Most of us get taught that in the public of lions , the males are the ones with the lustrous head of hair while   the females are more demure in appearance . But one population in   the Okavango Delta in Botswana turns this on its header . At least five females living therehave been foundto be growing head of hair ; not only that , some are also point male - associate conduct , such as roaring and mounting other females .

These atypical female lions have been known about for some metre now , but the first discipline formally describing them has been published in theAfrican Journal of Ecology . Out of 34 adult females studied , five of them were launch to be sporting a mane more usually associated with male person . One of the females , known dearly as SaF05 , run short even further , however , and was observe acting in ways more usually affiliate with the other gender .

“ While SaF05 is mostly distaff in her demeanour – staying with the pride , mating male – she also has some male conduct , such as increase scent - marking and holla , as well as mounting other females , ” co - author Geoffrey Gilfillan of the   University of Sussex   toldNew Scientist . “ Although females do bellow and scent - mark like male , they unremarkably do so less frequently . SaF05 , however , was much more male - like in her behaviour , regularly scent - marker and roar . ”

The lion on the right here is really a female know as Mmamoriri

So what is induce these female to develop a   male appearance and behavior ? The most likely explanation is an abnormal level of testosterone . When male king of beasts are castrate , for good example , they miss their mane . It could also help explain the male person - associated behaviors , and the fact that SaF05 is notably bigger than the more typical female person in her superbia . This could go some path to explain a span of the other oddness observed with these female .

Despite displaying some homosexual conduct , with SaF05 find mount other females in the superbia , she would also regularly engage in sex with the male person of the radical . Yet even though she did so on multiple occasions over a period of years , she has   yet to produce any cubs . A high level of testosterone is known to cause infertility in female lions . The maned females also be given to be larger and unattackable , grant them an vantage when taking down expectant prey like American bison and zebra .

The fact that the more masculinized females have all been reported in the same area , withpast anecdotic reportssuggesting that multiple female from the same pride have also had mane , powerfully suggests there is some genetic element to the condition . The isolated nature of the Okavango Delta in which they live , which means limited cistron flow between dissimilar reserves , could be a constituent in   why it ’s so prevalent in this one area .

[ H / T : New Scientist ]