The spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta) is one of the most widespread predators in Africa. It is a carnivorous mammal that belongs to the hyenadae family (carnivores similar to canids but evolutionarily closer to felids which have back legs shorter than the front ones).
Main picture link: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Spotted_hyena_in_Kenya.jpg
Where does the spotted hyena live?
The spotted hyena is widespread mainly in sub-Saharan Africa. It lives only in dry habitats:
- Savannas.
- Desert areas.
Map link: https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crocuta_crocuta#/media/File:Spotted_Hyaena_area.png
How big is the spotted hyena?
The spotted hyena is currently the largest hyena species on Earth. Females are larger than males:
- Males are 79-86cm tall and females 84-89cm tall.
- Females weigh 67-75 kg and males weigh 56-63 kg.
The length is 100-180 cm in both genders.
Picture link: https://www.dimensions.com/element/hyenas
What makes the spotted hyena unique?
There are many external characteristics that made the spotted hyena famous. Unfortunately, these features have only given it a bad name.
On the outside, the spotted hyena displays an ungainly appearance. This is due to its yellowish-brown fur covered in dark patches and the fact that its hind legs are shorter than its front legs. The latter feature gives the hyena a "sitting" appearance and influences its gait since it leads to a slope of the back of the body; this is also due to the massive structure of the front of the body. The result is therefore a "drawl" gait.
For the reasons listed above, the spotted hyena was included in the list of "Ugly 5" in Africa (among the 5 ugliest animals in Africa), together with wildebeest, warthogs, vultures and marabou storks.
Another feature that gave a bad reputation to the hyena is its sinister "laugh". This sound is nothing more than a form of communication that hyenas use among themselves during moments of excitement. Precisely for this reason, it's also called "the laughing hyena.
Another very particular feature of hyenas is their hermaphroditism: in the female specimens of this species there is more testosterone than in males and there are external genital organs similar to male ones.
Hyenas are also famous for their formidable teeth thanks to which they are able to break the bones of their victims to eat the marrow.
Is the spotted hyena a solitary or a social animal?
The spotted hyena is a very social predator. The hyenas packs, better known as clans, can count from 30 to 100 individuals. These clans have a matriarchal structure, females are always of higher rank while males are at the bottom of the social hierarchy.
Males have the exclusive role of breeding animals, and mating can take place in any time of the year. From this union, 2-4 cubs are born: when they are young they have a black fur that distinguishes them from their parents but have the same aggressivity that has made the hyena the predator we know today.
Picture link: https://www.animalfactsencyclopedia.com/Baby-hyena.html
What does the spotted hyena eat?
The spotted hyena feeds on a wide range of animals:
- All antelope species.
- Zebras.
- Warthogs.
- Rodents.
- Birds.
- Reptiles.
- Buffaloes.
- Young animals:
- Elephants
- Rhinos.
- Hippos.
- Big cats (lions, leopards and cheetahs).
- African wild dogs.
- Egg.
For a long time, the spotted hyena has been considered only as a scavenger that feeds on dead animals from other animals after spotting the flight of vultures or stealing them from other savannah predators. However, it turned out that the spotted hyena is a cunning as well as a ferocious predator that kills live animals thanks to the help of the clan.
Who are the spotted hyena's natural enemies?
The spotted hyena is also known to be the lion's worst enemy. We are used to considering lions as noble hunters and hyenas as petty and opportunistic thieves, but sometimes it happens the opposite. To get rid of potential competitors, lions kill both adult hyenas and their pups and, to get a simple meal, the "king of beasts" steals the newly killed prey from the hyenas.
Hyenas, on the other hand, often steal food from lionesses and kill lion cubs when they find them away from the pride just for the purpose of feeding on them. Both actions are also carried out towards other felines (the cheetah, the leopard and the caracal), wild dogs and jackals.
The only predator that hyenas actively avoid is the Nile crocodile, which does not hesitate to surprise them near rivers to hunt them.
What is the relationship between man and spotted hyena?
Just like the gray wolf, the spotted hyena has also suffered a strong slander from man. In fact, it has long been defined as a demonic animal due to its nocturnal habits and its characteristic laugh-like sound.
In African folklore a terrible legend was born that has the hyena as its protagonist: the werewolf hyena, otherwise known as Kaftar, which consists of hyenas who have contracted the disease of rabies or people who turn into hyena-men during the night.
However, the relationship between man and hyena is not always negative. Some people often entrust the bodies of their deceased to hyenas because they are convinced that the souls of their loved ones can thus achieve immortality. In some cities, there are restaurant people who give leftovers from their kitchens to hyenas to feed them, since hyenas are believed to be important in keeping evil spirits away.
The spotted hyena is not currently an endangered creature.
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