Animal leaders are key to guiding a group’s movement, managing social bonds, and passing on crucial survival skills to young. Let’s take a closer look at some species where matriarchs take the lead.
1. Elephants
Elephants are one of the most iconic examples of matriarchal animals. Herds are led by the oldest and most experienced female, also known as the matriarch. She has the most important job as she decides where the group travels, when they move, and how the group rears their young. Her age works to her advantage as she draws on years of experience. Elephants have great memories, and they can remember information on past natural disasters, food sources, and how to guide groups safely.
Within the herd, elephants form extremely strong emotional bonds. Females will form groups and tend to stay together for life, participating in the collective care of calves. Males, on the other hand, typically leave the herd once they reach their teenage years. They’ll wander off to live either independently or form smaller groups—called bachelor groups—comprised of a few other males.
2. Bees
At the center of every hive is a queen, a bee who only has a single job—to lay eggs. In a single day, she can produce up to 2,000 eggs, ensuring the next generation of bees will be ready. To communicate, she releases special pheromones (chemical signals) to tell her workers just what she needs.
Pheromones can influence everything from behavior to development. If the queen is healthy and strong, she will tell the rest of the bees to continue with maintenance. If, however, the queen is weak, or if she has reached the end of her life, her pheromone production will drop, telling the worker bees that she can no longer keep reproducing. When this happens, the hive will begin to raise a new queen.
3. Orcas
Whether you call them orcas or killer whales, one this is for certain—they are fierce apex predators. In addition to being extremely intelligent, orcas are also remarkably social, living in tight-knit matriarchal families.
Like elephants, pods are usually led by the oldest female. Unlike elephants, both orca sons and daughters will stay with their mothers for life. This means that when an orca is born into a pod, it will likely stay within that pod for the rest of its life. Males play less of a role in caring for young, but they are crucial for coordinating hunting efforts. Daughters may go on to have calves of their own, but even then, they will stay within the same pod, continuing to support and grow the family.
4. Spotted Hyenas
Female spotted hyenas are larger and more aggressive than males. Leaders are chosen based on experience and strength; an important joy because they are responsible for leading clans that can hold over a hundred members.
Along with their formidable demeanors, female spotted hyenas possess a unique anatomical adaptation that reflects their dominance—a pseudopenis. This large genital structure, which closely resembles a male penis, is multi-functional and is used for urination and mating. It has been proposed that the pseudopenis gives females more control over who they choose to mate with.
5. Lions
Most people, when they picture a lion, imagine a male, impressive and striking with his long mane. However, contrary to popular belief, lion prides are actually run by the lionesses. While male lions come and go, it is the females that stay within a pride for life and keep things running.
Females that are related (mothers, daughters, sisters etc.) will form lasting bonds, bonds that allow them to hunt, raise cubs, and defend territory together. Mothers will nurse each other’s young and raise litters together, creating a network that continues generation after generation.
6. Bonobos
Similar to chimpanzees, bonobos are very closely related to humans. Interestingly, their societies are dominated by female alliances and leaders. Members who are born to high-ranking females will usually take over as the next leaders of the group.
Unlike other great apes, bonobos have a unique culture where sexual behavior is often used as an avenue of conflict resolution. They will use copulation to calm tensions and strengthen bonds. In other words, it is not always related to reproduction and plays a role in maintaining group morale and harmony.
7. Ring-Tailed Lemurs
With ring-tailed lemurs, it is the females who call the shots. In the group, the highest-ranking female is termed the alpha female, and she has the first pick of everything—the best food, mates, and resting spots. This matriarchal structure is key to maintaining group harmony and ensuring stability.
Male lemurs have a more transient role. They move between groups looking for chances to mate, sometimes seen engaging in “stink fights” with other males to assert dominance. In these contests, males will rub glands located on their tails on rivals as a mark of their strength. Without a permanent group to belong to, males face unique challenges and have to tread carefully in order to survive.
