Hyena breeding in the wild. Striped hyena: description, lifestyle, characteristics and interesting facts

In Africa, an inexperienced traveler faces numerous dangers at every turn. This continent is inhabited by various animals, which are better not to meet alone. These are not only lions, crocodiles, leopards, cheetahs, rhinos, elephants, but also hyenas. At night, these flocking predators become more active, and woe to the traveler who did not have time to make a big fire and stock up on firewood for the whole night.

spotted hyena - largest representative scavenging mammals. It embodies to the greatest extent all the habits, features and structure characteristic of this species. The body length of the spotted hyena is from 95 to 166 cm, the tail is from 26 to 36 cm, and the height of the withers is about 80 cm.

This view, although it has a relatively small size, but dangerous to humans, especially in a flock. These are very ferocious predators. Spotted hyenas are the only mammals whose jaws are capable of creating tremendous pressure (from 50 to 70 kg per sq. cm). They easily gnaw the bones of a hippopotamus. Spotted hyenas are listed in the Red Book. They live in natural conditions up to 25 years, in captivity - up to forty.

Spotted Hyena Habitat - Wild Africa

This type of predator can only be found in Africa. The most common habitat for spotted hyenas is the entire area south of the Sahara. This is mainly the south and east of Africa, next to the Ngorongoro Crater, in Kenya, the Serengeti, Botswana and Namibia.

Wild Africa is rich in desert and jungle, but spotted hyenas are not found there. Their favorite places to live are savannahs. These animals are not very friendly with other representatives of their species, therefore, striped and brown hyenas are often driven out of their inhabited places.

What does a spotted hyena look like?

Representatives of this species have a wide black muzzle, resembling a dog, with rounded ears. Spotted hyenas have very powerful jaws, a sloping back, hind legs shorter than the front. Despite the uneven height of the legs, hyenas are able to reach speeds of up to 65 km / h. The limbs of predators are four-fingered, the claws are not retractable. When running, hyenas step on their toes. The coat of animals is short, except for coarse hair on the back and neck, which form a mane.

Color

The spotted hyena has several color options. It can be dark or light. Coat color - yellow-brown with dark or light brown spots on the body. The muzzle is black, on the back of the head it has a reddish tint. Head brown, without spots. The limbs of the legs are tinged with grey. The tail is brown with a black tip.

Voice

The spotted hyena emits up to 11 different lingering howls, more like "laughter", these animals use to communicate with each other. During fights for prey, they "giggle", "laugh", growl and shout. Moans and squeals are used to greet.

Interestingly, the flock rarely or late reacts to the sounds of males, and immediately to the signals given by females. Low growls and grunting sounds (with closed mouth) express aggression. A high-pitched, cackling-like "laughter" is made when agitated or in danger (such as when a hyena is being chased). Predators use a loud and deep vibrating growl before attacking and defending as a threat. When a lion appears, the hyena signals to its brethren with a loud, low growl.

Hierarchy in flocks

Wild hyenas live in matriarchal clans, in areas up to 1800 square meters. km. In flocks there is a rigid hierarchy. Females dominate the opposite sex. However, there is an additional division between them. Adults are considered in charge. They are the first to start eating, rest at the entrance to the den, grow more offspring. Females with a lower position in the pack do not receive such privileges, but belong to the middle of the hierarchy.

Males occupy the lowest rung. At the same time, they also have a similar division. High-ranking individuals have priority access to females. Nevertheless, all demonstrate a general submissiveness to the other sex. For breeding, males often join new flocks.

Among spotted hyenas, inter-clan wars for habitat constantly occur. The boundaries of the territory are constantly patrolled by these predators and are demarcated by feces, as well as anal secretions of odorous glands. The number of one clan can reach from 10 to 100 individuals.

Sex organs

The spotted hyena has unique genitalia. All females have an organ in the form of a penis. Only an experienced specialist can distinguish the gender of these animals. The female genitalia resemble those of the male. The clitoris is very similar to the penis. Below it is the scrotum. The urogenital canal passes through the clitoris.

Enemies of spotted hyenas

These predators have "eternal" rivals. Lions and hyenas are constantly competing. This struggle takes sometimes cruel forms. Hyenas love to attack small lion cubs and often kill old and sick adults. In response, the lions destroy the hyenas. The war between predators is also for food. Lions and hyenas often chase each other away from their prey. The victory goes to the more numerous "detachment".

What can hyenas eat? Wildlife has created unique "orderlies". These predators are able to absorb everything - skin, bones, hooves, horns, teeth, wool and feces. All this is digested in the stomach during the day. These predators also feed on dead animals that are almost completely decomposed.

However, 50% of the diet of spotted hyenas are the corpses of ungulates (rhinos, zebras, gazelles, antelopes, etc.). Predators often pursue sick and old animals. They also feed on hares, porcupines, gazelles, warthogs and many other animals. For example, a pack of hyenas can even attack such giants as a giraffe, a rhinoceros and a hippopotamus.

Hunting

These predators retain a reputation for being cowardly, but this is far from being the case. According to numerous studies, hyenas are excellent hunters that excel lions in this art. These scavengers are most active at night. In search of food, hyenas travel long distances - up to 70 kilometers in one day. During the day, they hunt less often, preferring to rest in the shade or lie in the water in shallow water.

The hunting of hyenas consists in exhausting the prey with a long run. These predators can run a huge distance. When they overtake prey, they gnaw through the main blood arteries on their paws. Hyenas do not strangle their victims, like many other predators, but begin to tear the still living flesh.

Hunting is different. They go out to a medium-sized gazelle singly, to antelopes - in small groups of 3 to 4 individuals. When hunting, they make different sounds, but more often - “laughter”, turning into a drawn-out howl.

Thanks to the excellent sense of smell, African hyenas able to smell carrion at a distance of more than 4 kilometers. They use sight and hearing to hunt. Despite the eternal war with lions, hyenas will not be able to take their prey if there is an adult healthy male in the enemy camp.

The spotted African predator is an amazing animal. The hyena has a certain cowardice in its habits, which can best be called caution. She is very aggressive and cheeky. If the hyena is hungry, it is able to bite even large animals. In hunting, he tries to use his huge jaw strength, fast running and ferocity. A hungry hyena can also attack people. At the same time, she is so strong that she can carry away the human body at a gallop with ease and alone.

reproduction

To breed, the spotted hyena uses the burrows of other animals or small caves. Cubs, despite its aggressiveness, she does not eat. Increased viciousness is due to the high content of the hormone androgen. But this quality is given by nature to protect offspring, so that females can protect and feed their cubs, which reach puberty only by 3 years.

Offspring appear before the start of the rainy season. Females carry cubs for approximately 100 days. One litter can contain up to four babies at the same time. They are born already sighted and with good hearing. After 3 months, the babies already weigh over 14 kg.

If the cubs are same-sex, then almost immediately after birth, a struggle to the death begins between them. Spotted hyenas feed their offspring with milk for more than a year, but nevertheless, this does not prevent the young from starting to hunt and eat fully from the first months of life.

The benefits of hyenas in nature

These animals occupy one of the main places in maintaining the savannah ecosystem. These are natural "nurses". They kill nearly 12% of the Serengetti each year, allowing herbivores to keep their species' density within reasonable limits. Basically, old or sick animals fall into the teeth of spotted hyenas.

About the hyena.

For some time now it has been considered that hyenas are carrion animals that feed exclusively on the corpses of animals, but scientists have proven that this saying is fundamentally erroneous, proving the participation of these animals in the list of the most perfect and dangerous predators that exist on earth.

The hyena has excellent hearing and sense of smell, which helps the animal to track down the prey, and the hunting tactic is to drive the prey into a corner without losing.

An adult is capable of speeds up to 60 - 65 km / h, so a predator can catch up with an antelope or a zebra.

Hyenas are fairly large animals. The weight of an adult reaches 75 kilograms, and the length is 2 meters.

Night is the time for hunting, although during the daytime predators are also able to go in search of prey. Most often during daylight hours they rest in burrows or rocky caves.

Hyenas are tied to a habitat, the boundaries of which are marked with a special secret. Most often, predators live in packs of 4 to 7 individuals, but they hunt only alone.

Hyenas transmit information to other members of the species with the help of screams, as well as sounds that are elusive to the human ear. Their barking is more like laughter and can be heard within a radius of 2 kilometers.

Predators breed throughout the year, but the peak falls on the period from September to January. The female's pregnancy lasts a little over 3 months.

At a time, a hyena gives birth to no more than 2 puppies. Unlike other mammals, babies are born with open eyes, and in case of danger they can run almost immediately after birth.

The birth of several females takes place in a hole or pit overgrown with grass, from where the cubs do not come out until they reach the age of 8 months. Puppies remain under the supervision of one female, while the rest go hunting, returning every 2 hours to feed their cubs with milk.

Females never bring prey into the burrow, excluding the possibility of other predators sniffing out the place where the pups hide – easy prey.

Hyena jaws are a dangerous weapon. A stranglehold, as well as strong pressure, block the victim almost immediately. With the help of sharp fangs, a predator is able to gnaw even the hip bone of a bison.

Hyenas love to escape from the scorching heat by taking baths in a pond or river.

Recently, scientists have learned that hyenas are not only predators, but also herbivores. Animals love to eat the pulp of melon or watermelon, as well as nuts or various seeds.

Over the past hundred years, the population and number of hyenas has declined sharply. The reason for this was the mass destruction of individuals due to their systematic raids on pastures of farmers. The development of new territories by humans also affected the massive decline in the number of predators.

Hyena. Interesting Facts

Two interesting features hyenas are their crackling laughter and long front legs. After reading this article, you will learn facts about hyenas...

At one mention of hyenas, many people imagine animals resembling dogs that live in Africa and Asia. Animal lovers, of course, know about their special laughter. Hyenas call, crackle, and make other sounds to alert the rest of the group that food is coming. Their laughter can be heard at a distance of 5 km. Read on to find out the funny facts about hyenas.

Interesting facts about hyenas

According to evolutionary history, hyenas are believed to have evolved from tree species animals about 26 million years ago. Despite their small size, hyenas are the predominant carnivore. animal species in Africa. Their standing position is reminiscent of a bear's stance, as the hind legs are shorter than the front. Detailed information about hyenas for children is provided below.

Types of hyenas The list of African animals lists four species of hyena, namely the spotted hyena ( Crocuta Crocuta), brown hyena (Hyaena brunnea), striped hyena ( Hyaena hyaena) and earthwolf ( Proteles cristatus). The largest of these hyenas - spotted hyena, whose weight upon reaching maturity can reach up to 85 kg. The next largest are the brown and striped hyena. The smallest is the earthwolf, which feeds mainly on insects.

Hyena habitat Hyenas prefer to live in savannahs, fields, forests, sub-deserts, woodlands and high latitudes. They make their lair in elevated areas, which is connected to several underground tunnels. This helps them defend themselves against invading animals. As for the habitat of the striped hyena, they live in large numbers in India and some other Asian countries.

Hyena food As for the eating habits of hyenas, they feed on both carrion and living things. Ability to eat various types food increases the survival rate of these tetrapods wild animals. They prefer to eat animals killed by other carnivores, which is why hyenas are often called scavengers. During the period of food shortage, they hunt themselves, wildebeest, monkeys and birds become their prey.

Hyena behavior

Hyenas- nocturnal mammals that prefer to live in groups, which helps them in scaring off predators. As for the spotted hyena, their groups consist of approximately 80 individuals. They mark their territory and fight invading animals. One female from a group of hyenas is the main one, as in matriarchy. Unlike other animals that live in groups, hyenas often fight each other.

Sexual demorphism Male spotted hyenas weigh about 45-60 kg, while females weigh 55-75 kg. Interestingly, female hyenas dominate males. They reach sexual maturity at the age of 2-3 years. There is no mating period as such. In Group spotted hyenas, the number of females is greater than the number of male hyenas.

Hyena breeding A strange fact about hyenas is that females avoid mating with males from their group. Most often they mate with males from other groups. After a three-month gestation period, the female gives birth to young. Hyena litter consists of 2-4 babies. Although they can eat meat from the age of 5 months, hyena cubs feed on their mother's milk for a year and a half.

hyena lifespan Hyenas live an average of 20-25 years. The record for life in captivity is 40 years. Striped hyenas in wild nature live up to 12 years. In captivity, their lifespan is longer, as they are safe from predators and fed the right food.

Fun Facts About Hyenas

Hyenas are amazing animals, their mental level corresponds to that of primates. This became clear thanks to research on the brain of hyenas. What follows are some facts about hyenas that will blow your mind.

• Hyenas greet each other just like dogs do. This has led to the misconception that these carnivores are dogs.
• Believe it or not, the ancient Egyptians domesticated hyenas. The main purpose of breeding hyenas was to use them as a source of food.
• Young hyenas are born with their eyes open, unlike other baby animals. They live in the den for up to 1 year, after which they go hunting with their mother.
• At female hyenas increased levels of the hormone testosterone compared to male hyenas.
• In females, the level of this hormone is three times higher than in males. Not surprisingly, the female population is more masculine and aggressive than male hyenas.
• Hyenas often steal food from other carnivores. This behavior irritates other carnivores that share habitat with hyenas.
• Despite their size, hyenas have very strong jaws. Digestive system The hyena is adapted in such a way that it is able to digest all kinds of animal products, from soft vegetation to meat, hides and bones.
• Common predators of hyenas are leopards, lions, hunting dogs and crocodiles.

These were funny facts about hyenas. Regardless of the characteristics of hyenas, such as dominance and carnivorous diet, the population of these strong-jawed animals has significantly decreased over the past few decades. Thus, hyenas are included in the list of endangered animals. The main threat to these carnivores animals is habitat loss and hunting for them.

Hyenas- this is a small detachment of predatory mammals, there are 4 species in it: brown, spotted and striped hyenas, as well as an earthen wolf.
Outwardly, hyenas resemble dogs, once they were even considered their relatives. The body length of these animals is from 50 cm to 1.5 meters, weight is from 10 to 80 kg. They have a large head and a wide mouth with jaws that create tremendous pressure. Short hind legs, in contrast to the front legs, when moving, create the appearance of constant squats. Strong paws with blunt claws, short and shaggy tail. And with their tail they show their social status: raised up means high, but if it is lowered, it means low. The spotted hyena has short hair, while others have long hair. Also, hyenas have a rather specific unpleasant smell.
Their coloration is also different: in a striped hyena, the color can vary from light to gray-brown, with black stripes, spotted - brownish-yellow with black spots, an earthen wolf and a brown hyena of a single-color brown color.

Male hyenas are smaller than females. Hyenas are also the most caring mothers among predators, they feed their cub with milk right up to 20 months. Pregnancy in hyenas lasts about 100 days and 1-3 cubs are born. Cubs are born with open eyes, one-color - black and live in a den, which their mother independently equips, up to 1 year, and then they go hunting with their mother.

It is the females who dominate in the flocks of hyenas and it is they who decide from whom they will have offspring, and they choose those who are higher in status. And the one who is lower in status has months or even years to wait for the favor of the female, but in the case when he still gets it, his importance in the pack will also increase. When the female walks past the male, the male lowers his head and ears, as if bowing to her.

All species are found in Africa, but the striped one can also be encountered in Asia. As a habitat, they choose open areas (steppes, etc.).
In packs (6-100 individuals), only brown and spotted hyenas live, and striped and earthen wolves choose loneliness. In their packs there is a distinct hierarchy, where each has its own position, females have a higher status than males. An experienced female rules. They contact each other with the help of various sounds, not very pleasant, a combination of howling, roaring and laughter. They prefer to hunt at night, but spotted hyenas are also active during the day.
Hyenas are very cheeky, but at the same time very cowardly. Everyone thinks that they are scavengers, but this is also not entirely true. They hunt in packs and eat carrion only in times of famine. Moreover, if any of the animals tries to take their prey from them, they will all fight back together. Spotted hyenas are one of the strongest predators in Africa, they are able to reach speeds of up to 61 km/h. In a flock, they are able to cope with such large animals as: zebra, giraffe, antelope, buffalo, but also, on occasion, they can kill a lion if it is young (inexperienced), wounded or old. Another bad quality of hyenas is that during the eating period they do not kill their prey, but eat it alive.

Hyenas, or Hyenas, are a family of carnivorous mammals of the feline suborder. Characteristic features members of the family are a short, thick head with a short, thick or pointed muzzle; their hind legs are shorter than the front ones, so the back is sloping, from the shoulder region to the sacrum. The limbs are four-fingered, with non-retractable claws; step on toes. The tail is shaggy: long, coarse hair forms a mane on the neck and along the back.

Where does the hyena live?

• Hyena habitat depends on the type. For example, earth wolf lives in East, Northeast and West Africa, except for Tanzania and Zambia. Predators settle in open sandy plains or in thickets of bushes, where they go hunting at dusk.
• Brown hyenas live also in Africa, in the Zambezi along the coast of the Indian and Atlantic Ocean, in Tanzania, in Zimbabwe, in Namibia, Somalia, in Botswana. They settle in desert or semi-desert places, in savannahs, in coastal places, in forests, going hunting at dusk.
• Striped hyenas meet in North Africa, in Turkey, in Pakistan, in Uzbekistan, in Armenia, in Azerbaijan, in India, in the south of the Sahara, in the countries of the Arabian Peninsula. At night they go hunting, and during the day they live in burrows, crevices and caves.
• Spotted hyenas live in South and East Africa, in Kenya, Sudan, Namibia, Somalia, Tanzania, Botswana, they settle in the savannas on the hills.

Description

These are large-sized animals: body length varies from 50 cm in a small earthen wolf to 1.5 m in a spotted hyena, weight, respectively, from 10 to 80 kg. All hyenas are characterized by a large head with a wide mouth and powerful jaws. The limbs of hyenas are of different lengths: the hind legs are much shorter than the front ones, which makes it seem as if the hyena crouches all the time. Strong paws are armed with blunt claws. The tail is short, shaggy. The coat of all hyenas is coarse and long, and only the spotted hyena is short.

painted different types in different ways: the spotted hyena is gray with brown spots, the striped hyena is light gray in color with a dark muzzle and black transverse stripes on the body, the brown hyena and the earthen wolf are uniformly brown. A unique feature of hyenas is that females have pseudo-male genitals. Outwardly, animals of different sexes can only be distinguished by size - female hyenas are larger than males. This is where the old belief that hyenas are hermaphrodites comes from. An unpleasant addition is a specific smell, which in these animals is quite strong.

The spotted, brown hyena and the earthen wolf live in Africa, and the striped hyena, in addition to the African continent, is found in Asia Minor, Central and South Asia. All types of hyenas prefer to settle in open landscapes - savannahs, steppes and semi-deserts. The brown hyena is found mainly on the coasts of the continent.

Types of hyenas

Below is short description varieties of hyenas.

Striped hyena (lat. Hyaena hyaena)

A rather large animal with a body length of 0.9 to 1.2-1.5 meters and a height at the withers up to 0.8 m. The tail is about 30 cm long. Males are much larger than females, therefore, depending on gender, the hyena weighs from 27 to 54 (sometimes 60) kg. Thanks to a special mane of coarse hair, the length of which sometimes reaches 30 cm, the height of the scapular region becomes more pronounced. The coat is about 7 cm long, dirty gray or brown-yellow in color with black or brown stripes running across the body. The characteristic structure of the paws of the striped hyena becomes especially noticeable while walking, which makes it seem that the animal is dragging the back of the body. The fingers on the front and hind limbs are tightly connected. The head of the striped hyena is large, with a slightly elongated muzzle and wide, pointed ears. big size. 34 teeth, which are located in wide jaws, driven by powerful muscles, allow you to tear meat and bones into pieces.

striped hyena lives in clay deserts or rocky foothills. It comes out in search of prey at night and twilight hours, and during the day it sits in crevices, abandoned burrows or caves. Striped hyenas are the only members of the family that can live in territories that are not on the African continent. The habitat of this species includes the countries of North Africa, as well as spaces located south of the Sahara. These animals are found in Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, India and the countries of the Arabian Peninsula.

Brown hyena (lat. Hyaena brunnea)

This species differs from the striped hyena in its more modest size. The body length of these animals rarely exceeds 1.1 - 1.25 m (according to some sources, maximum length reaches 1.6 m). The height at the withers is 70–88 cm. The sizes of males and females are practically the same, although the weight of males is slightly larger and can exceed 48 kg, while the body weight of females barely reaches 40 kg. A light mane up to 30 cm long, hanging from the neck along the entire spine of these hyenas, looks contrastingly on a shaggy, plain, brown-brown woolen cover, which is slightly longer than that of the striped relatives. characteristic feature of this species is the gray color of the head and legs, and horizontal stripes of a whitish color are clearly visible on the legs.

The neck and shoulders are painted white. The size of the skull of brown hyenas is larger than the skull of striped hyenas, and the teeth are more durable. Below the base of the tail in these animals is the anal gland, which produces secretions of black and white color. With its help, the animal marks the boundaries of its territory. Brown hyenas live in desert and semi-desert areas, are found in savannahs and forests, but most of the populations are tied to coastal areas. The habitat of the brown hyena includes Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia and Mozambique, Tanzania and Somalia, as well as other African countries located south of the current the Zambezi River along the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. These animals come out in search of food after dark.

Spotted hyena (lat. Crocuta crocuta)

Wild animal of the genus Crocuta. Spotted hyenas are the most typical representatives of the entire family. This is expressed in the characteristic structure of the body of the animal and its habits. The body length with a tail can reach 1.6 m (according to some sources, 1.85 m), the height at the withers is up to 80 cm. The weight of female hyenas ranges from 44.5 kg to 82 kg, males are much lighter and weigh from 40 kg to 62 kg. Yellowish-gray or sandy coat, decorated with rounded dark brown or black spots on the sides, back and limbs, shorter than that of relatives.

Depending on the habitat, the color of the body can change from lighter to darker tones. The coat on the head is brown, with a reddish tinge on the cheeks and nape. On a rather short tail with a dark tip, brown rings are clearly visible. On the front and hind limbs of a mammal there may be light "socks". Unlike representatives of other species, spotted hyenas have shorter ears and their tips are rounded. These hyenas have the largest "repertoire" of vocal communication, allowing them to express various emotions. Spotted hyenas live in the savannas and on the elevated plateaus of Sudan, Kenya, Somalia, Tanzania, Namibia, Botswana and other countries of South or East Africa. Spotted hyenas are most active at night, although they can prowl in search of prey during the day. social organization clans in spotted hyenas is based on the dominance of females, so even high-ranking males obey low-ranking females.

Earthwolf (lat. Proteles cristatus)

The smallest species of the hyena family. Unlike spotted and striped hyenas, earthwolves have a more delicate physique. The body length of these animals reaches 55-100 cm with a height at the withers of up to 50 cm, and the weight of individuals is 8-14 kg. Like all hyenas, the hind limbs of the earthen wolves are shorter than the front ones, but the slope of the back is not so pronounced. The head of these animals is slightly elongated and in its own way appearance looks like a dog. On the coat, which is colored yellowish-gray or reddish, black transverse stripes are clearly visible. The same stripes are visible on the legs of the animal. A long hanging mane, running along the entire ridge, at the moment of danger takes a vertical position and visually increases the size of this small predator. The jaws of earthwolves are much weaker than those of other species, which is due to the diet of the wolf, which feeds on termites and other insects and their larvae, such as dead beetles. In these representatives of the hyenas, the only ones from the whole family, the forelimbs have five fingers.

Earthwolves live in most countries of East, Northeast and South Africa, absent only in tropical forests Tanzania and Zambia, which makes the distribution area of ​​this species broken. These predators prefer to settle in places where there are open sandy plains and thickets of bushes. In search of food, they go at twilight and night hours, and during the day they sit out in abandoned porcupine burrows, although they are able to dig their own shelters.

Pachycrocuta brevirostris

This is an extinct species of hyena. Judging by the fossil bones found in Eurasia, eastern and southern Africa, these hyenas were real giants. Average weight predator was about 110 kg, and the size of the animal can be compared with the size of a modern lioness. Perhaps the representatives of the species were scavengers, since with such impressive dimensions it was not easy to develop high speed for hunting.

Lifestyle

Not all representatives of this family live in packs: the striped hyena and the earthen wolf prefer loneliness. But the spotted and brown hyenas form packs of five individuals or more, while the pack of spotted hyenas is sometimes huge and consists of a hundred individuals. There is a clear hierarchy among these animals - all lower individuals are completely subordinate to the higher ones (the position is determined primarily by the rank of the mother of small hyenas at their birth and it is extremely difficult to change it afterwards). Males always occupy a lower position, and the most experienced female is at the head.

Behavioral features

There is a misconception that this mammal is a dangerous animal. This opinion is based on the fact that they kill the innocent, and also eat carrion. In fact, in nature there are much more dangerous creatures, and thanks to the ability of a person to tame and train, even domestic hyenas are found. At the same time, at home they become best friend. If an animal goes to a meeting and begins to trust a person, then in terms of devotion it will not yield to an ordinary dog ​​in any way.

Nature endowed the nimble predator with amazing abilities at first glance. For example, they are able to make peculiar sounds. With a diabolical laugh, the hyena notifies its family of the find. a large number food. But animals like lions have learned to recognize these urges. Often lions take food from hyenas. A flock of predators is not able to fight such a serious opponent and retreats. And they have no choice but to eat up the leftovers or look for a new place for lunch.

In addition, nature endowed the ends of the paws of the animal with glands. According to the specific smell of the produced secretion, the "hunters" learned to identify the individuals of their flock. That allows them to identify and scare away the stranger.

The hyena is not a terrible animal. In fact, they perform a very important role by eating carrion - they perform the function of orderlies. At the same time, by hunting other animals, they ensure the equality of the animal world.

Voice

The language of hyenas is very diverse and they communicate with each other using sounds - first of all, it is a world-famous cry, which is the laughter of hyenas, which gives the impression that the animal laughs extremely unpleasantly. In fact, these sounds are a mixture of howling, screaming, roaring and something like laughter. Thus, these animals control the order of eating: the main female informs the whole world that she has finished eating, and therefore the next individual in the hierarchy can start eating - this helps pugnacious, warlike and dangerous animals maintain established relationships in the pack, and also avoid fights and conflicts.

Such a laugh is inherent only to the spotted hyena, but the brown hyena and the striped hyena do not make such a sound at all. They produce growls, screams, grunts and a rough, hoarse howl.

The behavior of hyenas in a pack

Matriarchy reigns in a pack of predators, a hierarchy is built according to the following principles:

• Older females are the most important. They are given the greatest privileges: to rest in the coolest place in the hole, to be the first to taste dinner. In turn, they bring and grow the largest offspring.
• Low class females. They follow the elders, that is, they start eating in the second turn, rest at a distance from the elders.
• Males. They belong to the lowest class.

What do hyenas eat?

Brown and striped hyenas usually hunt alone and are primarily scavengers, occasionally feeding on eggs, invertebrates, or small vertebrates. Spotted hyenas often come out in search of prey in small groups and take prey from jackals, cheetahs, and leopards. Often they themselves arrange hunting for rodents, birds, turtles, antelopes, young giraffes, zebras and even elephants. In addition, these predators are not averse to eating domestic animals (for example, sheep). Sometimes spotted hyenas attack buffaloes, and having strayed into a large flock, they are able to kill this large animal. In the hungry season, spotted hyenas can be content with carrion: the corpses of small and large animals, including marine ones, as well as food waste. In addition, the menu of all members of the family, except for earthen wolves, also includes plant foods. Hyenas willingly eat nuts and seeds of plants, as well as gourds - watermelons, melons, fruits from the pumpkin family.

Unlike other species, the earthwolf never feeds on the corpses of dead animals. The basis of its diet is termites, dead-eating beetles, insect larvae. When the opportunity arises, he catches small rodents, destroys bird nests and eats not only eggs, but also the birds themselves.

Hunting

To catch prey, nature endowed hyenas with short hind and long front legs, which allows them to develop tremendous speed and cover quite long distances without stopping.

As a hunter, the animal is much superior in skills to lions. They mainly hunt at night overcoming more than seventy kilometers. In hunting, the mammal simply exhausts its prey by running long distances. At the same time, scaring her with devilish laughter, turning into a howl. When the victim is unable to run, they bite her legs, thereby completely immobilizing her. They eat prey alive, and not like other hunters pre-suffocate.

Their hearing, sense of smell and vision are at the highest level. For example, they smell carrion at a distance of more than four kilometers.

Reproduction and offspring

A female spotted hyena can produce offspring at any time of the year; there is no specific time allotted for this. The female genitalia look frankly unconventional. They got such a structure at the expense of too high level testosterone in the blood. The vulva merges into large folds and looks like the scrotum and testicles. The clitoris is too large and resembles a phallus. The vagina passes through this pseudo-penis. For mating, the female may invert the clitoris so that the male can insert his penis.

The male takes the initiative to mate. By smell, he understands when the female is ready to mate. The male delicately lowers his head in front of his "lady" as a sign of respect and proceeds to decisive action only after her approval. Often, females mate with males who are not members of their clan. It has been observed that hyenas can have sex for pleasure. Also involved in homosexual activity, especially females with other females.

The gestation period for the spotted hyena is 4 months.. The young are born in the brood burrow fully developed, with open eyes and fully formed teeth. Babies weigh from 1 to 1.5 kg. They are quite active from the very beginning. Childbirth is extremely difficult process for the spotted hyena, this is due to the structure of its genitals. Hard-to-heal tears can occur on the genitals, which significantly delays the recovery process. Often childbirth ends with the death of the mother or calf.

Each female breastfeeds her babies for 6-12 months before weaning (full weaning may take another 2-6 months). Presumably, such long feeding may be possible due to the high content of bone products in the diet. The milk of the spotted hyena is extremely rich. nutrients necessary for the development of babies. It has the largest amount of protein in the world, and in terms of fat content, it is second only to polar bear milk. Due to such a high fat content, the female can leave the burrow for hunting for 5-7 days without worrying about the condition of the babies. Little hyenas are considered adults only in the second year of life.

natural enemies

Spotted hyenas feud with lions. This is their almost only and constant enemy. Of the total share of deaths of spotted hyenas, 50% die from the fangs of a lion. Often it is about protecting your own borders, sharing food and water. So it happened in nature. Spotted hyenas will kill lions and lions will kill spotted hyenas. During the dry season, drought or famine, lions and hyenas are always at war with each other for territory.

This is interesting! The fight between hyenas and lions is tough. It often happens that hyenas attack defenseless cubs or old individuals, for which they are attacked in return.

In the struggle for food and supremacy, the victory goes to the group of animals whose numbers prevail. Also, spotted hyenas, like any other animal, can be exterminated by humans.

Population and species status

IN South Africa, Sierra Leone, Rounde, Nigeria, Mauritania, Mali, Cameroon, Burundi, their numbers are on the verge of extinction. In some countries, their population is declining due to hunting and poaching.

Important! Spotted hyenas are listed in the Red Book.

In Botswana, the population of these animals is under state control. Their burrows are remote from human settlements; in the region, the spotted hyena acts as game. low risk their disappearance in Malawi, Namibia, Kenya and Zimbabwe.

Hyena and jackal - differences

Hyenas, like jackals, are representatives of the order of predatory mammals, but there are quite a few differences between them:

• Hyenas are much larger than jackals: on average, their body length is from 0.8 m to 1.6 m, and the weight of adult animals is from 14 kg to 80 kg or more. The body of a jackal reaches no more than 0.6-0.85 m in length, and the animal weighs only 8 to 10 kg.
• Jackals belong to the canine family (lat. Canidae), while hyenas belong to the hyena family (lat. Hyaenidae). In appearance and lifestyle, jackals occupy a middle position between foxes and wolves. The muzzles of these animals are sharper than the wolf, but not sharp enough compared to the fox. Hyenas, unlike jackals, are more similar to cats in the structure of the skull.
• Unlike the hyena, the hind and front legs of the jackal are the same length, so when viewed from the side, its back does not appear to be sloping.
• The gestation period for jackals lasts only 2 months, and for hyenas it takes from 3 to 3.5 months. Female jackals are more prolific, in one litter there can be from 4 to 7, and sometimes 8 cubs. There are usually no more than 3-4 puppies in a hyena litter, although spotted hyena litter can sometimes have up to 7 newborns.
• Under natural conditions, jackals at the age of 8-10 years are considered long-lived, in captivity they can live up to 12-14 years, sometimes even up to 16 years. Hyenas live in nature for no more than 12-15 years, and in zoos - up to 24 years of age.
• Hyenas rarely get rabies, jackals are more susceptible to this virus.

• Since ancient times, a person has retained a biased attitude towards the hyena. The imagination of people has always been disturbed by the sloppy appearance and unpleasant smell emanating from this beast, its eating habits, behavior and, of course, the laughter of a hyena, similar to a human one. All this gave rise to myths and various legends about this animal, which were passed down from generation to generation and gradually turned into facts. Only at the end of the 20th century (1984), a center for the study of the hyena family was opened in California at the University of Berkeley. Today, 40 spotted hyenas are kept here.
• The ancient Greeks believed that these animals are hermaphrodites, that is, a female can easily turn into a male and vice versa. Only after studying hyenas, modern scientists found out that among hyenas there are both females and males, but the external genitalia of males and females are outwardly very similar. The clitoris in female spotted hyenas is quite large and reaches a length of 15 cm, and the saccular fold formed by the labia resembles the scrotum in appearance. Such an unusual structure of the external genital organs of females is associated with an increased level of testosterone (male hormone) in the body of pregnant hyenas. Embryos developing in the womb seem to “bath” in this hormone. Subsequently, this also affects the character of the females.
• It is believed that hyenas are very cowardly, but, contrary to this opinion, they are able to take prey from a lone lion or lioness. Sometimes old sick lions themselves can become victims of hyenas.
• Representatives of the hyena family in the folklore of many peoples have become the personification of betrayal, deceit, meanness, gluttony and greed. In the legends of the peoples of Africa, these animals are able not only to laugh like a person, but also to imitate his speech, inviting passers-by into the darkness, hypnotize them with their eyes, and then kill them. Fortunately, there is no scientific confirmation of the attack of hyenas on humans. But if the animal is driven into a trap, it can bite off the fingers of the hunter.
• Most often, when in trouble, the hyena does not resist. Pretending to be dead, she waits for the danger to disappear, and then "comes to life".
• In East Africa, there are peoples who revere this animal. The Tawbs believe that hyenas are the animals of the Sun that brought the luminary to the Earth to warm it. The Vaniki people consider the hyena their ancestor and mourn its loss more than the loss of their leader.

In the past, people were able to different parts hyenas (skin, liver, brain, other organs) to prepare healing potions, supposedly healing from various ailments. For example, eye diseases were treated with her liver. The skin had "magic properties", people believed that with its help it was possible to protect crops in the fields and their homes from hail.

Video

Sources

https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyenas https://nashzeleniymir.ru/hyena#giena-i-shakal-otlichiya.