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Hyena are one of the most misunderstood and under-appreciated species in the wild. They are probably one of the most successful carnivores in southern Africa – proficient at both hunting and scavenging – and are also, surprisingly, one of the most maternal predator species. Spotted hyenas invest more energy per cub than any other terrestrial carnivore and they do so with apparent tenderness and patience. Curious and exploratory from birth, recent studies have determined this to be one of the most intelligent creatures in the animal kingdom, with experiments proving that as a collective or in group problem-solving scenarios, they even out-perform chimpanzees. Despite their appearance, hyenas are more closely related to cats than dogs and belong to their own family within the Carnivora, Hyaenidae. There are four species in the family, including the spotted hyena, brown hyena and aardwolf (which are found in Africa) and the striped hyena (found in Asia).
Join safari guide, Kris “Harri” Harrison as she traverses our landscapes and discovers the hyenas that inhabit them.
A cackle of hyenas
Adapted from Game Ranger in your Backpack © Megan Emmett
A massive head and skull provide broad attachment for the powerful muscles that, in tandem with the strong neck, actuate the incredible, crushing jaws.
Heavy canines provide the animal with lethal grip, its molars can crush the densest of bones and the sharp carnassial shear is able to slice clean through cartilage and tough skin.
Hyenas have exceptional senses, with sight (especially their night vision), smell and hearing all being excellent. A hyena’s olfactory capabilities are remarkable.
Hyenas are able to follow scent trails that are already three days old in pursuit of food.
This is a large carnivore with massive forequarters modified for carrying heavy carcasses. The enlarged forequarters give the hyena a sloped appearance.
The front feet are also larger than the hind to accommodate the extra forward weight. The body shape enables the animal to use a highly energy-efficient loping gait to course over the long distances it covers to find food. The spotted hyena gets its name from the dark spots on its coat, most pronounced in younger animals. An erectile crest of fur over the neck and shoulders is employed to intimidate rivals or predators as need dictates.
The front feet are about 11 cm (4 in), noticeably larger than the back ones (to support the forequarters) and hence, hyena leave behind obvious tracks.
They also walk with their feet turned outwards (to accommodate hauling heavy loads) and the main foot pad on the front feet thus imprints at a 45 degree angle. The non-retractable claws mark in the track and the outer toes are distinctly kidney-shaped, fitting snuggly next to one another. The main pad has just two lobes, whereas cats have three.
The genitals of male and female hyena look similar and it’s difficult to tell the sexes apart. Females are larger in size and their pseudo-penises lack the males’ triangular tip.
The unusual female genital develops due to exposure to high androgen levels in the womb and females have high testosterone levels. The genitals are central to the hyena greeting ceremony, a form of social bonding. Two hyenas from the same clan stand head to tail and lift their legs to expose the erect genitals to the other’s nose (and jaw) to display trust.
Clans communally defend a territory of up to 130km2 (50 mi²), demarcated through pasting, a scent-marking ritual in which an everted anal gland is wiped over a shaft of grass.
This deposits a very strong-smelling secretion. Cubs as young as four weeks old begin practicing this. Scat also plays a role in both the visual and olfactory marking of hyena’s territories and they regularly visit latrines. Hyena scat is white when dry due to the high calcium in their diet. Leopard tortoises may even consume hyena scat to supplement their calcium requirements. Hyenas produce 14 calls including whoops, grunts, groans, lowing, giggles, snarls, yells and whines. The ‘whoop’ travels far and is often heard at night. It advertises territory or rallies clan members. The notorious giggled vocalisation is made while feeding together on a kill as a sign of deference or during hysterical encounters with lions.
This is one of the most successful carnivores in Africa, proficient at both hunting and scavenging. They are extremely mobile, covering up to 70 km (45 mi) in a night.
Hyenas are large, with immense forequarters for carrying heavy loads; they have incredible stamina, powerful crushing jaws and exhibit great resourcefulness. These are the only mammals able to digest bone, benefiting from the calcium and protein extracted. As scavengers disposing of carcasses, hyena help to control diseases like anthrax. They usually hunt the young of large antelope like wildebeest but will opportunistically take almost any mammal, bird, fish, reptile, vegetable matter, carrion or garbage they can find. They chase prey to exhaustion, alone or cooperatively, choosing their quarry by walking right into a herd of animals to establish the weakest members as they scatter and thus play an important ecological role in eliminating these. Hyena are very successful hunters thanks to their extraordinary endurance and have been known to chase prey at 60 kmph (40 mph) for over two kilometres (just over a mile) or follow herds almost 30 km (20 mi) before making a move.
Due to their size, strength and cooperative nature, hyena are considered super-predators and take advantage of this status when interacting with other predators.
They are dominant over, and steal food from, all other predators as opportunity allows, even lions. Four hyena to one lioness constitutes the upper hand, although hyena tend to hunt more when lion numbers are low. Where lions are numerous, hyenas scavenge more regularly.
Water seems to hold great appeal for hyenas, who readily enter puddles to cool down, sanitise their often bloodied coats or to soothe over-filled bellies after a feast.
They are also not deterred from entering deeper water or thick mud in pursuit of quarry or carcass.
These social animals live in clans in which females are dominant. The matriarch is supreme, with other females ranked in a hierarchy. Cubs inherit their mother’s status.
Coalitions of females and their young work together to hunt or may break off to form new clans. Young males emigrate at about two years old and gain slightly better status in new clans. Males must generally work hard to earn social favour and mate with females. Members of a clan may separate and reunite randomly. Ritualised greeting ceremonies reinforce cohesion amongst clan members so they can attack prey or lions, their main enemies, or defend territory as a team.
The centre of hyena life is the communal den, usually the disused burrow of an aardvark. Cubs dig small tunnels inside the den which they can crawl into if threatened.
Adults tend to remain outside, near the den entrances, on hand to suckle their cubs, which they do not do mutually, unlike lions. Hyena produce very rich milk, which cubs feed on exclusively until they wean at 14-18 months old. In this way, the cubs are kept safe at the den and unwanted attention from other predators is kept to a minimum, as actual food is seldom taken back to the den site.
Hyenas usually give birth to twins. Cubs are born with eyes open, canines fully erupted and dominance very well developed. Female cubs start fighting immediately.
In the case of a high-ranking female’s litter, one sibling will often kill the other but, since females naturally dominate males, different sexed siblings don’t generally fight. The female hyena’s unique genitals pose complications with the birthing process, as the birth canal runs through the pseudo-penis, making it twice as long as other mammals’. The opening is much narrower than the cub’s head and, while still pushing through the birth canal, cubs lose their source of oxygen as the umbilical cord disconnects from the placenta. Many first time mothers have stillborn cubs from oxygen deprivation. They are usually more successful the second time around because the uro-genital opening has been split or stretched.
The spotted hyena’s name derives from the dark spots on its pelage, which are more pronounced in younger animals. Babies start off black and become spotty with age.
Cubs are delightfully inquisitive and very playful. They spend much time chasing one another, clambering over the adults and picking up sticks or other objects to carry around or simply to test. These activities all contribute to developing lifestyle skills they will need as they mature.
Often cast as foolish and dull… spotted hyenas show signs of intelligence that rival most wild animals… Axel Hunnicutt