Female hyena anatomy. Spotted hyena

Hyenas- This is a small order of predatory mammals, there are 4 species in it: brown, spotted and striped hyenas, as well as an aardwolf.
Outwardly, hyenas resemble dogs; they were once even considered their relatives. The body length of these animals is from 50cm to 1.5 meters, weight from 10 to 80kg. They have a large head and a wide mouth with jaws that create enormous pressure. Short hind legs, unlike the front ones, when moving they 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 lowered, it means low. The spotted hyena has short hair, while others have long hair. Hyenas also have a rather specific unpleasant odor.
Their coloring is also different: the color of the striped hyena can vary from light to gray-brown, with black stripes, the spotted hyena is brownish-yellow with black spots, the aardwolf and the brown hyena are of the same color brown.

Male hyenas are smaller than females. Hyenas are also the most caring mothers among predators; they feed their cubs with milk for up to 20 months. Hyena pregnancy lasts about 100 days and 1-3 cubs are born. The cubs are born with open eyes, monochromatic - black and live in a den, which their mother independently arranges, until 1 year, and then they go hunting with their mother.

It is the females that dominate in packs 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 to wait months or even years for the female’s favor, but if he does receive it, his importance in the pack will also increase. When a female walks past a 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 found in Asia. They choose open areas (steppes, etc.) as their habitat.
Only brown and spotted hyenas live in packs (6-100 individuals), while striped and aardwolves choose solitude. There is a clear hierarchy in their packs, where everyone has their own position; females have a higher status than males. An experienced female rules the pack. They contact each other using a variety of 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 impudent, 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 Africa's strongest predators, capable of reaching speeds of up to 61 km/h. In a pack 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 feeding period they do not kill their prey, but eat it alive.

Hyenas, or Hyenas, are a family of predatory mammals of the suborder Felidae. Characteristic features members of the family have a short, thick head with a short, thick or pointed muzzle; Their hind legs are shorter than their front legs, so their back is sloping, from the shoulder area 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?

• Habitat of hyenas depends on the type. For example, aardwolf lives in East, North-East and West Africa, except Tanzania and Zambia. Predators settle in open sandy plains or in thickets of bushes, where they go out to hunt at dusk.
• Brown hyenas live also in Africa, in the Zambezi along the coast of the Indian and Atlantic Oceans, in Tanzania, in Zimbabwe, in Namibia, Somalia, in Botswana. They live in desert or semi-desert places, in savannas, in coastal areas, in forests, going out to hunt at dusk.
• Striped hyenas are found in North Africa, Turkey, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, India, southern Sahara, and the countries of the Arabian Peninsula. They go out hunting at night, and during the day they live in burrows, crevices and caves.
• Spotted hyenas live in Southern and Eastern Africa, in Kenya, Sudan, Namibia, Somalia, Tanzania, Botswana, they settle in savannas at high elevations.

Description

These are large-sized animals: body length varies from 50 cm for a small aardwolf to 1.5 m for 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. Hyenas have limbs of different lengths: the hind legs are much shorter than the front ones, which makes it seem as if the hyena is crouching all the time. Strong paws are armed with blunt claws. The tail is short and shaggy. All hyenas have long, coarse fur, only the spotted hyena has short fur.

Painted different types differently: 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 aardwolf are uniformly brown in color. A unique feature of hyenas is that females have pseudo-male genitals. Externally, animals of different sexes can only be distinguished by size - female hyenas are larger than males. This is where the long-standing belief comes from that hyenas are hermaphrodites. An unpleasant addition is the specific smell, which in these animals is quite strong.

The spotted and brown hyenas and the aardwolf 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 live in open landscapes - savannas, 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 fairly large animal with a body length of 0.9 to 1.2-1.5 meters and a height at the withers of up to 0.8 m. The length of the tail is about 30 cm. Males are much larger than females, therefore, depending on gender, a 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, about 7 cm long, is dirty gray or brownish-yellow in color with black or brown stripes running across the body. The characteristic structure of the striped hyena's paws becomes especially noticeable when walking, which is why the animal appears to be dragging back torso. The toes on the front and hind limbs are tightly connected. The striped hyena's head 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.

The striped hyena lives in clay deserts or rocky foothills. It goes out in search of prey at night and twilight, and during the day it sits out in crevices, abandoned burrows or caves. Striped hyenas are the only members of the family that can live in territories not located on the African continent. The habitat of this species includes the countries of North Africa, as well as areas 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 ridge of these hyenas, looks contrasting on a shaggy, plain, brown-brown coat, which is slightly longer than that of its striped relatives. Characteristic feature This species has a gray coloration of the head and legs, with horizontal whitish stripes clearly visible on the legs.

The neck and shoulders are painted white. Skull size brown hyenas surpasses the skull of striped hyenas in size, and its teeth are more durable. Below the base of the tail in these animals there is an anal gland that produces secretions of black and white. With its help, the animal marks the boundaries of its territory. Brown hyenas live in desert and semi-desert areas, found in savannas and forests, but most populations are confined to coastal areas. The brown hyena's habitat 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 go out in search of food after dark.

Spotted hyena (lat. Crocuta crocuta)

A wild animal from the genus Crocuta. Spotted hyenas are the most typical representatives of the entire family. This is expressed in the characteristic structure of the animal’s body and its habits. The length of the body 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. The yellowish-gray or sand-colored coat, decorated with rounded spots of dark brown or black color on the sides, back and limbs, is shorter than that of its relatives.

Depending on the habitat, body color can vary from lighter to darker tones. The hair on the head is brown, with a reddish tint on the cheeks and nape. Brown rings are clearly visible on the rather short tail with a dark tip. There may be light-colored “socks” on the front and hind limbs of the mammal. 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 savannas and on the elevated plateaus of Sudan, Kenya, Somalia, Tanzania, Namibia, Botswana and other countries in South or East Africa. Spotted hyenas are most active at night, although they can scour in search of prey during the day. Social organization clans among spotted hyenas are based on the dominance of females, therefore even high-ranking males are subordinate to low-ranking females.

Aardwolf (lat. Proteles cristatus)

The smallest species of the hyena family. Unlike spotted and striped hyenas, aardwolves have a more fragile build. 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 aardwolves are shorter than the front ones, but the sloping back is not so pronounced. The head of these animals is slightly elongated and in its own way appearance reminds me of a dog. On the coat, which is yellowish-gray or reddish in color, black transverse stripes are clearly visible. The same stripes are visible on the legs of the animal. The long hanging mane, running along the entire ridge, at the moment of danger takes on a vertical position and visually increases the size of this small predator. The jaws of aardwolves are much weaker than those of other species, which is due to the wolf's diet, which feeds on termites and other insects and their larvae, such as carrion beetles. These representatives of hyenas, the only ones in the entire family, have five toes on their forelimbs.

Aardwolves live in most countries of Eastern, North-Eastern and Southern Africa, absent only in tropical forests Tanzania and Zambia, which makes the distribution range of this species fragmented. These predators prefer to settle in places where there are open sandy plains and bushes. They go in search of food in the twilight and night hours, and during the day they sit out in abandoned porcupine burrows, although they are capable of digging shelters for themselves.

Pachycrocuta brevirostris

This is an extinct species of hyena. Judging by the fossilized bones found in Eurasia, eastern and southern Africa, these hyenas were real giants. Average weight the predator was approximately 110 kg, and the size of the animal can be compared with the size of a modern lioness. Perhaps 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 aardwolf prefer solitude. But spotted and brown hyenas form packs of five individuals or more, while a pack of spotted hyenas can sometimes be huge and consist of a hundred individuals. There is a clear hierarchy among these animals - all lower-ranking individuals are completely subordinate to their superiors (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 later). Males always occupy a lower position, and the most experienced female is in charge.

Features of behavior

There is a misconception that this mammal is a dangerous animal. This opinion is based on the fact that they kill innocents and also feed on carrion. In fact, in nature there are much more dangerous creatures, and thanks to human skills to tame and train, even domestic hyenas are found. At the same time, in their home environment they become best friend. If an animal comes to a meeting and begins to trust a person, then in terms of devotion it is in no way inferior to an ordinary dog.

Nature has endowed the nimble predator with abilities that seem surprising at first glance. For example, they are capable of producing peculiar sounds. With a devilish laugh, the hyena notifies its family of its discovery. large quantity food. But animals such as lions have learned to recognize these urges. Often lions take food from hyenas. A pack of predators is unable 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 animal’s paws with glands. By the specific smell of the secretion produced, the “hunters” learned to identify individuals of their flock. This allows them to identify and scare away an intruder.

The hyena is not a terrible animal. In fact, they perform a very important role by eating carrion - they act as 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, this is the world-famous cry, which is the laughter of hyenas, which creates the impression that the animal is laughing extremely unpleasantly. In reality, 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 laughter is characteristic only of the spotted hyena, but the brown hyena and striped hyena do not make such a sound at all. They produce growls, screams, grunts and a rough hoarse howl.

Behavior of hyenas in a pack

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

• The 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 lunch. In turn, they bear and raise the largest number of offspring.
• Low class females. They follow the elders, that is, they start eating in the second place and rest away from the elders.
• Males. They belong to the lowest class.

What do hyenas eat?

Brown and striped hyenas usually hunt solitarily and are primarily scavengers, sometimes feeding on eggs, invertebrates, or small vertebrates. Spotted hyenas often go out in search of prey in small groups and take prey from jackals, cheetahs, and leopards. Often they themselves organize hunts for rodents, birds, turtles, antelopes, young giraffes, zebras and even elephant calves. In addition, these predators are not averse to feasting on domestic animals (for example, sheep). Sometimes spotted hyenas attack buffaloes, and when gathered in a large flock, they are able to kill this large animal. During the hungry season, spotted hyenas can be content with carrion: the corpses of small and large animals, including sea animals, as well as food waste. In addition, the menu of all members of the family, except for aardwolves, also includes plant foods. Hyenas readily eat nuts and plant seeds, as well as melons - watermelons, melons, and fruits from the pumpkin family.

Unlike other species, the aardwolf never feeds on the corpses of dead animals. Its diet is based on termites, carrion beetles, and insect larvae. When the opportunity arises, it catches small rodents, destroys bird nests and eats not only the eggs, but also the birds themselves.

Hunting

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

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

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

Reproduction and offspring

The female spotted hyena can produce offspring at any time of the year; there is no specific time allocated for this. The female's genitals 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. To mate, the female can invert her 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 begins decisive actions 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 engage in homosexual activity, especially females with other females.

The spotted hyena's gestation period is 4 months.. The young are born in the brood burrow fully developed, with eyes open and teeth fully formed. 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. Difficult-to-heal tears in the genitals may occur, which significantly delays the recovery process. Often childbirth ends with the death of the mother or baby.

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. Spotted hyena milk is extremely rich nutrients necessary for the development of children. It contains the highest amount of protein in the world, and in terms of fat content it is second only to polar bear milk. Thanks to such a high fat content, the female can leave the hole to hunt 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 are at odds with lions. This is almost their only and constant enemy. Of the total deaths of spotted hyenas, 50% die from the fangs of a lion. Often it is a matter of protecting one's own borders, sharing food and water. This is how 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 over territory.

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

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

Population and species status

IN South Africa, Sierra Leone, Round, 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 far from human settlements; in the region, the spotted hyena acts as game. Low risk their disappearances in Malawia, 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 ranges from 0.8 m to 1.6 m, and the weight of adult animals ranges from 14 kg to 80 kg or more. The jackal's body reaches no more than 0.6-0.85 m in length, and the animal weighs only 8 to 10 kg.
• Jackals belong to the canid family (lat. Canidae), while hyenas belong to the hyena family (lat. Hyaenidae). In appearance and lifestyle, jackals occupy a middle place between fox and wolves. The muzzles of these animals are sharper than those of wolves, but not sharp enough compared to foxes. Hyenas, unlike jackals, are more similar in skull structure to cats.
• Unlike the hyena, the jackal's hind and front legs are the same length, so when viewed from the side its back does not appear 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 fertile; one litter can have from 4 to 7, and sometimes 8 cubs. A hyena litter usually contains no more than 3-4 puppies, although a spotted hyena litter can sometimes have up to 7 newborns.
• Under natural conditions, jackals aged 8-10 years are considered long-livers; in captivity they can live up to 12-14 years, sometimes even up to 16 years. Hyenas live in nature no more than 12-15 years, and in zoos - up to 24 years of age.
• Hyenas very rarely get rabies; jackals are more sensitive to this virus.

• Since ancient times, humans have retained a prejudiced attitude towards the hyena. People's imagination has always been excited by the sloppy appearance and unpleasant smell emanating from this animal, its eating habits, behavior and, of course, the laughter of a hyena, similar to a human. 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. There are still 40 spotted hyenas kept here today.
• 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 did modern scientists find out that among hyenas there are both females and males, but the external genitalia of males and females are very similar in appearance. The clitoris of female spotted hyenas is quite large and reaches a length of 15 cm, and the pouch-like fold formed by the labia resembles a scrotum in appearance. This unusual structure of the external genitalia of females is associated with increased levels of testosterone (male hormone) in the body of pregnant hyenas. The embryos developing in the womb seem to be “bathing” in this hormone. Subsequently, this also affects the character of the females.
• It is believed that hyenas are very cowardly, but, contrary to this belief, they are capable of taking 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 nations have become the personification of betrayal, deceit, baseness, gluttony and greed. In the legends of the peoples of Africa, these animals are capable of not only laughing like a person, but also imitating his speech, inviting passers-by into the darkness, hypnotizing them with their gaze, and then killing them. Fortunately, there is no scientific evidence of hyena attacks on humans. But if the animal is driven into a trap, it can bite off the hunter's fingers.
• Most often, when in trouble, a 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 Tavbs believe that hyenas are animals of the Sun that brought the light to the Earth to warm it. The Waniki people consider the hyena their ancestor and mourn its loss more than the loss of a chief.

Previously, people knew how to prepare healing potions from different parts of the hyena (skin, liver, brain, other organs), supposedly curing various ailments. For example, eye diseases were treated with her liver. The skin had “magical properties”; people believed that with its help they could 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.

Hyena. Interesting Facts

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

At the mere mention of hyenas, many people imagine animals resembling dogs found in Africa and Asia. Animal lovers, of course, know about their special laughter. Hyenas scream, make cracking noises and other sounds to warn the rest of the group that food is approaching. Their laughter can be heard 5 km away. Read on to find out funny facts about hyenas.

Interesting facts about hyenas

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

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

Hyena habitat Hyenas prefer to live in savannas, 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 against invading animals. As for the striped hyena's habitat, they live in large numbers in India and some other Asian countries.

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

Hyena behavior

Hyenas are nocturnal mammals that prefer to live in groups, which helps them ward 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 with each other.

Sexual demorphism Male spotted hyenas weigh around 45-60 kg, while females weigh 55-75 kg. Interestingly, female hyenas are dominant over males. They reach sexual maturity at the age of 2-3 years. There is no mating period as such. In Group spotted hyenas, number of females more quantity 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 cubs. A 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.

Lifespan of hyenas Hyenas live on average about 20-25 years. The record for life in captivity is 40 years. Striped hyenas in wildlife live up to 12 years. In captivity, their lifespan is longer since they are safe from predators and fed the right food.

Fun facts about hyenas

Hyenas are amazing animals, their mental level matches that of primates. This became clear thanks to studies of the hyena brain. The following are some facts about hyenas that will amaze you.

• Hyenas greet each other just like dogs. 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 food source.
• Young hyenas are born with their eyes open, unlike other baby animals. They live in a den for up to 1 year, after which they go hunting with their mother.
• U 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 their habitat with the 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 types of animal products, from soft vegetation to meat, skins and bones.
• Common predators of hyenas include leopards, lions, hunting dogs and crocodiles.

Those were funny facts about hyenas. Regardless of hyenas' characteristics, such as dominance and a carnivorous diet, the population of these strong-jawed animals has declined significantly 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.

The mammal called the spotted hyena, the only member of the genus Crocuta, belongs to the hyena family. This large predator very rarely feeds on carrion, leads a group lifestyle, and its howl resembles a strange laugh.

The spotted hyena is the largest among its relatives: its body length is about 1.3 m, its height reaches 80 cm, its skull is up to 30 cm long. The weight of adult males is in the range of 40-50 kg, for females this value is 39-51 kg . The coat is short, grayish in color, decorated with brown spots on the sides and upper legs. The fur is coarse and bristly. The head is brown, the cheeks and back of the head have a reddish tint, the tail has a black tip and brown rings along its length, the paws below are white. The color as a whole is quite variable, it can be either lighter or darker. The body is massive. The ears are round in shape. Due to the longer front legs compared to the hind legs, the animal at first glance seems clumsy and slow, but in fact such anatomical features help the hyena move as quickly as possible over long distances. In females, high testosterone levels cause the formation of false male organs.

Until recently, spotted hyenas were considered typical scavengers, but research has shown that in 90% of cases they kill their victims. Hyenas hunt at a speed of about 65 km/h and are very successful. They can catch almost all animals: from small animals to buffalo and young ones. Hyenas detect their victims using sight and hearing, and can pursue them at distances of up to 5 km.

Having overtaken and knocked down the victim, the spotted hyena immediately begins to eat it. The strong pressure of its powerful jaws allows the animal to gnaw the bones of its prey with ease. The rough tongue helps scrape meat off bones. Thanks to the long digestive tract, the food received by hyenas is completely absorbed.

A spotted hyena that hunts alone can kill an antelope 3 times its size, but more often these predators hunt in twos. Packs of hyenas even attack buffalos, young giraffes and baby elephants.

Spotted hyenas are common in southern and eastern Africa. Found in Abyssinia and eastern Sudan. In Abyssinia, it lives in the mountains at altitudes of about 4000 m. Throughout its entire range of residence, the spotted hyena competes with striped hyena, and either displaces it or, on the contrary, gives way to it.

Spotted hyenas are not sexually dimorphic. Not only do they not differ in size and appearance, but moreover, due to high testosterone levels, females can even develop false male organs.

The lifestyle of spotted hyenas is generally similar to their relatives, but they are more dangerous and evil predators. The howl of these animals resembles laughter.

Spotted hyenas live in groups, often called clans. Everything in them is subject to a strict hierarchy. Females tend to displace males and interfere with their attempts to occupy higher positions in the group, but they do not always succeed. The struggle for power among females begins with childhood. They get into fights among themselves, which are very serious and often end in death. Weaker females die, but the stronger ones continue to assert their dominant position in the pack. But females never fight with newborns and young males. The position of young females is always lower than that of their mother. Males that have reached sexual maturity always leave for other clans.

The social status of the spotted hyena is indicated by the position of its tail: if it is raised up, then this indicates a high social status of the animal, but if it is lowered, then the status is low.

The smell of a hyena is associated with the secretion of glands that serve the animal for communication.

Pregnancy in female spotted hyenas lasts 14 weeks. There are usually up to 7 babies in a litter, which are born in central Africa at the beginning of the rainy season, and in the northern regions in the spring. At first, babies live in caves or burrows. At birth they have teeth and are able to see. The mother protects her cubs until they grow up. Small hyenas are covered with short, single-colored fur; they have no spots. Each of the females feeds only her babies with milk, and the milk is so nutritious that the babies can survive a week without food after receiving it.

Spotted hyenas are beneficial to nature and to people. They are real savannah orderlies, destroying animal corpses and preventing the spread of various diseases. Today, the population size of this species has decreased compared to previous levels, but there is still no threat of its extinction.

• It is interesting that, contrary to popular belief, it is the lion who is inclined to take prey from the hyena, and not vice versa. The hyena clan will still try to drive away one lion or lioness, but several of these animals or a large male lion will easily take away the desired food. In addition, lions kill hyenas and their offspring. And only the old “kings” of animals can be successfully attacked by hyenas.
• Spotted hyenas tend to take prey from other predators, often hunting their cubs, and sick and old adult animals. Hyenas take holes from foxes and use them during mating season for breeding offspring.
• When a group of spotted hyenas near their prey meets a clan of brown hyenas, a fight certainly breaks out between relatives, in which the large and strong spotted hyenas usually win. They fight with their opponents with their entire friendly team, but as soon as the animals take possession of the desired prey, each of the “winning” hyenas tries to eat as much meat as possible and does this very quickly, until other members of the group do the same.

The spotted hyena is a member of the hyena family and the most common species of predator in Africa, so to speak, its indigenous inhabitant.

In areas located south of the Sahara this type very numerous. The hyena lives almost everywhere except the desert, tropical forest and the peaks of the Alps. The population density is heterogeneous, especially in the west of the African continent. A large number of these mammals are found in Kenya, Ethiopia, Botswana, Tanzania, and Namibia.

Listen to the voice of the spotted hyena

This predator outnumbers all other predators in Africa. The hyena's habitat is savannah, open forest, semi-desert and sparse mountain forests, up to 4000 meters high. The spotted hyena does not settle in areas covered with dense forest. The density of hyena aggregations varies and is constantly changing. On average there are from 0.006 to 1.7 individuals per 1 square meter. km.

Appearance of a spotted hyena

The hyena is a large predator.

The body length of an adult animal is from 130 to 165 cm, 70-90 cm is the height at the withers. Males weigh 40-55 kg, females - from 44 to 64 kg.

The largest representatives of this species live in Zambia. The weight of males living there reaches 67 kg, and females can weigh 69 kg. It was recorded by specialists Weight Limit of these predators: females - 90 kg, males - 82 kg. However, representatives of the now extinct population of hyenas that lived in Eurasia 15,000 years ago were larger in size. These disappeared animals weighed 100-105 kg.

The hyena is a predatory animal, but it does not disdain carrion.

The color of a predator's fur can be lighter or darker and changes with age. The animal's fur is short and coarse. It is yellowish-gray or brownish-gray in color with brown, reddish or black spots. The size of these spots varies. On the sides of the animal's body and on the back, the spots are almost indistinguishable. The length of the predator's tail is 30-35 cm. It has brown rings and the tip of the tail is black. The muzzle is dark brown with light stripes. The lower part of the muzzle and nose are black.

The hyena's jaws are so powerful that their strength exceeds the bite of a larger predator, for example. The color of the fur on the animal's limbs is lighter than on other parts of the body.

Hyena behavior and nutrition

The howl of a predator is very specific and recognizable - it resembles laughter. Hyenas prefer to live in a large group called a clan. Clans number from 10 to 80 animals. There is a clear hierarchy in the group of spotted hyenas. Females, by their position, are higher than males. By brutally dealing with competitors, the dominant female achieves a high social status in the clan. The female offspring born from this female usually occupies the position next after the mother in the group. Conflicts between females and males have never been observed.

Almost all animals are the object of hunting for hyenas, except and. The spotted hyena's favorite prey is the wildebeest. Hyenas hunt in large packs, gathering 10-25 individuals. This type of predator is very strong and resilient. Hyenas chase prey up to 5 km and reach speeds of up to 60 km/h. Having overtaken the unfortunate animal, they knock it down and bite into the still living flesh. The hyena's teeth easily tear off large pieces of meat, and its incredibly strong jaws crush the bones of its victims. The hyena diversifies its diet with small animals: fish, snakes and lizards. At one time, the predator eats up to 14 kg of meat. These animals drink very little. It takes them half a minute to get drunk.

Reproduction and lifespan

Female hyenas give birth during the rainy season. These predators do not have permanent pairs; females and males of the species mate randomly. Pregnancy lasts on average about 110 days. The female makes a den in a cave or digs a hole. Very rarely 3 cubs are born, usually there are 2.

A small hyena cub weighs 1.5 kg, is born sighted, has teeth and is covered with dark, single-colored fur. There are no spots on the cubs' fur coat. Hyena babies are aggressive towards each other, biting and scratching. It happens that the weak can be killed by the stronger.

The female hyena has very nutritious milk. Breastfeeding continues for quite a long time, 12-16 months. The dark fur of babies changes to spotted by 2-3 months of life. Hyenas are gentle and loving mothers, they selflessly protect their offspring and long time look after him. The female stops caring for the young when the cubs reach two years of age.

From 8 months old, young hyenas begin to take part in hunting. At the age of 3 years, young individuals reach sexual maturity. The spotted hyena can live on average 12 years in the wild. But among these animals there are also long-livers; the maximum age to which a spotted hyena can live is 25 years.