Female spotted hyenas give birth through an elongated, tube‑like clitoris (often called a pseudo‑penis), making their deliveries some of the most physically difficult and dangerous of any mammal. Cubs are relatively large, the birth canal is extremely narrow, and first births often tear this structure, which can kill the cubs and, in some cases, the mother.

Quick Scoop

  • Female spotted hyenas have masculinized genitalia; the urogenital canal runs through an enlarged clitoris that looks and functions very much like a penis, and this is the only passage for mating, urination, and birth.
  • During labor, the cubs (often around 1–2 in a litter) must pass through a canal that can be only about an inch wide, while they are among the largest carnivore newborns relative to the mother’s body size.
  • In first‑time mothers, the clitoral canal typically tears as the cubs emerge, which is painful and medically risky; some mothers die in this first labor, and many firstborn cubs suffocate or are fatally injured during passage.
  • Birth usually happens in a den—sometimes a private natal den—where the mother hides away to deliver, then stays to nurse her cubs with very rich milk for many months before slowly introducing them to the clan’s communal areas.
  • Later pregnancies are generally a bit easier because scar tissue leaves a wider opening, slightly reducing the danger compared with the first birth, though the process is still unusually challenging compared with most mammals.

In wildlife documentaries and recent viral forum threads, hyena birth is often described as “one of the most brutal ways to be born,” reflecting just how extreme this reproductive system is compared with other carnivores.

TL;DR: Hyenas give birth through a narrow pseudo‑penis, forcing large cubs through a tight canal in a den, making first births especially dangerous for both mother and young.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.