![]() chimpanzees), tend to have longer and more conspicuous penises. Penis size may also be related to group composition and sexual competition in that primate males living in groups with many females and many males (e.g. Neither orangutan nor gorilla exhibit a chimpanzee/bonobo-like filiform penis, and both, like humans also posses a glans penis. Orangutans have smaller penises (erect length ~ 8.5 cm) and gorilla penises are even smaller (erect length ~ 6 cm). It has been argued that the long and narrow penises of chimpanzees and bonobos have been shaped by coevolution with the large sexual swelling in the females of these species, which greatly increase the distance between vaginal opening and cervix. Bonobos also have two small lobes at the tip of their filiform penis. Unlike humans, chimpanzee and bonobo penises are filiform (tapered into a narrow tip) with no visible glans penis. This is true for penile girth, but not for length given that chimpanzee and bonobo erect penis length is comparable to that of humans (erect length 14 - 17 cm). Say what you will about animal penises but they’re a perfect example of how fascinating, diverse, and maybe a bit weird, nature truly is.Humans are often claimed to have the largest penises among primates. The more complex penises belong to primates like bushbabies and lemurs, who mate with many partners in their lifetime. Primates with simpler penises tend to be monogamous (only have one partner) or polygynous (mate with only a few partners). We are the only primate without a bone in the penis and have a relatively more simple structure. The size and shape of penises in primates vary too and compared to other animals, the human penis is actually rather dull. In fact, humans have a proportionately large penis size compared to their body size – but length is not everything (am I right?). The largest gorilla will only have a penis that is two and half inches long when erect. However, the penis size of many primates is much compared to the testes. To put that into perspective, a human’s testis is only 50 grams, so chimps have a testis that is 3 times that! ![]() This is a third of the size of its brain. To accommodate this increased level of sperm production, the chimpanzee’s testis is relatively large, at a weight of 150 to 170 grams. The more sperm produced, the more likely it is that the female’s offspring will have that chimp’s DNA (which is the main goal in all primates, and indeed many animals). This results in sperm competition whereby each of the males need to produce lots of sperm to outcompete the other males. ![]() What’s more, each of these females are only fertile about once or twice every four years! So, a large penis is not exactly necessary.Ĭhimpanzees are pretty promiscuous creatures with several males mating with one female whilst she is fertile. Silverback males own a group of three-four females, known as a harem, who are constantly either pregnant or breastfeeding. Whilst this may seem surprising, gorillas don’t need massive genitals given the sexual dynamics of this species. Did you know that male silverback gorillas weigh around 250 kilograms, but their penis and testes are only 10 grams? That’s equivalent to a vending machine having a testis the weight of 10 paperclips. ![]()
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