The Female Hyena Domain
Spotted hyenas have an undeserved reputation. Treated as cunning and treacherous “thiefs”, the truth is that hyenas are good hunters, very intelligent and one of those species where females rule : female hyenas have enormous power in groups.
This occurs in many species, such as elephants and lemurs , although in the case of hyenas their matriarchy is one of the strongest in the animal kingdom.
Meet the Spotted Hyena
The Spotted Hyena is a very common carnivore that can be found in virtually all of Africa south of the Sahara, except Madagascar, South Africa, the Congo Basin and some deserts. This is one of four species of hyenas today.
They are stout animals: female hyenas can reach 90 kilos, as these are the largest genus in this species. But something that catches the attention of female hyenas, in addition to their size, is their genitals.
Hyena females do not have a vulva, and their clitoris is highly developed, to the point of reaching the shape and dimensions of the male’s penis.
In fact, they have a similar swelling to the male’s testicles, so they are difficult to differentiate.
They are nocturnal animals and usually hide in caves during the day. Hyenas are better hunters than you think, walk in groups of up to 30 individuals, and have the most powerful jaw in the animal kingdom.
The domain of hyena females
The presence of this pseudo-penis is not the only thing that characterizes female hyenas: in this species they are the ones who lead the group, and they do so in a very radical way.
However, this anatomical feature gives female hyenas an advantage: they always decide when to breed, as they need to retract the clitoris to do so. Therefore, literally, males cannot force female hyenas to breed.
University of Michigan researchers have studied these animals in Masai Mara for over 30 years. In these studies, they saw how mottled hyena societies are matriarchal, in which the daughters of “alpha females” inherit the position of boss.
Why are hyena females the ones that rule?
Some researchers believe that female dominance and their unique anatomy have an explanation. Hyenas are animals that consume a lot of food and are very competitive, so dominant animals have access to the best pieces of meat.
Hyenas can eat anything: their powerful jaws allow them to slash their prey at a dizzying pace compared to lions or other carnivores, who have to tear the entire corpse apart to eat it.
The last hyenas in the hierarchy keep the remains: they eat the bones and putrefying flesh. That’s why priority access for females guarantees the best pieces of meat for their offspring, who still can’t break bones.
