video covers the ins and outs of hyena genitalia, so if that's not something you're keen

這支影片包含了鬣狗生殖器的進進出出，所以若是那不是你想知道的東西

to learn about, you can check out some of our other videos.

你可以看看我們的其他影片

But from the comments on our recent hyena video, we learned that a lot of people are

但是從我們近期鬣狗影片的留言看來，我們得知很多人

really curious about what, exactly, is going on with hyena genitalia.

其實很好奇鬣狗的生殖器究竟是怎麼一回事

And they're not alone - everyone from Aristotle to Hemingway to a host of modern scientists

這些人並不孤單 - 包含亞里斯多德和海明威，和一群現代科學家

has been interested in why, exactly, female spotted hyenas seem to have penises.

都很好奇究竟為什麼雌性斑點鬣狗會看似擁有陰莖

Females urinate through these 7-inch long phalluses, and they're fully erectile.

雌鬣狗透過這些七英吋長 (約 18 公分) 的陰莖排尿，而且它們還是硬得起來的

But since they don't deliver sperm, they aren't actually penises - they're elongated

但由於它們不會射精，它們並不是真正的陰莖 - 它們是延伸的

clitorises.

陰蒂

Spotted hyenas are the only hyena species to sport these so-called pseudopenises, and

斑點鬣狗是唯一一種有這類俗稱假陰莖的鬣狗品種

while a few other female mammals have male-like genitalia, the spotted hyena's is the most

雖然其他一些雌性哺乳動物也有類雄性生殖器，斑點鬣狗的卻是目前為止最像雄性的一種

male-like by far - complete with a pseudoscrotum.

- 擁有一副假陰囊

All the female reproductive parts are there, but the entrance is so unwieldy that females

所有雌性生殖系統都在，不過那個入口實在太過難用

have to mate - and give birth - through what's essentially a penis.

雌鬣狗不論交配或是分娩，都是要透過這根實際的陰莖

Mating via pseudopenis is about as awkward as you might imagine [speak slowly].

透過假陰莖交配就和你或許想像得到的一樣詭異 [慢慢地說]

In order to make sex possible, the female actually has to retract her pseudopenis, so

為了能夠成功性交，雌鬣狗實際上必須縮回她的假陰莖

male hyenas can't force females to have sex.

所以雄鬣狗沒辦法逼迫雌鬣狗性交

And speaking of which, we got a lot of comments about female hyenas forcing sex on males,

說到這點，我們得到許多留言在說雌鬣狗硬上雄鬣狗

but there just isn't any evidence that this ever happens.

不過就是沒有任何證據表示這曾經發生

Then, there's giving birth, which involves forcing a 4-pound cub through an inch-wide,

然後是分娩，要把一個重四磅 (約 1.8 公斤) 的小獵狗推擠出寬一英吋 (約 2.5 公分) 、

23-inch-long birth canal, which is...not easy.

長 23 英吋 (約 58 公分) 的產道，那其實 ... 很不簡單

For first-time moms, somewhere around 60 percent of cubs get stuck in this gauntlet and suffocate

對於初次生產的鬣狗媽媽，有大約六成的小鬣狗在出生之前就卡在這個長管道中

before they're even born.

窒息而死

And a dead cub stuck in a mom's pseudopenis can be fatal for her, too.

一隻死了的小鬣狗卡在媽媽的假陰莖對她來說也可能致命

A hyena's pseudopenis actually has to rip for her to give birth successfully, which

鬣狗的假陰莖事實上必須裂開才能讓她順產

leaves behind a stretchy patch that does make birth easier the next time.

那會留下一道有彈性的斑，讓下一次的分娩能夠更容易

In our earlier video, we talked about why it sucks to be a male hyena, but there's

在我們早先的影片中，我們說到為什麼當個雄鬣狗糟透了

also a lot that sucks about being a female hyena.

不過當個雌鬣狗其實也會遇到一堆糟糕事

So why do they have such incredibly unwieldy genitalia?

所以為什麼牠們有這樣難使的生殖器？

Is fending off male suitors so critical that pseudopenises evolved as protection?

是否是為了閃避緊迫盯人的雄鬣狗才演化出來作為保護機制呢？

Doubtful - females are dominant enough to keep suitors in check without any help.

這說法令人懷疑，雌鬣狗已經強勢到足以單靠己力制約追求者

Are female hyenas trying to confuse others into thinking they're males?

雌鬣狗是否試著藉此誘騙其他鬣狗以為牠是公的呢？

Probably not - even experienced humans can tell what's pseudo and what's not, and

或許不是，即使是有經驗的人類都能分辨出假陰莖

hyenas have lots of other ways of distinguishing females from males.

而且鬣狗還有其他更多方法能夠辨別雌雄

So far, we just don't have a convincing explanation for why nature has also given

目前看來，對於為什麼大自然也給了雌鬣狗陰莖，我們就是還沒有

female hyenas the shaft.

一個令人信服的解釋

There's now a laughably easy way for you to raise money for charity.

現在有一個簡單得好笑的方式能夠讓你為慈善募款

Click on the link in the description and download the web browser extension from Tab for a Cause,

點擊描述中的鏈接，下載來自 Tab for a Cause 的網路瀏覽器擴充功能

our sponsor for this video.

它也是我們今日影片的贊助人

Every time you open a new tab, Tab for a Cause will make a tiny donation on your behalf to

每當你打開一個新視窗， Tab for a Cause 就會以你的名義小額捐款

a charity like Action Against Hunger, which is committed to helping malnourished children.

到慈善機構如 Action Against Hunger，此機構致力於幫助營養不良兒童

If you're like me and get lost in a sea of browser tabs every day, those microdonations

若是你像我一樣終日迷路於茫茫視窗中，這些小額捐款可會積沙成塔

add up; tabbers have already raised $400,000 dollars just by surfing the web.

僅僅只是上網瀏覽，使用者已募款達四十萬美金