Study discovers clitoris in female snakes and changes perception of mating

A study by Australian and US scientists proved for the first time the presence of the clitoris in female snakes.

The research, published today in the scientific journal Proceedings Of The Royal Society, analyzed nine reptile species through body dissection and 3D X-ray techniques.

According to the study, the team of scientists reviewed previous studies that described the physiological makeup of snakes through cell analysis. The first samples analyzed for research were death snakes.

A group led by University of Adelaide researcher Megan Folwell found the organ described as triangular (like the heart), rich in nerves and possibly increasing in size when stimulated during mating.

The clitoris of snakes was found in the tail area, near the scent glands and under the animals’ cloaca.

The organ has been likened to the hemipenis, the reproductive organ of male snakes.

A quote from the publication states, “These factors conclusively suggest that the snake hemiclitoris plays an important role in the mating process, and that the hemiclitoris is not underdeveloped hemipenes or olfactory glands as has been erroneously pointed out earlier.”

Scientists expect that the discovery of the clitoris will help future research on the reproductive system and the evolution of snakes.

“The discovery is important because ordinarily, snake mating is not conceived as a seduction process, but as a state of coercion by females,” Kate Sanders, another biologist involved in the study, told the press.

Pleasure tool?

In nature, by that time, the clitoris had already been described in several mammalian species. Science is still unclear as to whether it corresponds to the ability to enjoy during sexual interaction in all cases.

In dolphins, however, a 2019 study published in the American Association of Anatomists by researchers Dara Orbach and Patricia Brennan noted not only the marine mammal organ’s similarity to females, but also the animal’s ability to enjoy and persist even without sexual intercourse. reproductive purpose.