The hemipenis can be found in the base of the tail.

The hemipenis itself has a variety of shapes, depending on species.

Often, the hemipenis bears spines or hooks, in order to anchor the male within the female.

Some species even have forked hemipenes (each hemipenis has two tips).

The hemipenis is retracted inside of the body when mating is not occurring.

To become erect, a hemipenis is evaginated (turned inside out) through muscle action and engorgement with blood.

The resulting stress causes her cloaca to open, and aids the male in inserting his hemipenis.

Postcloacal or hemipenial bones are also known, which are part of the hemipenis in male individuals.

The single hemipenis has a forked sulcus spermaticus and three large basal spines.

Variation of hemipenis and cloaca in the colubrid snake, Calamaria lumbricoidea.

Furcifer nicosiai can be distinguished from F. verrucosus by its smaller size, different colour patterns, and the orientation of its hemipenis.

The male vasas' cloaca is able to invert into a hemipenis, which becomes erect during mating - a feature unique to the genus.

The morphology of the hemipenis in various species has been helpful in elucidating their relationships, as little is known about the evolutionary origins of the genus.

Tucano people under the influence of hallucinogens have created artwork featuring various symbols of masculinity, with some representations bearing strong resemblance to the hemipenis.

Vertebrates (such as reptiles, some fish, and most birds) reproduce with internal fertilization through cloacal copulation (see also hemipenis), while mammals copulate vaginally.

Rhacodactylus geckos are sexually dimorphic, with the males possessing larger preanal pores than the females as well as a distinct hemipenis pocket.

The lizard's hemipenis is visible at times, an organ that has been described as "aberrant" in shape, and a "small, red stick" that gives the animal special powers.

Hemipenis forked near the tip ; it is spinose throughout, the spines being of moderate size, closely set and becoming slightly larger as they approach the proximal end.

A hemipenis (plural hemipenes) is one of a pair of intromittent organs of male squamates (snakes, lizards and worm lizards).

Most species seem readily distinguishable by morphological characters, but for some time the genus was used as a wastebin taxon for smaller chameleons from sub-Saharan Africa with a plesiomorphic hemipenis.

The tuatara has not fully evolved the hemipenis, but instead has shallow paired outpocketings of the posterior wall of the cloaca that have been determined to be precursors to the hemipenis.

B. slowinskii differs from all congeners except B. bungaroides by the combination of wide black and narrow white rings on body and tail, dorsal scales arranged in 15 rows, divided subcaudals, and clear zone of demarcation between calyculate and spinose zones of hemipenis.