Clitoris Discovered ın Snakes
Researchers discovered that female snakes have clitoris. The scientists said this discovery means there may be seduction and pleasure in snake mating. Lead researcher Megan Folwell stated that there is a belief in the scientific world that female snakes do not have sexual organs, but snake penises have been examined in detail.
A study in Australia has revealed new information about snakes.
For a long time, it was thought that this species, whose females do not have sexual organs in snake mating, only reproduces to ensure its continuity.
Male snakes were discovered to have penises and the organ was studied for many years, but not so for female snakes.
With the new study, scientists detected the presence of the clitoris in female snakes. This disproved the assumption that female snakes do not have genitals.
Recently published research provides the first appropriate anatomical descriptions of the female snake genitalia. Doctoral candidate and lead researcher Megan Folwell said the discovery was not difficult, but the female genitalia was ignored in the studies.
In explaining this, Folwell cited a number of factors, including “female genitalia being taboo, researchers haven’t found it, and people accepting the mislabeling of intersex snakes.”
HAS TWO SEPARATE CLITORS
According to the information revealed, snakes have two separate clitoris – hemiclitoris – separated by tissue and hidden on the underside of the tail. The double-walled organ is made up of nerves, collagen and red blood cells that are compatible with erectile tissue, the researchers said.
Physician-candidate researcher Folwell found an unacceptable judgment for himself when he looked at the literature he had read about the snake’s female reproductive organs. The general belief was that female snakes do not have an organ that performs this function, and that they have descended through evolution.
“I know the clitoris is in many animals, and it doesn’t make sense that it’s not in all snakes. I had to take a look to see if this structure was there or if it had been overlooked,” Megan Folwell said.
The young researcher began his studies with a viper and found the heart-shaped clitoris alongside the scent glands that the snake uses to attract mating partners.
“The female had this dual structure that was quite different, quite different from the surrounding tissue – and the [penis] structures I had seen before had no effect,” Megan Folwell said.
His team then checked this in various snakes. In total, nine different snake species were studied. The size of the hemiclitoris was variable but prominent.
“This discovery shows how science needs different thinkers with different ideas to move forward,” Follwell said.
IMPORTANCE OF RESEARCH
The finding now allows for new theories about snake sex that could include female stimulation and pleasure.
Scientist Folwell says until now researchers believed that snake sex was “mostly coercion and forcing the male snake to mate.”
This was because the male snakes were physically quite aggressive during mating, while the female was more “calm”.
“But now that the clitoris is in place, we can begin to look more at seduction and stimulation as another form of the female being more willful and possibly mating with the male,” Megan Folwell said.
It also sheds new light on the default snake foreplay. Male snakes usually wrap around their mates’ tails, where the clitoris is located. “There are many behaviors that potentially signal that they might be there to alert the female,” Folwell said.
