Female Snakes Found to Have Clitorises, Scientists Discover

Recent scientific findings have determined that female snakes do possess clitorises, dispelling the previous assumption that they lack a sexual organ. Prior studies had erroneously misidentified snakes clitorises as scent glands or undeveloped versions of penises. However, a new study published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B has revealed that snakes


Scientists discover clitorises on female snakes

Recent scientific findings have determined that female snakes do possess clitorises, dispelling the previous assumption that they lack a sexual organ.

Prior studies had erroneously misidentified snakes’ clitorises as scent glands or undeveloped versions of penises. However, a new study published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B has revealed that snakes actually have two distinct clitorises, termed hemiclitores, which are separated by tissue and concealed by skin on the underside of the tail.

Megan Folwell, the lead author of the study and a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Adelaide in Australia, expressed, “Across the animal kingdom female genitalia are overlooked in comparison to their male counterparts. Our study counters the long-standing assumption that the clitoris (hemiclitores) is either absent or non-functional in snakes.”

She added, “I know it [the clitoris] is in a lot of animals and it doesn’t make sense that it wouldn’t be in all snakes. I just had to have a look, to see if this structure was there or if it’s just been missed.”

The genitalia of male snakes and lizards, a group known as squamates, has been fully studied since the 1800s. However, the female snake genitalia has been largely overlooked, with many assuming for years that the visible organs were underdeveloped hemipenes or scent glands.

To provide a more accurate understanding of the female snake’s anatomy, Folwell and an international team of scientists analyzed adult females of nine snake species from various regions of the world, including Australia, Central America, and South America. The findings showed that the animals have two individual hemiclitores separated by connective tissue, which marked the first complete description of the animal’s clitoris known as hemiclitores in squamates.

Unlike the clitorises of lizards, the study revealed that snake sex organs lack spines or retractor muscles, but come in various sizes and slightly different locations. Additionally, the snakes’ clitorises were found to have nerve bundles and fibers that could indicate tactile sensitivity, similar to the mammalian clitoris.

According to the researchers, if male snakes were to provide sensory stimulation to the organs, it could “elicit female receptivity” and potentially contribute to longer and more frequent mating, as well as better rates of fertilization.

Commenting on the findings, researcher and University of Adelaide professor Kate Sanders said, “We found the heart-shaped snake hemiclitores is composed of nerves and red blood cells consistent with erectile tissue — which suggests that it may swell and become stimulated during mating. This is important because snake mating is often thought to involve coercion of the female — not seduction.”

Folwell emphasized the need for further research about hemiclitores, underscoring the significance of their discovery as an essential first step. She noted, “We are proud to contribute this research, particularly as female genitalia across every species is unfortunately still taboo.”


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