Scientists finally found the clitoris on snakes – and there are two

Corryn Wetzel is a writer.

The first evidence of the sexual organ in snakes is that female snakes have two clitorises. There are at least nine snake species that have a hemiclitoris.

There is a lot of knowledge about male snake genitalia, but not much about female snake genitalia. There was a lot of research about whether or not the clitoris existed. The University of Michigan has a collection of female snake specimen.

It didn't take a lot to find it. She says you have to peel back the skin to see it. The hemiclitores were found on the underside of the snake's tail.

Micro-CT scans showed a range of hemiclitoris sizes. The cantil viper is native to Mexico and has the largest hemiclitoris of the nine species. The common death adder was one of the species they examined. She thinks most of the female snake species have hemiclitores.

Like male snakes and lizards, females' hemiclitores are made of sensitive nerves and sexual tissue. Unlike hemipenes, the females don't have hooks to help them get intimate.

Richard Shine, who was not involved in the work, said that the work provided irrefutable proof that the clitoris is there. It is a great leap forward in our understanding of the sex lives of animals.

The female side of the study of animal genitalia gets lost. There is a great community of scientists looking into female genitalia.

The journal has a reference to the Royal Society B.

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