Did you know that hyenas endure one of the most dangerous and painful births in the entire animal kingdom?

Female hyenas are born with a pseudo-penis — an elongated clitoris that looks almost identical to a male’s organ. Their labia are fused, forming what appears to be a scrotum.

When it’s time to give birth, the cub must pass through this extremely narrow canal. In most first-time mothers, the pseudo-penis ruptures during labor. Tragically, many cubs suffocate before they can be born, and some mothers don’t survive their first delivery.