23/07/2022
What are the age-long myths you associated the spotted hyenas with?
Let’s learn some facts.
1. Hyenas look like dogs but they are not related. They are more related to mongoose and cats than dogs
2. Hyenas live in territorial social groups called “clan”. A clan is usually dominated by a female and members can reach up to 70-80 individuals.
3. The spotted Hyena is the largest of all Hyena species. Others are Stripped Hyena and Brown Hyena.
4. They inhabit savannah, woodlands, grasslands and forest edges.
5. They have a ginger coloured coat with black markings on their body and legs. This explains the reason for their name.
6. Spotted Hyenas are known as “laughing hyenas”. This is because they communicate through yells, whoops, giggles and cackles; some of which can be heard almost 5km away. They make such sounds when they are threatened or attack. They can also make such sounds when they are frustrated.
7. The reproductive organ of the female hyenas (pseudopen*s) has a similar appearance to the males, making them difficult to differentiate. They are not hermaphrodites.
8. The Hyena is usually a hunter (super skilled hunters) and not a scavenger. They usually hunt alone. However, clans can hunt together to take down a much larger prey.
9. Spotted Hyenas are armed with powerful jaws that can produce massive amount of force (around 9,000 Newtons) capable of killing an animal and crushing their bones. This ability enables them to access nutrient rich marrow that other animals cannot access.
10. Female Hyena gives birth to one or two cubs a year.
11. They can live up to 15 years in the wild, and up to 40 years in captivity.
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