Spotted Hyena
The spotted hyena is the most common member of a family of large, round backed-hunchbacked carnivores whose somewhat canid appearance belies with a closer relationship to cats and mongooses. Often portrayed as an exclusive scavenger, the spotted hyena is a proficient hunter with the ability to kill an animal as large as an eland
- Biting power than a leopard: 40%
- Adult weight: 40-85kg
- Scientific name: crocuta
- Meat per sitting: 13-15kgs
Quick facts about Spotted Hyenas
Hyena clans are led by females, strong and bigger than males, the spotted hyena’s laugh Is actually a sound made to alert other members about any food opportunities and this call can easily be heard 3 miles away.
Spotted hyenas are purely skilled hunters and good at scavenging, their powerful jaws tear everything on their prey. The only parts that survive the justice are the horns, hair, and hooves which are regurgitated in pellets.
Spotted hyenas can reach terrifying speeds.
Managing speeds of up to 60kmhr means a group of 3 to 5 hyenas can put down a slower running prey. Combining this with their extra ordinary teamwork has had hyenas recorded putting down midsize wildebeests while an attempt on a cape buffalo can’t be ruled out.
The spotted hyena acidic stomach
Their strong acidic stomach is only beaten by vultures their scavenging buddies so hyenas are capable of digesting disease infested carcasses with no damage.
The spotted hyena immunity levels.
The spotted hyenas have a strong immunity to protect them against everything they encounter in the wild but this does not come cheap. The higher the rank, the stronger the immunity as these leaders engage in less activity , are less hurt, nurse less wounds however take the first and biggest share of a kill.
The lower the rank, the weaker the immunity, and most males are victims of this, for they fight the more, get more injuries yet eat the last bony pieces of a kill if any and they have been reported to die half early as their female bosses.
The spotted hyena fusion-fission society
A fission-fusion society means spotted hyenas prefer to cooperate on hunting missions but give each other space when this is done to avoid unnecessary confrontations which can lead to severe fights, injuries, and deaths.
Hyenas are fascinating to watch while in their clans of 10-30 individuals.
Nepotism in spotted hyenas
Nepotism has also been spotted among hyenas as offspring of a dominant female outrank adult subordinate female hyenas. However, tables can turn especially when the mother is not around and every hyena stamps its authority over the other.
Male spotted hyenas take little or no part in cub rising but when they do, it’s their daughters that they prefer and the latter in return act less aggressively towards their fathers.
Territory marking in spotted hyenas
Setting boundaries is something spotted hyenas take seriously and if they have been spotted terminating the chase immediately after prey crosses into another territory.
Persistence however is the key to success if any immigrant male is to stand a chance to stay in a foreign clan or even win a mate there.
Mating in spotted hyenas.
Mating in hyenas is quite a complicated and laborious task for the male as maximum cooperation is essential and females have all rights to choose who to mate with and forced copulation is almost impossible.
Why are female spotted hyenas masculine, dominant and aggressive?
With a gestation period of about 4 months, dominant females are known to provide more androgen hormones to their offspring in the older stages of pregnancy, unlike the lower-ranking females.
It is this androgen that makes the babies of dominant females more aggressive and musculinised than their colleagues. For this reason, they rank higher than some older females and stand a chance of taking over as leaders if they can win several allies.
Giving birth in hyenas
Giving birth in female spotted hyenas is as hard as conceiving since newborns have to use the narrow clitoris tube to find their way out in the entire carnivore family, spotted hyena cubs are a match like no other in size ratio to their mother’s weight.
With all the force used throughout the birth process, the clitoris raptures and is known to take a few weeks before it heals.
Everything looks against their odds of survival but regardless they move. And nature seems to keep pushing for reduced hyena levels.
Why do female and male genitalia look alike in spotted hyenas?
Brains are still at work and researchers are still looking for reasons for the transformation of female spotted hyenas to resemble the males.
How do spotted hyenas sleep?
Hyenas are also known to den like lions while some choose single dens for long periods; others prefer to shift after short periods.
Top Tips for seeing spotted hyenas
Spotted hyenas are adept animals and with a loud noise, they are seen closely during the night but can as well be seen at any time of the day. During hot hours they hide under thickets and big trees or in their dens. They are as well visible with cubs laying closer to the tracks and following lions, leopards, and other predators. They are known to be the invited guests at any party, following their moving patterns also helps
Are hyenas the best part of the ecosystem?
HOW ARE HYENAS IMPORTANT IN WILDLIFE?
Rarely known is the fact that hyenas are hygiene enforcers in nature. Poor hygiene in your dining, kitchen, or even living room can bring about serious diseases that can lead to death. The same is true in the wilderness; an anthrax infected carcass if not removed can spread and kill thousands of wildlife species ranging from insects to even the big animals. With this continuously happening, our national parks would be inaccessible due to the stanching smell of dead carcasses all over. Nevertheless, wildlife numbers would significantly drop. We are blessed to have these serious mess cleaners as they will ingest and digest any part of a dead animal, be it sick or not thanks to their stomach acidic PH. At less than 2 and only beaten by vultures in strength, the spotted hyena acidic PH allows it to breakdown every animal part while its short digestive tract provides less room for micro organs to roam in its body. Spotted hyenas alongside vultures are natures hygiene specialists in a world of predation.
Raising awareness about hyenas
Providing relevant information and raising awareness means the spotted hyena misconceptions are cleared, leaving them to roam freely on their savannah territories and give nature a chance to dictate. At numinous African Safaris we spearhead and enforce conservation and sustainability for all wildlife, maintaining a harmonious relationship between wildlife, people, stakeholders and mutual benefit for all parties involved
Holiday ideas to see the spotted hyenas
It's a great idea to move around the African game parks, these creatures shall always bring the best experience
