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Spotted hyena births are not for the faint of heart. In the final stages of pregnancy, high-ranking female spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) expose their fetuses to high levels of androgen, a male sex hormone linked to aggression, Live Science previously reported. This extra androgen can make the pups more aggressive, giving them an edge over their peers, but it can also cause the mother's reproductive organs to grow. For instance, the clitoris, which contains the birth canal, can extend 7 inches (18 centimeters) from the body, Kay Holekamp, a professor of integrative biology at Michigan State University, told Live Science in 2006."Imagine giving birth through a penis," Holekamp said. "It's really weird genitalia, but it seems to work. Although giving birth through a 'penis' isn't a trivial problem."What's more, the hyena's birth canal is just an inch (2.5 cm) in diameter, and a 2-lb. (0.9 kilograms) pup can rip through the tissue as it exits the mother. Poor Moms can die from these rips, as is evidenced by the high death rate among first-time hyena mothers, Live Science reported.
Animal Moms Have It Tough! 5 Extreme Creature Births
Spotted hyena births are not for the faint of heart. In the final stages of pregnancy, high-ranking female spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) expose their fetuses to high levels of androgen, a male sex hormone linked to aggression, Live Science previously reported. This extra androgen can make the pups more aggressive, giving them an edge over their peers, but it can also cause the mother's reproductive organs to grow. For instance, the clitoris, which contains the birth canal, can extend 7 inches (18 centimeters) from the body, Kay Holekamp, a professor of integrative biology at Michigan State University, told Live Science in 2006."Imagine giving birth through a penis," Holekamp said. "It's really weird genitalia, but it seems to work. Although giving birth through a 'penis' isn't a trivial problem."What's more, the hyena's birth canal is just an inch (2.5 cm) in diameter, and a 2-lb. (0.9 kilograms) pup can rip through the tissue as it exits the mother. Poor Moms can die from these rips, as is evidenced by the high death rate among first-time hyena mothers, Live Science reported.