Every 11-21 months, a female spotted hyaena can give birth to 1-4 young through her phallic clitoris, rupturing it open and taking several weeks to heal.
The spotted hyaena’s gestation period is four months. Females usually bear twins although one to four young are possible. Females are capable of producing a litter every 11 to 21 months.
The females give birth through their penis-like clitoris. During birth, the clitoris ruptures to allow the young to pass through. The resulting wound takes several weeks to heal.
• Image | © Cloudtail the Snow Leopard, Some Rights Reserved (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
• Sources | (Frank, Holekamp, & Smale, 1995; Kingdon, 1977; Kruuk, 1972; Law, 2004; Nowak, 1999)
