Well I did a striped hyena the other day so I thought a (spotted) laughing hyena should be next. It is the largest of the hyena species and the one termed ‘laughing hyena’. They are a matriarchal society. It’s jaws beat out the jaws of a brown bear in bone crushing ability. Another interesting note is that amongst female mammals, the spotted hyena is the only one without a vaginal opening. Instead their clitoris is shaped and positioned like a pseudo-penis with spines just like the males and are capable of erections. They also have a pseudo-scrotum and pseudo-testes. The only difference is males are more pronounced. The male enters the female’s reproductive tract through the pseudo-penis. The positioning of the pseudo-scrotum/testes makes copulation more laborious for males and ensured that rape is nearly impossible. Females must retract their clitoris in order for the male to proceed. Litters consist of one to two pups, on rare occasions three. Males have no part in raising the young. Their vocalizations range from whooping, giggles, and maniacal laughter. Thus, the term ‘laughing hyena’.