Hyena spotted (lat. Crocuta crocuta) - predatory mammal from the Hyena family (Hyaenidae). These animals are found in the savannahs of sub-Saharan Africa. In the past, they were distributed up to the Cape of Good Hope, but with the development of industry and Agriculture in the south of the continent were pushed north.

Currently, in South Africa, hyenas are preserved only in reserves, and their total population is estimated at 47,000 individuals. The attitude of the African peoples towards them is twofold. Some consider them smart, brave and strong, others, on the contrary, stupid, cowardly and insidious.

AT East Africa spotted hyenas are predominantly revered as divine beings who brought warmth to the earth.

In the western part of the continent, they serve as an integral element of many rituals in which participants put on the skins and masks of a hyena.

It is widely believed among the South African peoples that these animals are ridden by evil sorcerers who must be caught and killed. Peoples standing at low levels of development simply feed their dead to the hyenas.

Most negative attitude to this species among pastoral African tribes, because hyenas not only attack livestock, but also sleeping people. The hunting tribes generally treat them very positively and even try to imitate them.

Behavior

Spotted hyenas can settle in the most different places avoiding deserts and wet rainforest. They are found both in low valleys and in the mountains at an altitude of up to 4000 m above sea level. Their favorite habitat is grassy savannas, where many ungulate herbivores live.

These predators easily adapt to any living conditions. They often visit human settlements and roam the streets in search of carrion and food waste.

To protect their territory and hunt together, animals unite in clans of up to 60-80 individuals.

The hunting grounds of the clan can occupy 10-40 square meters. km depending on the existing natural conditions. The owners mark the boundaries of the site with the secret of the anal glands and dig the ground with their paws, leaving secretions of the interdigital glands on it. Occasionally they live alone or in pairs.

Females are on average 6 kg heavier than males, so they have all the power in the pack. AT married couples the male is inferior to the female in everything and even gives her the last piece of meat. In a flock, the number of males and females is the same, but the "female terror" is much weaker.

Spotted hyenas hunt together on rodents, zebras, wildebeests, gazelles, buffaloes, and even sick lions and elephants. Often, all members of the pack pursue the female rhinoceros in order to repel the cub from her, but their usual food is carrion. They do not disdain even the corpses of their relatives.

The hyena is the only predator that can eat only bones. Its powerful jaws easily crack through the largest and strongest bones. During the day, it is enough for her to eat 1.5-1.8 kg of food, but if possible, she eats up to 18 kg of meat in one hour at a time. The glutton devours the victim whole, therefore, over time, it burps undigested wool and hooves.

Thanks to its unusually strong jaws, a hyena can kill an animal 2 times more than itself.

These predatory mammals hunt most often at night. A keen sense allows them, even after a few hours, to determine by just one drop of urine which animal left it.

During the hunt, they can pursue the prey for up to 15 minutes, reaching speeds of up to 45-55 km / h. Most often, pursuit occurs at a distance of up to 1 km, and only one hunt out of three is successful. More hardy and stronger females participate in the pursuit of prey. They catch up with the victim and dig into her belly.

When the victim falls to the ground, the other members of the flock fall on it from all sides and tear it to pieces. The bloody meal is accompanied by screeching and terrible laughter, the sounds of which come to lions and leopards. Predatory cats drive away the hyenas, but a sufficiently large clan can give them a fitting rebuff and defend their rightful prey.

reproduction

Spotted hyenas breed all year round. In front of a female ready for breeding, males arrange fierce fights. Winners carefully approach her with their tails between their legs and their heads bowed low. Of these, the female chooses one single partner who has the highest status in the group.

Pregnancy lasts 110 days. Childbirth takes place in a hole prepared by the mother. Often in one hole there can be several females with their cubs, but at the same time, the babies react only to their mother. They come out of the hole only at her call.

One female brings from one to three puppies. They are born toothy and sighted, covered with plain black or dark brown hair.

Puppies weigh about 1.5 kg and can walk. In the first minutes after birth, they begin to fight among themselves and sometimes even kill the weaker one.

The fight helps them determine social status, which means the order of access to mother's milk.

At the age of 6 weeks, their coat begins to become covered with the first spots. Up to 12-16 months, puppies receive milk feeding, but gradually get used to the meat food that the mother brings to the hole.

The female vigilantly protects her offspring and, first of all, from males who can devour them. Adult coloration in puppies appears as early as 4 months, but the paws below remain black. Juveniles are weaned from milk feeding only when they reach the size of adults. Males become sexually mature at 2 years, and females at 3 years. Social status is often inherited.

Description

The body length of adults is 80-95 cm, and the height at the withers is 70-90 cm. Males weigh 40-85 kg, and females 46-92 kg. The dense yellowish-gray coat with black or dark brown spots appears constantly ruffled.

The line of the back is sloping. The sacrum is markedly lower than the withers. The massive head is similar to the head of a large dog. The tip of the muzzle is dark. The eyes see well in the dark. Extremely developed jaws equipped with strong muscles.

The ears are large and rounded. Huge teeth can crush the thickest bones. Powerful paws end in blunt claws.

The lifespan of spotted hyenas natural conditions does not exceed 20 years. In captivity, one record holder lived to be 41 years old.

At the word "hyena" the vast majority of people have an image of a cowardly and very negative animal. Such an image is deeply rooted in the minds of many people, thanks to the ancient epic, as well as newer creations, such as the well-known cartoon "The Lion King". But is it really so? I am not trying to "whitewash" the hyena, as many zoologists like to do, who are trying to present the hyena as possible with better side, while, in passing, belittling the dignity of the lion, which causes much more delight among the general public than the hyena. In this article I will try to tell about the hyena in as much detail as possible, without distorting the facts, without making either a monster or a hero out of it. I will tell everything as it really is. Let's leave behind all sorts of prejudices, plunge into zoology for a while and forget the fabulous image of the hyena as a cowardly and insidious creature. After all, there are no evil animals in the world. The only animal that can be evil (or good) is a man, since he is the only one of them who is endowed with reason. All other animals are devoid of reason, and the most highly intelligent of them have, at best, only the beginnings of it. However, let's not be distracted and move on to our today's heroine - a hyena, or rather a spotted hyena.
Despite the outward resemblance to representatives of the canine family, the hyena is by no means a dog. Moreover, it is closer to cats than to dogs, and even closer to mongooses. The fact is that once the carnivorous tree was divided into two main branches: Feliformia, cat-like and Caniformia, in other words, dog-like. To one of them belong such families as bear, raccoon, mustelid, canine, etc., and to the other - cat, hyena, civet, mongoose and others like them. External similarity hyenas with dogs are just a consequence of convergence, since the lifestyle of hyenas is in many ways similar to that of dogs.
spotted hyena- the largest and strongest representative of the hyena family, which, in addition to it, includes the striped hyena, brown hyena and, standing somewhat apart, an earthen wolf. It is the third largest carnivorous mammal in Africa, after the lion and leopard (although, on average, a hyena and a leopard weigh about the same). The weight of a hyena ranges from about 40 to 85 kg. In exceptional cases, it can reach all 90 kg. Females are larger than males (more on this below). Hyenas, with the exception of the earthen wolf, have only 4 fingers on all four paws, unlike canines, which have 4 fingers on their hind legs and 5 on their front paws (the only exception here is the hyena dog, which has only 4 fingers, like hyenas).
All hyenas, except for the earthen wolf, have an unusual strong jaws. They are especially strong in the spotted hyena, which is the owner of the most powerful jaws relative to its own size, among mammals. To see this, just look at the extremely powerful hyena skull, which is approximately 25-30 cm long. The sagittal crest is very pronounced. This is indicative of the powerful muscles that are responsible for the hyena's incredibly strong grip. The spotted hyena is able to support more than just weight own body(and it weighs a lot), but also the weight of another hyena. There were cases when a hyena clung to a piece of meat suspended on a tree and hung on it. And another hyena clung to the dangling hyena's leg. So they hung until the rope, which was tied to the meat, did not break. The jaws themselves are thick and massive. The spotted hyena, which is typical for the entire family (except for the earthen wolf), has 34 teeth. The molars and premolars are very large and strong. It is with them that she gnaws even the largest bones. The fangs are relatively not very long, but thick in cross section.
In addition to a massive head and powerful jaws, the spotted hyena has an impressive forelimb girdle. She has powerful shoulders and neck. I think it's strong and pretty Long neck- one of the consequences of adaptation to devouring carrion. The fact is that hyenas devour the corpses of even very large animals, such as elephants, rhinos and hippos. Therefore, they need to be able to drag hefty pieces of meat, and for this you need strong neck muscles. The length of the neck, it seems to me, is due to the fact that such a neck is more convenient to wield in the carcass of a large herbivore, pulling out tidbits.
In appearance, the spotted hyena gives the impression of a rather awkward animal. Its front legs are longer than its hind legs, making it very clumsy in its movements. But this is only at first glance. In fact, the spotted hyena can develop quite an impressive speed. Not as high as hyena dogs, but nonetheless. I will not give exact figures, since they write differently everywhere, and I personally have not yet had a chance to measure the speed of a hyena. Spotted hyenas are very hardy. Under the scorching African sun, they can gallop for many kilometers, simply exhausting their intended victim.
Everyone knows that the spotted hyena is a scavenger. And a highly professional scavenger. No other mammal can digest what the spotted hyena can. Her stomach is truly unique. A hyena can even eat such rotten meat that other animals are simply not able to eat. She devours not only the flesh of animals, but also bones, skins and even horns and hooves. All this makes the hyena a very useful animal in terms of ecology. However, despite the fact that the spotted hyena is so well adapted to devouring carrion, it is nevertheless a hunter, and a very successful one. This is the most predatory of all hyenas. Gathering in large flocks, spotted hyenas prey on such large animals as zebras, wildebeest and even young buffaloes. Like lions, spotted hyenas can kill such large prey that no other African animal is able to kill. If there are enough hyenas, then they are able to drive even lions away from their legitimate prey. In fact, these are the only animals in Africa capable of this. Not to mention the fact that hyenas often take prey from cheetahs and leopards. The relationship between lions and spotted hyenas is a sore subject. There is an irreconcilable enmity between these two predators, which has not subsided for many thousands of years. The two species are food competitors and are happy to kill each other on occasion. Lions do not miss the opportunity to kill (and even eat) a hyena. Hyenas, in turn, deal with the lion if possible. A very large percentage of lions (if not the vast majority) ends up in the stomachs of hungry hyenas. Hyenas attack old or sick lions and tear them apart. Spotted hyenas are, in fact, the only animals in Africa that can seriously compete with the lion pride.
There are also clashes between spotted hyenas and hyena dogs. The outcome of such skirmishes is different and largely depends on the number of animals on both sides. If there are more hyena dogs, or at least as many as hyenas, then, as a rule, dogs drive them away, although any spotted hyena is stronger than a hyena dog. The thing is that hyena dogs are bolder than hyenas. And maybe also that they cooperate better in a flock. If the hyena were braver than it really is, then this beast would be much more dangerous. So the cowardice of hyenas plays into the hands of many animals. Sometimes it happens that even a fragile cheetah drives away an impudent hyena from its prey, if it is alone, although the hyena is heavier and much stronger than the cheetah.
The social structure of spotted hyenas is unique among mammals. They are the only mammals in the world whose females are larger and stronger than males. Spotted hyenas live in large clans. The number of animals in the clan depends on the surrounding conditions. A clan of hyenas can number about 30 individuals, and sometimes twice as many. Sometimes hyenas can be found in pairs, or even alone.
The dominant role in the clan of spotted hyenas is played by females. Even the female, standing at the very last rung of the hierarchical ladder, stands above any male in the clan. In connection with such a rigid matriarchy, female spotted hyenas in the process of evolution developed amazing feature: Their clitoris has become so enlarged and modified that it looks like a penis. So at first glance, it is rather difficult to distinguish the genitals of a female from the genitals of a male. It is for this reason that people from ancient times considered the hyena to be a hermaphrodite, although, of course, this is not so.
Spotted hyenas are territorial animals. However, they are not as zealous in protecting their possessions from the invasion of foreign clans as, for example, lions. For this reason, hyena clans rarely quarrel with each other, which cannot be said about lion prides. Lions hunt in their own territory, while hyenas, chasing prey, often invade the possessions of hyenas from another clan. During migrations of ungulates, hyenas often follow the herd, looking for young, old, or sick animals.
Hyenas are not strictly nocturnal animals, although they most often hunt at night. All sense organs in hyenas are excellently developed. Especially important role vision and smell play. Hearing, in turn, is also very thin. Spotted hyenas can smell decaying meat from miles away, and their eyes can see perfectly in the dark.
The voice repertoire of hyenas is very peculiar. When hyenas feast, they make sounds that are very much reminiscent of malicious human laughter. Thanks to such a "laughter", the hyena was also credited with qualities that it does not actually possess. In general, it must be said that such charismatic sounds play a cruel joke with hyenas. Lions are attracted by the hysterical "laughter" emitted by hyenas and, having thus discovered the feasting of hyenas, they often take their prey from the hyenas. So, hyenas do not always devour the remnants of a lion's meal. Sometimes, the opposite happens.
Now it's time to talk about the continuation of the hyena family and the upbringing of babies. Females are ready to mate every two weeks throughout the year, but sexual activity males is seasonal. In general, these animals are the opposite. Males often squabble among themselves over females. After the male showdown, the winner must achieve the location of the female. He approaches her, his tail between his legs, his head lowered and in every possible way showing her his humility. He must act very carefully, because if he angers the female, then she can drive him away, or even pat him properly.
Pregnancy of females lasts approximately 110 days, after which, as a rule, 2 cubs are born (although there may be from 1 to 3). The cubs are born in burrows that the female makes either herself or using the burrows of other animals, such as aardvarks, or warthogs, having previously arranged them in her own way. Sometimes cubs of several females live in the same hole, but each one unmistakably recognizes the mother by her voice. At birth, hyena cubs are more developed than those of other carnivores such as cats or dogs. Babies' eyes are open. They weigh about 1.5 kg. The coat color of the cubs, unlike adults, is brown. Color changes with age. Although hyena cubs are born already quite mature, nevertheless, the mother feeds them with milk for quite a long time - about 1-1.5 years. Hyenas, unlike dogs, do not regurgitate food for their cubs, so the only food for babies during this period is milk. The female has only 4 nipples, and each feeds only her offspring.
In hyena society, babies inherit the position of their parents. For example, a cub born from a dominant female inherits her high position in the clan. The cub of the subordinate female, respectively, initially has a lower position.
Females jealously guard their cubs, which can be eaten even by males of their own species. Many hyenas die in their first year of life.
Young hyenas reach puberty at about the 2nd or 3rd year of life. The life expectancy of a spotted hyena in nature can be 20 years, but in captivity they can live twice as long. A case is known of how one spotted hyena lived in the zoo for 41 years and 1 month.
The spotted hyena is the most numerous large predator Africa, although its numbers are declining. The spotted hyena is distributed almost throughout the entire African continent, south of the Sahara, except for vast forests and southern Africa itself.
In conclusion of this article, I want to say that, nevertheless, the hyena is a rather cute animal, and not at all the way popular rumor paints it. Spotted hyenas are easily tamed and strongly, dog-like, attached to humans. Many such cases are known. For example, the spotted hyena lived with the spouses Jane and Hugo van Lawick-Goodall. When she grew up, the couple decided to return her to freedom. Once, when Jane was taking a bath, a hyena ran up to her and flopped right into the water. It was the same hyena. The animal could not forget its beloved owners and returned to them.

Taxonomy:

Order: Carnivora (predatory)
Family: Hyaenidae (hyenas)
Subfamily: Hyaeninae
Genus: Crocuta
Species: Crocuta crocuta (spotted hyena)

Photo:

The heroine of our today's article can hardly be called a charming animal. For many, the striped hyena causes unpleasant associations. This is also related to appearance animal, and how it obtains food. But not everyone knows that the striped hyena is listed in the Red Book as an animal whose numbers are sharply declining.

In this article, we will tell you what hyenas really are, what features they have and how they differ from other fanged ones.

Distribution of the striped hyena

it bright representative a small family of hyenas. The only species in the family that is found outside of Africa. Distributed in North Africa, Asia from mediterranean sea to the Bay of Bengal. It is believed that the striped hyena in Asia is a competitor of the tiger in the struggle for the main resource - meat. It occurs in Central and North-Western India, to the south the population decreases and is practically absent in Ceylon, however, as in countries lying to the east.

In Africa, south of the Sahara, such a hyena is also found, but towards the south of the region, the number of animals is declining. It inhabits eastern and southern Turkey, Pakistan, Iran, Nepal, Afghanistan, the Arabian Peninsula, reaching Dzungaria and Tibet. The northern areas of its habitat are the Kopetdag Mountains (Turkmenistan) and the foothills of the Greater Caucasus. The striped hyena of the Caucasus in Russia is occasionally found only in the southern limits of Dagestan. However, she does not live there permanently, but only occasionally crosses the Terek from Azerbaijan.

External Features

The description of the striped hyena, which can be found in many publications for animal lovers, indicates that it is a large, long-haired animal with a shortened body, slightly curved and strong limbs. The hind legs are more powerful and shorter. The tail is shaggy and shortened. The coat is sparse, hard and coarse.

The head is massive and rather wide, the muzzle is slightly elongated, the ears are large, slightly pointed at the ends. Striped hyenas are the owners of the most powerful jaws among mammals - their pressure is up to fifty kilograms per square centimeter.

On the back of the hyena is a vertical, darker crest, which consists of bristly long hair. In case of danger, it rises on the mane and at the same time the predator seems to be much taller than its height.

Color

The striped hyena can have a different color: from gray to straw or from brown-gray to dirty yellow. Dark and sometimes black stripes are clearly visible on the head, legs and torso. Sometimes they are replaced by dark spots. The underside of the neck and throat are black. On the muzzle, the “mask” is almost black.

Dimensions and weight

The length of an adult from head to tail is on average one hundred and twenty centimeters. The tail is thirty-five centimeters long, about ninety centimeters tall, and weighs between twenty-five and forty-five kilograms. Interestingly, these animals practically do not differ in gender either in height or in length, however, males can be a little heavier. AT vivo the striped hyena lives no more than 12 years, and in zoos - up to 25 years.

Voice

Vocal communication is practically undeveloped, as a rule, it consists of barely audible growls and a few more sounds that hyenas make during clashes with fellow tribesmen. The loudest sound made by this animal, which can be heard quite rarely, is a “clucking” howl. The predator makes the same sounds when it is excited.

Habitat

The striped hyena prefers clay deserts, but is often found in rocky foothills. It inhabits the most barren lands, often covered with thorny bushes. The hyena is found among rocky hills and gorges, as well as on open savannahs with dense herbage. He tries not to settle in deserts, he needs free access to water. The body of water must be within a radius of no more than ten kilometers.

Food

It is a scavenger by way of feeding. The diet of the animal consists of various carrion and food waste. Refuses to eat corpses large mammals, and medium ones, such as gazelles, impalas, zebras. If the soft tissues have already been eaten by someone, the hyenas also gnaw the bones.

The striped hyena replenishes its diet with seeds, fruits, seeds, fish, insects, and occasionally kills small animals: rodents, hares, birds, reptiles. Researchers have identified fifteen species of mammals that may be prey for the striped hyena. Some individuals have learned to hunt domestic animals (goats, sheep, dogs). A large proportion of the remains of domestic animals and even human remains in the diet of these animals in some regions of the range proves the dependence of the hyena on the customs and lifestyle of the local population. For example, in the Middle East, tombstones, in addition to their traditional function, are an obstacle for hyenas: they do not allow them to dig up graves and eat the remains of people.

Striped hyena lifestyle

This animal is predominantly active at night. At night, the hyena travels around its site alone, although it prefers to relax in the company of several relatives. During the day, she hides in dense vegetation or in crevices among stones. It builds its burrows in dry waterholes, caves or settles in old burrows of badgers, porcupines and other animals.

The hyena moves completely silently, at a trot or step, and can go unnoticed even when living very close to a person. Its speed does not exceed eight kilometers per hour. To determine the direction of the search for food, the hyena does not use the direction of the wind, while it acutely feels the smell of carrion brought by its gusts. It is a fairly frequent visitor to the garbage dumps located around settlements, in gardens during mass fruiting.

The striped hyena is very cautious. She has excellent hearing and sense of smell: these animals can hear sounds that are inaccessible to the human ear. They pick up sounds from other predators at a great distance. Often they lead hyenas to prey, which can be at a considerable distance. In addition, striped hyenas are animals with an odor communication system. They have an odorous anal gland, with the secret of which they mark the boundaries of their territory. Interestingly, each animal has a unique smell.

social device

The striped hyena is considered to be a loner, since it obtains food individually. Recent studies have shown that often striped hyenas live in small groups led by a dominant female. These groups are characterized by a certain social organization. Young members of the family help to feed younger individuals, bringing prey to the den.

Although territorial relations are not characteristic of the behavior of the striped hyena, they nevertheless exist. Burrows, as a rule, are used for a short time and therefore practically do not protect them. Juveniles demonstrate their obedience to adults. Fights in a group are usually a ritual fight during which the hyenas try to grab each other by the cheek. The loser of the fight demonstrates submission by showing the anal gland.

The striped hyena quite often uses the prey of other animals. From large predators, for example, lions, it keeps at a respectful distance (about fifty meters). For unknown reasons, striped hyenas behave submissively towards Crocuta crocuta (spotted hyena) and allow it to take prey. Adult females are quite aggressive towards each other, and they are dominant to males.

  • Immature individuals love to eat cultivated plants, including gourds.
  • The name of the beast comes from the Greek word hus, which translates as "pig".
  • Not the most attractive appearance and cowardly behavior of this animal gave rise to many legends and superstitions. The ancient Greeks believed that hyenas were able to change sex.
  • If these scavengers settle near the cemetery, people are forced to put large stones on the graves, since hyenas can tear the ground to get to human remains.

Hyenas are a small family of predatory animals, which includes 4 species: spotted, striped, brown hyena and earthen wolf. Similar in appearance and lifestyle to dogs, hyenas are genetically closer to viverrids.

Spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta).

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.

Striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena).

painted different types in different ways: gray spotted hyena with brown spots, light gray striped hyena with dark muzzle and black transverse stripes on the body, a brown hyena and an earthen wolf are uniformly brown. A unique feature of hyenas is that females have pseudo-male genitals. Outwardly, animals of different sexes can be distinguished only 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.

Spotted hyena.

The earthwolf and the striped hyena are solitary animals, while the brown and spotted hyenas form packs of 5-15 and 10-100 individuals, respectively. There is a clear hierarchy within the pack: the animals are distributed according to ranks, the lower ones unquestioningly obey the higher ones. A change of rank among hyenas is rare and it can be said that the pack is divided into peculiar “castes” whose representatives are forced to eke out an existence determined by the rank of their mother at their birth. In a pack of hyenas, males always have a lower status than females, an experienced female leads the pack. Hyenas have a complex communication system that maintains communication between members of the pack. Hyenas constantly communicate with each other using a variety of sounds. By the way, the voice of these animals is loud and unpleasant: it is a mixture of howling, laughter and roar. Members of the pack constantly mark their territory with urine in order to establish their status both within the pack and in front of other animal species. Hyenas are nocturnal animals that prefer to hunt at dusk, but spotted hyenas are often active during the day.

Spotted hyenas eat their prey.

Hyenas can rightly be called omnivorous animals. They are not selective in food (except for the earthwolf, which prefers to eat insects) and eat everything that smells of flesh. These beasts have earned a reputation as unsurpassed scavengers, able to gnaw clean on any corpse. But, despite these qualities, hyenas are also excellent hunters. Contrary to popular belief, hyenas prefer to hunt on their own, and pick up carrion only if there is no suitable prey. Spotted hyenas are one of the most formidable predators in Africa; when hunting, they combine speed (up to 60 km / h), unsurpassed strength of their jaws, collective actions and special audacity. Living in a group allows hyenas to hunt even such large ungulates as zebras, wildebeests, buffaloes and giraffes. But they are not limited to herbivorous victims either - hyenas, on occasion, destroy all predators they can handle: young, injured or elderly lions, leopards, cheetahs. Large cats have a mutual dislike for hyenas and kill single hyenas that get in their way. This unpleasant picture is complemented by the fact that hyenas do not kill their prey, but simply eat it alive.

A pack of hyenas caught a young giraffe.

Hyenas do not have a specific breeding season. Pregnancy lasts about 100 days, the female gives birth to 1-3 cubs. To do this, she equips a special lair in a hole she dug herself, less often she occupies the holes of other animals. All females of the flock equip shelters nearby, forming a kind of "town". Hyena cubs are born solid black. Young hyenas become fully grown by the age of 3.

Spotted hyena with cubs.

The natural enemies of hyenas are large predators - lions, less often leopards - which destroy young animals or single animals. A certain percentage of animals die from the teeth ... of the hyenas themselves. The fact is that the clearly expressed pack of hyenas leads to competition between neighboring clans, numerous wars over the borders of territories bring a certain number of victims. Hyenas, although they sometimes visit the outskirts of small settlements, generally avoid the proximity of humans. People, in turn, have always experienced a strong dislike for these animals: an untidy appearance, smell, gluttony and a ferocious disposition have formed a negative image of the hyena among all peoples. In fact, these are just prejudices, hyenas are an integral part of nature like any other animal species and, by the way, are well tamed.

African savannas are very unpredictable. In them you can meet both ferocious predators and small fluffy jerboas. One of the most interesting animals of this area is the hyena. This species filled the entire area of ​​the African valleys.

Where do hyenas live?

African animals include a mammal that inspires fear in many safari visitors. The open area is an ideal place for a pack of hyenas to settle.

It is noteworthy that these animals choose places with a not hot climate, and how dogs mark the territory on which they build their home. In addition, this member of the feline family puts a representative from the pack on guard when they settle down for the night, to protect the family.

The hyena is mistakenly classified as a member of the canine family. In fact, she belongs to the cat family.

Hyena, to a greater extent, nocturnal animal. During the day, flocks sleep off, from night hunts or transitions. Although they are not too fond of changing their territory, they occasionally have to do this to find places with a lot of food.

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, there are much more dangerous creatures in nature, and thanks to the ability of a person to tame and train, even domestic hyenas are found. At the same time, they are in home environment 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 devilish laugh, the hyena notifies its family of the discovery of a large amount of 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.

Matriarchy reigns in a pack of predators. The 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.

Types of hyenas

In nature, there are the following types of hyenas:

  • spotted;
  • striped;
  • brown;
  • aardwolf;
  • African.

It is worth noting that the largest of this cat family is African. In third place is spotted.

In addition to ordinary hyenas, animals such as hyena dogs live in the expanses of Africa. Between these species, at a meeting, there are always slaughters for the territory. The winner is the family in which large quantity animals. In addition to dog hyenas in wild nature not a few other enemies. The most feared is the lion.

The spotted hyena, like no other, looks like a large dog. She has a powerful and broad head, her eyes are not deep set. The ears are rounded and not large. The fur is much shorter than in other species. This predator with the onset of old age loses 50 percent of its coat. Has an impressive tail. Also a distinctive feature is the presence of coarse long hair from the withers to the tail. Visually, this wool forms a mane.

This representative has very sharp and strong teeth. There is an opinion that the jaw of this species is one of the strongest among all mammals. The animal is capable of speeds up to 65 km / h. If you look at him in profile, you may see a small hump on his back.

Outwardly, it is quite difficult to distinguish the female from the male. Strange as it may sound, their organs are very similar. It is possible to accurately determine the sex only in a lactating female. She has a clearly visible pair of nipples, which are located near the hind limbs.

A spotted mammal can have a different color. It varies from light sand to brown. hallmark are rounded dark spots all over the body. The tail of the predator is fluffy and decorated in dark rings, the tip is black.

This species produces more than 11 sounds, several of which are lingering. If you hear the howl of this hyena from afar, then you can confuse it with loud laughter.

The spotted hyena is the largest member of its family. The body length is from 100 to 166 centimeters, and the average weight is 75 kilograms.

And in nature, this species lives for about 20-25 years.

The striped hyena is a rather large subspecies of the family, the weight of an adult individual is about 60 kilograms. Males are always much larger than females. The upper part is covered with stiff long hair that forms a mane. The rest of the hair barely grows 7 centimeters. Throughout the body there are pronounced stripes. Hence the name of the subspecies.

Their paws are very curved, and the front ones are longer than the hind ones. If you see this predator from afar, you might think that he is injured.

The body of this representative is not massive. The neck is short but thick. The head is large with a heavy lower jaw. The ears are pointed at the top.

Basically, this species only growls and howls. They don't make any other sounds.

The spotted hyena feeds mainly on carrion. Although in the first years of life he likes to eat vegetation.

In captivity, this species lives for about 40 years.

Outwardly, the brown hyena resembles an ordinary medium-sized dog. In this species, the body is raised at the withers and externally, you can see a small hump. The head is large and set on a thick neck. Their ears are the largest compared to individuals of other subspecies. The legs are curved, but at the same time quite strong. The tail is large and shaggy.

The brown hyena is one of the smallest members of the family. Its weight is about 35 kilograms, although the body length is about 70 centimeters.

There is little hair on the body of this individual. The entire coat is very hard and dyed dark brown. Sometimes you can meet a representative with gray tint. The jaw is equipped with sharp teeth that can easily crush even bones.

An interesting feature is that with age this predator turns gray.

Males and females are very similar. Outwardly, it is almost impossible to find distinguishing features. The only feature is the sounds made and the attitude in the pack. If a female makes a sound, then the rest of the family gathers around her. If the male howls, then it goes unnoticed.

Lives in nature for about 20 years.

The earth wolf is a hyena that lives in Africa. Outwardly similar to striped hyena but it is difficult to confuse them. The earth wolf weighs up to 14 kilograms and the length of the body without a tail is about 55 centimeters. This is the only species that does not show sexual dimorphism. Outwardly, it is easy to distinguish the female from the male.

The muzzle of this type of hyena is similar to that of a dog, but very small, one might even say elongated. Paws are high and not massive. The fur is thick and not harsh. Inside is soft light-colored down. In case of danger, the mane of an earthen wolf rises on end. Thus, the individual warns the flock.

The hyena of this subspecies can have several colors. The color varies from sandy to brown. Distinctive feature are pronounced stripes all over the body.

An interesting feature of the earthen wolf is the presence of 5 fingers on the forelimbs.

The entire jaw is equipped with sharp teeth. The fangs are especially large and long. With them, a hyena can tear apart an enemy many times larger than itself.

The African hyena is a large predator. Its average weight is 70-80 kilograms. Outwardly similar to a large dog, but with a small head. The muzzle is outwardly extended, 2 small rounded ears are planted on top. This hyena looks pretty awkward.

The color is usually yellowish. The whole body is covered with dark spots. Wool reaches a length of 5-7 centimeters. From the withers to the tail, a hairline of increased rigidity grows. Outwardly, these hairs form a mane.

The front legs of this subspecies are longer than the hind legs, so it may seem that the hyena is limping.

This species mainly feeds on carrion, but can occasionally attack zebras and antelopes. Irritable character. It can even attack a person.

This species has pronounced sexual dimorphism. There are no external differences between females and males.

The only significant opponent of the African hyena is the lion.

Hyena breeding in nature

To continue offspring and conceive cubs, the female hyena prepares for a year. Pre-mating of hyenas occurs once every two weeks. While the genitals of males are ready for fertilization in certain seasons.

The genital organs of the hyena are unique in their structure. An inexperienced person will not be able to distinguish between a female hyena in front of him or a male. In the female hyena, the clitoris, under which the scrotum is located, is identical to the penis of the male. Mating of two individuals occurs by penetration of the penis through the clitoris into the urogenital canal.

Male hyenas for breeding, fighting in front of the female. The winner, lowering his head and tail, approaches the female, and with her permission, offspring are conceived.

Hyena cubs

The first hyena cub is born one hundred and ten days after conception. At the same time, up to three puppies can give birth to an animal at a time. The representative of the cats, in order to continue the family, equips a separate hole.

Hyenas are born immediately with their eyes open and weighing about two kilograms. The creature feeds its offspring for a year and a half with breast milk.

The color of the cub is brown. With age, the color changes and becomes darker. An interesting feature in the life of a hyena is that children occupy the status in the pack on which their parents were. Such a kind of legacy. The maximum age for hyenas is about twelve years.

What age the beast has reached can be determined based on color. The darker the color, the older the animal. Basically, the color of the coat is yellowish brown with dark gray spots like a leopard. The hyena's head is solid brown, but the muzzle is clearly black. In addition, a burgundy shade is observed on the occipital side.

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, frightening 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.

Hearing, smell and vision they actually high level. For example, they smell carrion at a distance of more than four kilometers.

What does a hyena eat?

The animal feeds mainly on animals that it catches on the hunt. At the same time, the size of the prey can be many times greater than the size of the hunter himself. Although much more nutrients and nutrients enter the body from such food, the predator does not disdain and eats carrion.

If the flock did not find animal food, then it goes to look for vegetable food. Individuals with great pleasure can eat juicy grass and even fruits. This way, the hyena will never go hungry!

It is not strange, but alone hyenas are very cowardly. Therefore, hyenas are often hunted in a pack, thanks to which it is very difficult to defeat them for another beast.

Hyenas have a unique digestive system. Thanks to her, these creatures easily absorb bone, horns, hooves and wool. During the day, the stomach of these animals is able to digest everything eaten.

Domestic hyena, how to keep a hyena at home?

If a person decides to have such an exotic animal as a hyena at home, then first you need to take care of safety. It is not recommended to have such an animal in the apartment, the best option will serve Vacation home. In this case, it is necessary to build an aviary from strong metal rods. When determining the site for the enclosure, the habitat of the hyenas must be taken into account. They love the cool, but not the cold.

It is best to opt for a baby, not an adult. Since, the cubs are more amenable to training and have not yet had time to get used to the wild habitat. As mentioned earlier, hyenas easily make contact with a person, but only if they gain trust. In order for a predator to recognize a friend in a person, you do not need to constantly keep it in an aviary. Still, this is a wild animal and he needs freedom.

It is advised to feed this cat dry food. Meat should be given very rarely and in small portions. It is worth noting that after eating meat food, an animal, even grown at home, instinctively becomes aggressive. As often as possible, the pet should include vegetables and fruits in the diet. They will fill the body with vitamins and minerals, make the coat thicker.

It is necessary to treat such a pet with affection and love, and then he will reciprocate.

Given all the diversity of the flora and fauna of Africa, hyenas do not stand out for their appearance. But it is worth paying attention to a few facts:

  • Females of this family are the most caring mothers of all predators. All the prey first goes to the kids, and then the adults eat it;
  • By their nature, single individuals are shy and can cling to stronger predators;