Hyenas are Mammals and were once thought to be cowardly scavengers, but they in real kill up to 95 percent of the food they eat. They have the skill to drive leopards and lionesses away from their kills. Hyenas are primarily nocturnal animals and leave their dens early in the morning. They are intelligent creatures that work together in a cooperative manner. They use strategic hunting methods to steal and protect their prey from other predators. The main target of hyaenas is zebras and wildebeests. The lion is their main adversary.
- Hyenas are mainly found in Africa but are also native to the Asia continent.
- The lifespan of a hyena is about 12 to 25 years.
- They are omnivores animals; they eat both flesh as well as vegetation.
- There are four subspecies of hyena: spotted hyena, brown hyena, striped hyena, and aardwolf.
- Besides subspecies, there are two types of hyenas bone crushing hyena and dog-like hyenas.
- Dog-like hyenas are nearly extinct, which is aardwolf subspecies. In comparison, the three remaining subspecies are bone-crushing hyenas.
- Hyenas are creatures of the night and usually hunt during the nighttime.
- Hyenas are social animals and like to live in groups called clans.
- In each group of hyenas, there can be up to 80 members.
- The babies of hyena are called cubs.
- A New study shows that spotted hyenas are smarter than chimpanzees. They outperform On some cooperative problem-solving tests. Its also been seen that a mature hyena helps other unmatured hyenas to do the tricks.
- Female hyenas don’t have a vagina, but instead, they have pseudo-penis, which they use for urination, copulation, and giving birth.
- During birth, over 60% of cubs die due to suffocation.
- The gestation(pregnancy) period of hyenas varies, but on average, it is of about 110 days. Each litter consists of an average of 2 to 4 cubs.
- A fully grown spotted hyena can weigh 44-64 kg, a brown hyena can weigh from 40-44 kg, and a striped hyena can weigh 22-55 kg.
- Hyenas evolved about 10 million years ago from H. namaquensis of Pliocene Africa.
- The Maasai tribe people of Kenya and Tanzania leave their deceased people to be consumed by hyenas.
- Hyena often “laugh” when they are hunting or frustrated and use the method to communicate with each other.
- Hyenas can run at a speed of 60 km/h(37 mph).
- They travel long distances chasing their prey. They are seen chasing about 24 km (15 miles)for their prey.
- The heart of a hyena is twice in weight compared to a lion, giving them the stamina to chase long distances.
- Hyena has one of the most potent bite force among many animals. They have a bite force of over 1100 PSI which is even stronger than a tiger.
- They can eat one-third of their body weight in one go.
- In ancient times, the Egyptians domesticated hyenas and used them for their skin and meat.
- Hyena usually reaches the age of sexual maturity at the age of three years.
