are dormant. This process is controlled by hormones, the release of which is influenced by external circumstances, such as the temperature or the number of hours of sunshine during the day. So in many mammals, the uterus is dormant. A cat is not willing to mate because there is no reason to do so. During this period, however, these living beings often have a strong urge to mate, because only within this period can they mate for offspring. A cat wants to be mated and whines because there is a purpose.
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Night fairies and harpies do not menstruate and do not have a seasonal urge to mate. As a woman, however, you should not become too envious.
Night fairies and female harpies have a sexual organ that is visually similar to a uterus, but its function is to create eggs. The process is also similar to that of birds, but both ovaries function. The sexual organ is therefore not that of a mammal, but also not that of a bird. There are imported technical terms for naming the sexual organs of a harpy and its parts, but for the sake of simplicity these terms are not used in this factual text.
Night fairies and harpies are usually regarded as a special form of egg birth. At the time the eggs are laid, the offspring inside are not yet viable without the egg, but already have their own body temperature and partially active cognition. So for the offspring inside the egg, it's a case of wait and see. In night fairies, the eggs hatch within 6-8 weeks of being laid, which is relatively long, as it only takes 5-6 weeks for harpies. Due to their own body temperature, the eggs do not usually need to be incubated during this time in either case, which is why the mother can leave them to make further preparations or do other work.
Night fairies take about two months from fertilization to laying an egg, which is relatively long, but still a month faster than harpies. Also unlike harpies, night fairies can lay up to three eggs at a time, or even more. Due to the size of the eggs, it can happen that the night fairy injures itself during laying and then dies as a result of its injuries. Also, unlike harpies, night fairies only lay a fixed number of eggs in their lifetime. Night fairies do not lay eggs that do not contain larvae. How many eggs there are varies from individual to individual. The eggs of harpies take more time and are more feasible, but they always come at a fixed rate, even if they serve no purpose. Harpies have found a safe habitat and permanently fulfill the requirements of their body for laying eggs.
The reason why harpies and night fairies lay eggs is that pregnancy is not a valid alternative for them. With harpies, it is better to avoid the weight and stress of pregnancy due to their way of getting around and their light bone structure. With night fairies it is to avoid the stress of pregnancy and to save time. The eggs are to get the larvae out of the body and thus make room for the formation of the next eggs.
Night fairies have full control over their reproduction. They can control how many of their eggs are prepared by their body for fertilization. If sperm even reach the opening of their vagina, the desired fertilization of egg cells is almost always the case. They can also choose to do so after the fact. Depending on the species, sperm cells can survive up to 23 days in their abdomen. How long platina cells survive has not yet been precisely determined, but it is assumed to be 6 months. This is the time frame that night fairies have to decide whether to fertilize their egg cells, but even after fertilization of egg cells, eggs are not necessarily formed immediately.
Night fairies can suspend the growth of fertilized eggs for several years if necessary. This phase is called dormancy, embryonic dormancy or egg dormancy. It can also occur in other living beings, such as mammals, birds and plants. In deer, for example, it can occur for several months. But there is a crucial difference between all these living beings and a night fairy. A deer cannot consciously trigger the end of embryonic dormancy. It is factors that it does not control that influence it. Such factors are the temperature, the availability of food and others. But a night fairy is intelligent enough to know how to manipulate its own hormonal balance and will do so if necessary. Such manipulation methods can be the change in the amount and type of food intake, the consumption of certain medicinal plants and others.
Night fairies are already sexually mature in the larval stage. There is a direct access from the larval body to the sexual organ of the growing night fairy inside. The sexual organ is one of the first organs to develop. It is not inconceivable that all the eggs of a night fairy are already fertilized as a larva and that the night fairy lays them all one after the other after breaking out of the larval body. In the case of a motherless larva, it is even the rule that it carries fertilized eggs.
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