While this may seem like some sick internet joke, female hyenas do have a penis-like organ, complete with a fake scrotum and testes, called a pseudopenis (click at your own risk) that is actually an extended clitoris. This suggests that the pressure for females to appear as males is the greatest at the early stages of a female spotted hyena’s life. I don’t know if they have more masculine hormones, but they are certainly bigger. With that said, one of the most interesting things I learned about hyenas from all of this is how they have sex. The social structure of hyenas involves all females outranking all males. In mammals, all intact developmentally typical males have a penis, but the clitoris in the females of the following species is sufficiently enlarged that it is usually termed a pseudo-penis: spotted hyena, lemur, juvenile fossa and binturong. This organ can be up to eight inches long, and the hyenas with the longest ones tend to dominate all the other hyenas, including the smaller males, who have real penises. As they age, the levels of testosterone in female hyenas decline significantly below that of the males, and yet the females remain on average far … Female spotted hyenas "have an elongated clitoris that closely resembles the penis of a male,” Sarah Benson-Amram, a zoologist at the University of Wyoming, says by email. Spotted hyenas live in a clan dominated by one female, known as the matriarch, and all females outrank males. The enlarged clitoris in the fossa is supported by an os clitoridis, a bone similar to the os penis found in most mammals. The reasons for female dominance are not surprising: female hyenas are larger, stronger, and more aggressive than males. Since males can only gain in rank after a higher-ranking male dies (they do not fight for rank), females may use their social rank as a kind of index for persistence and fitness, Gunther said. Female hyenas dominate over males in many cases, and they behave in the way that male wolves do when establishing pack heirarchy: they often "mount" subordinate animals, and an "erection" indicates they are confident of being able to take on a challenger in a fight. For female hyenas, a lot happens through the clitoris—mating, urination, and even giving birth. Female spotted hyenas have what's known as a "pseudo penis." As you might imagine, this makes sex a tricky matter. In addition, this makes it difficult for males to mate without the full cooperation of females, which means that mating preferences of the female are predominant. As a said, females have an 8-inch clitoris--but, believe it or not, a male must put his penis inside of it in order to mate. A zoo in Japan once spent four years trying to mate a pair of hyenas before realizing they were both males, due to how similar a female pseudo penis is to a real one. To see it in all its glory, click here . With that said, one of the most interesting things I learned about hyenas from all of this is how they have sex. It's really a clitoris that has grown up to 7 inches outside the body, making it resemble the real thing. Despite their physical similarities, male and female hyenas live very different lives. Because of the female's awkward genitalia, successful mating for hyenas is tricky to pull off. Biologists now know otherwise. With all other predators, hyenas are very likely to win a fight over a carcass. With all other predators, hyenas are very likely to win a fight over a carcass. Female hyenas, all hermaphrodites, bully the male hyenas and take prey from lions A baby spotted hyena in Shingwedze, Kruger National Park (photo by Sally Kneidel) We were lucky to see some wildlife on our recent trip to South Africa - although our success was more than luck. While this is quite unusual in the animal kingdom, there is a good reason why girl power rules the hyena clans. But when the clan contains many native males, males win almost as often as females and the sexes are co-dominant. In these species, males are larger than females, and females have 'normal' genitalia. Powerful female hyenas say 'hello' with their genitals Hyenas' greetings are mysterious and bizarre. The female spotted hyena's pseudopenis or penile-clitoris has both immense benefits, such as social dominance and sexual dominance, as well as immense costs, like having to give birth through a penis.