• Question: Why do female hyenas have penis'?

    Asked by abbieelliott52 to Charlotte, Jo, Kevin, Louise, Valeria on 15 Jun 2012.
    • Photo: Kevin Mahon

      Kevin Mahon answered on 15 Jun 2012:

      Haha, this made me laugh! It’s not a penis importantly, it’s a pseudo-penis! Meaning ‘false penis’ so it doesn;t actually work/function the same way a normal one does, it just looks similar.

      What it is in actual fact is just an enlarged clitoris that protudes becuase of a bone in that region!

    • Photo: Joanna Cruden

      Joanna Cruden answered on 17 Jun 2012:

      I just looked up a couple of other facts about this, the birth canal is through the pseudo-penis and about 15% of female die when they first give birth, it is also difficult for the pups to pass through so there is a high mortality for first borns.

      The female is also more aggressive than the male and rules the clan, they can also use it as part of the greeting ritual

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