12 Lady Animal Power Players

ALL HAIL THE QUEEN: BEES

The title isn't official, but queen bees are basically royalty. The female insect is the only member of the hive to develop reproductive powers. She chooses the drones she wants to mate with and keeps the colony populated. For all her hard work, she is fed royal jelly, a substance that is found on drone bees' heads. The queen is the only one treated to this snack.  (WiseGeek)

LEADER OF THE PACK: ELEPHANTS

We may not have a female president yet, but elephants have been led by ladies for as long as they can remember. The oldest female elephant is usually the head of the herd and is looked to for guidance in times of crisis. Daughters are often taught by the matriarch, to ensure that the same leadership qualities are passed on to future matriarchs. (Andrew's Elephants)

NO LAUGHING MATTER: HYENAS

When it comes to mating, female hyenas don't mess around. The animal ensures that her mate knows she is the dominant one by flashing him her pseudo-penis and being physically larger than her partner. The females also hold control over the social structure of the pack, keeping everyone in line with their aggressive behavior. 

CLIMBING THE LADDER: BONOBOS

Bonobos have lady-dominated societies, with the female Bonobos forming the power structure and making the decisions for the group. A new female  in the group must work her way into the "it" crowd to be taken seriously. This social climbing is often done by having same-sex relations with the alpha female. (Discovery)

HIGH ALERT: MEERKATS

To be a female meerkat, you have to be a great multitasker. As part of matriarchal society, female meerkats are responsible for raising children, choosing mates, planning tunnels and foraging for food. (Wikia)

A LEG UP: SPIDERS

Many species of spiders have females that dwarf the males. The domination doesn't end there; many female spiders decide to get rid of two urges at once. If the male is puny enough, after mating, the female will consume him to satiate her appetite. (NBC News)

HITCHING A RIDE: ANGLERFISH

Female anglerfish have a pretty impressive system for nabbing a man. Male anglerfish are born naturally smaller and weaker than females; meanwhile, their strong sense of smell leads them to their mate. Once they find the female, the male bites and fuses to her. Eventually the male fully fuses to the female until only his gonads are left, which the female later uses to impregnate herself. (The Oatmeal)

MY SIZE MALE: RAPTORS

Researchers are still uncertain why female raptors are larger than males, but they believe it is all about control. Science thinks that the females have adapted to be larger so they can dominate smaller males and ward off aggressive mates. The larger females are also able to muscle males into sticking around and providing food after the chicks are born. (Standford)

UNDER MY WING: MYOTIS BATS

Black Myotis females are one of the lucky lady animals that have sexual dimorphism in their favor. In this species of bat, the females are larger than the male, which makes it easier for them to call the shots with their mates. (Arkive)

LADIES' CHOICE: LEMURS

Like the meerkat, lemurs live in a female-dominant society. Groups of these animals have one alpha female who makes the choices for all the others. These decisions include first choice of mates and first look at every food haul. It pays to be the queen, in this case. (Lemurs)

PLAYING HARD TO GET: HUMMINGBIRDS

Similar to other reversed sexually dimorphic species, in hummingbirds the female is larger than the male. Additionally, the lady birds have longer bills which allow them to feast from flowers that the males can't reach. Even with all this extra access, females still expect males to create appealing flower territories for them. (Amherst)