5 Animals That Are Both Male And Female, And They're Not What You Think

The fact is, the only constant in life is change. But some lives get more change than others. And not all changes are equal in scope. You might not think so, but humans aren't the only animals that have a complicated relationship with the male and female idea. There are many, many animals that not only take on characteristics of the opposite gender, but that can do a wholesale swap. And it does them a lot of good!

You can't tell whether a spotted hyena is male or female just by looking at it because both males and females appear to sport male equipment. Female hyenas are unique among mammals — they're the only ones without an external vaginal opening. Instead, their "clitoris is enormously elongated to form this fully erectile pseudopenis through which they urinate, copulate and give birth," says spotted hyena expert Kay Holekamp of Michigan State University.

10. Chicken That's right; even ordinary barnyard-standard chickens have been known to change it up. It doesn't happen often, but hens can have a successful career laying eggs and go on to take over the roost, grow a comb, and crow the neighborhood awake. The Guardian | Evan Kafka | Getty Images

Jineesh Mallishery 6. Marsh Harriers Just like the giant cuttlefish, smaller male marsh harriers will mimic females with their coloring to get closer to females without aggressive males noticing. However, it's not just younger marsh harriers, as more than 40 percent of them will keep the female coloring for their whole lives.

Main image via reddit / popstarpoop 12. Cushion Starfish You can't tell just by looking at it, but the cushion starfish starts its life as a male, and as it grows, it becomes female.