[59] Group-size varies geographically; in the Serengeti, where prey is migratory, clans are smaller than those in the Ngorongoro Crater, where prey is sedentary. [156], Spotted hyenas feature prominently in the rituals of certain African cultures. Lion-hyena interaction photographed by Brittany Gunther. Male cubs which survive grow faster and are likelier to achieve reproductive dominance, while female survivors eliminate rivals for dominance in their natal clan. Others have fluffy, reddish fur with fuzzy spots. Sir Thomas Browne also argued against the hyena's supposed hermaphroditism, stating that all animals follow their own "Law of Coition", and that a hermaphrodite would transgress this. [170], In some parts of Africa, spotted hyenas have begun to frequent metropolitan areas, where groups or "clans" of the animals have become a menace. In ideal habitats, the spotted hyena outnumbers other large carnivores, including other hyena species. [98] However spotted hyenas remain being mislabeled as scavengers, often even by ecologists and wildlife documentary channels. Rarely observed and little understood, most have never been the focus of dedicated scientific research. This book covers all 10 species. Spotted hyenas live in female dominated groups called clans. Also, many captive individuals have not been closely examined to confirm their sexes, thus resulting in non-breeding pairs often turning out to be same-sexed individuals. These beasts are skilled hunters that will take down wildebeest or antelope. [179] Sir John Barrow described how spotted hyenas in Sneeuberge were trained to hunt game, writing that they were "as faithful and diligent as any of the common domestic dogs". When attacked by other hyenas or by wild dogs, the hyena lowers its hindquarters. Spotted hyena society is matriarchal; females are larger than males, and dominate them. Dating from about two million years ago, hominin fossils first appear in Eurasia. This volume addresses many of the issues surrounding this initial hominin intercontinental dispersal. The spotted hyena is very efficient at eating its prey; not only is it able to splinter and eat the largest ungulate bones, it is also able to digest them completely. They begin to exhibit hunting behaviours at the age of eight months, and will begin fully participating in group hunts after their first year. It has a broad, line-like mouth that evokes a smile. [36] Unlike the fur of the striped and brown hyena, that of the spotted hyena consists of spots rather than stripes and is much shorter, lacking the well defined spinal mane of the former two species. Although possibly declining in number in some areas. The Spotted Hyena is the largest of the hyena family which also includes the brown hyena, the striped hyena, and the aardwolf. Although hyenas appear similar to dogs, they are actually more closely related to cats. [164] Attacks occur most commonly in September, when many people sleep outdoors, and bush fires make the hunting of wild game difficult for hyenas. Transvaal's spotted hyenas are not protected, though they are not bountied. Records indicate that spotted hyenas in Malawi feed on medium to large-sized ungulates such as waterbuck and impala. [65] Clans mark their territories by either pasting or pawing in special latrines located on clan range boundaries. According to Mbugwe folklore, every witch possesses one or more hyenas, which are referred to as "night cattle" and are branded with an invisible mark. The spotted hyena, also known as the laughing hyena, is a hyena species, currently classed as the sole extant member of the genus Crocuta, native to Sub-Saharan Africa.It is listed as being of least concern by the IUCN on account of its widespread range and large numbers estimated between 27,000 and 47,000 individuals. There are four different species of hyenas alive today: the spotted hyena, the striped hyena, the brown hyena, and the aardwolf. There is a separate dominance hierarchy for each sex. The Spotted Hyena (Crocuta crocuta) also known as laughing hyena, is a carnivorous mammal of the family Hyaenidae, of which it is the largest extant member. The pseudo-penis is traversed to its tip by a central urogenital canal, through which the female urinates, copulates and gives birth. In some cases, the extent of dietary overlap can be as high as 68.8%. Spotted hyenas live into their mid-teens in the wild and up on average into their early twenties in human care. Maturity is around three years with females maturing later than males. Mating is polygamous and controlled by females. Gestation is 110 days and typical liters are typically one to three cubs and only two usually survive. Cubs are well-developed at birth weighing about two pounds, with black fur, tiny teeth and eyes open. Cubs are raised in communal nurseries although each mother nurses her own cubs. [135] The pitch of the laugh indicates the hyena's age, while variations in the frequency of notes used when hyenas make noises convey information about the animal's social rank. Spotted hyenas in Zambia tend to be heavier, with males weighing on average 67.6 kg (149 lb), and females 69.2 kg (153 lb). [60] Spotted hyena clans are more compact and unified than wolf packs, but are not as closely knit as those of African wild dogs. Weight ranges from 75 to 190 lbs. The spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta), also known as the laughing hyena, is a hyena species, currently classed as the sole extant member of the genus Crocuta, native … There are four extant species of hyena: the spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta), the brown hyena (Parahyaena brunnea), the striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena) and the aardwolf (Proteles cristatus). These differ in size, behavior, and type of diet. References to the spotted hyena's vocalisations are referenced in numerous contemporary examples of English literature, including Shakespeare's As You Like It and George Chapman's Eastward Ho. Also, cubs will attack each other shortly after birth. Once this is accomplished, a typical mammalian mating posture is adopted. A broad, medial band is present on the back of the neck, and is lengthened into a forward facing crest.  Ngoziâs favorite enrichment is spinning around in a large tub of warm water. In contrast, chimps and other primates often require extensive training, and cooperation between individuals is not always as easy for them. They are protected inside national parks, but are not tolerated elsewhere. Found insideMeet the monstrous Spotted Hyena as it wanders the African plains! This book introduces the unique features of this wild animal including habitat, life cycle, physical characteristics, diet, threats, and defenses. [163] Man-eating spotted hyenas tend to be very large specimens; a pair of man-eating hyenas, responsible for killing 27 people in Mlanje, Malawi, in 1962, were weighed at 72 and 77 kg (159 and 170 lb) after being shot.  Females dominate hunts and females and their cubs eat before the males. [154] The spotted hyena is a sacred totem animal for some Pedi tribes, with the skin often being used as robes by chieftains and their bones as divining instruments. The spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta) is a species of hyena (or "hyaena" in British English).They are often called the laughing hyena.They are found almost everywhere in Sub-Saharan Africa.There are between 27,000 and 47,000 individuals, though their population is getting smaller in the wild. Gilbert, W. Henry; Asfaw, Berhane (2008). Originally published in 1990, this text focuses on a comparison of the feeding ecology and social systems of the brown and spotted hyenas. a spotted hyena. He adds three other animals within the category of hyenas, including an Ethiopian quadruped named "Crocotta", which was thought to be a hybrid between a hyena and a lioness. Pliny the Elder supported Aristotle's depiction, though he further elaborated that the hyena can imitate human voices. It puts everything you need for an amazing Zoo experience right into the palm of your hand! [142] During the 1770s and 1780s the species was still widespread in southern and western South Africa, being recorded i.a. [72] Females usually favour younger males born or joined into the clan after they were born. [37] Both sexes have a pair of anal glands which open into the rectum just inside the anal opening. These are the brown hyena, the spotted hyena, the striped hyena and the aardwolf. [53][54] Once the female retracts her clitoris, the male enters the female by sliding beneath her, an operation facilitated by the penis's upward angle. Its … They began forming increasingly larger territories, necessitated by the fact that their prey was often migratory, and long chases in a small territory would have caused them to encroach into another clan's land. [124] There is also a case of two spotted hyenas killing and eating a young leopard in Timbavati Game Reserve, apparently in revenge after a young hyena was killed by the leopard. [162] Although spotted hyenas do prey on humans in modern times, such incidents are rare. In Chobe, the spotted hyena's primary prey consists of migratory zebra and resident impala. Botswana's spotted hyena population is stable and legally protected by the Fauna Conservation Acts of 1982 and 1987, where it is listed as a game animal. Hyena are one of the most misunderstood and under-appreciated species in the animal kingdom. [89] Spotted hyenas seem to plan on hunting specific species in advance; hyenas have been observed to engage in activities such as scent marking before setting off to hunt zebras, a behaviour which does not occur when they target other prey species. The largest of all the hyena species, the spotted hyena gets its name from the dark spots covering its tan or reddish-brown fur. Found insideLeading researchers present current methodological approaches and future directions for a less anthropocentric study of animal cognition. This is especially true in species that have complex societies, such as spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta). Of the four species, it turns out that spotted hyenas are the most social and also have a significantly larger forebrain (where the complex decision-making magic happens) than their nearest relatives. [88] The intelligence of the spotted hyena was attested to by Dutch colonists in 19th-century South Africa, who noted that hyenas were exceedingly cunning and suspicious, particularly after successfully escaping from traps. [152] In the Mtwara Region of Tanzania, it is believed that a child born at night while a hyena is crying will likely grow up to be a thief. This stunningly illustrated book is the most comprehensive and user-friendly guide to the world’s felids and their often misunderstood relative, the hyenas. [14] Unlike its brown and striped cousins, the spotted hyena is a predator, not a scavenger; this has been shown since the 1960s. Although hyenas appear similar to dogs, they are actually more closely related to cats. Although generally tolerated, spotted hyenas in Benin are declining due to persecution and prey depletion. The spotted hyena is the largest species of hyena. Cubs begin to lose the black coat and develop the spotted, lighter coloured pelage of the adults at 2–3 months. In west Africa, the spotted hyena is primarily a scavenger who will occasionally attack domestic stock and medium-size antelopes in some areas. [5] Remains have also been found in the Russian Far East, and it has been theorised that the presence of hyenas there may have delayed the colonisation of North America. Spotted, brown, and stripped hyena characteristics were often combined in descriptions of a single species (Glickman 1995) Reality: no reports of hyena species … (25-36 cm) long. Female hyenas are a bit larger than the males. Spotted hyenas have adapted to this pressure by frequently mobbing lions which enter their territories. [15] The spotted hyena displays greater plasticity in its hunting and foraging behaviour than other African carnivores;[16] it hunts alone, in small parties of 2–5 individuals or in large groups. [5] In Western Europe at least, the spotted hyena's extinction coincided with a decline in grasslands 12,500 years ago. [80] During parturition, the clitoris ruptures in order to facilitate the passage of the young, and may take weeks to heal. Brown hyenas encounter spotted hyenas in the Kalahari, where the brown outnumber the spotted. [65] High-ranking hyenas maintain their position through aggression directed against lower-ranking clan-members. In Cameroon, it is common for spotted hyenas to feed on small antelopes like kob, but may also scavenge on reedbuck, kongoni, buffalo, giraffe, African elephant, topi and roan antelope carcasses. The spotted, or laughing, hyena (Crocuta crocuta) is the largest species and will burglarize food stores, steal livestock, occasionally kill people, and consume wastes—habits for which they are usually despised, even by the Masai, who leave out their dead for hyenas. It is scarce or absent in tropical rainforests and coastal areas. Credit: Stephanie Watson Photography CC Image 2.0. [115] In some cases, spotted hyenas are bold enough to feed alongside lions, and may occasionally force lions off a kill. Chases are usually relatively slow, with an average speed of 15–30 km/h. As a result, many captive hyena populations are facing extinction. [71] Like many feliform species, the spotted hyena is promiscuous, and no enduring pair bonds are formed. [65] During these greeting ceremonies, the penis or pseudo-penis often becomes erect, in both males and females. The last (very modest) and only treatise published on this subject was in 1981 so this book fills a fundamental gap in our knowledge of what is now known, and what is not, about the coccidian parasites that infect and sometimes kill ... Madi and Nuer mythology links the spotted hyena to the separation between heaven and earth; at one time, humanity kept in contact with the Creator in the sky via a cowhide rope, which was subsequently severed by a hungry hyena. Cheetahs are usually easily intimidated by hyenas, and put up little resistance,[122] while leopards, particularly males, may stand up to hyenas. In 1551, Swiss naturalist Conrad Gesner rejected the belief of the hyena's hermaphroditism, and theorised that it originated from confusion over an androgynous fish bearing the same name. Hyenas are skillful hunters and largest of three other hyena species (i.e., striped, brown, and aardwolf) [7]. Young Clan These two young hyenas met as cubs when they came to DZ in 2014 from separate zoos. They were brought to DZ on a breeding recommendation from the Species Survival Plan (SSP). Wildebeest are the most commonly taken medium-sized ungulate prey item in both Ngorongoro and the Serengeti, with zebra and Thomson's gazelles coming close behind. Kolben, a German mathematician and astronomer who worked for the Dutch East India Company in the Cape of Good Hope from 1705 to 1713, described the spotted hyena in great detail, but referred to it as a "tigerwolf", because the settlers in southern Africa did not know of hyenas, and thus labelled them as "wolves". [81], Although easily tamed, spotted hyenas are exceedingly difficult to house train,[182] and can be very destructive; a captive, otherwise perfectly tame, specimen in the Tower of London managed to tear an 8-foot (2.4 m) long plank nailed to its recently repaired enclosure floor with no apparent effort. 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