Hyenas; Scavengers or Jackals?

in #steemstem6 years ago

Hyenas! Are they scavengers? Are they Essential to Humanity? Or Are they just scary creatures?

I once watched a documentary on the Hyenas and their life in the jungle. One might say that Hyenas are very scary. Well, truth be told seeing the role they played in "The Lion King" I would say they were pretty mean to Simba. Now don't get confused its the cartoon I watched a couple of years ago— a very interesting animation about life in the Animal Kingdom.

image Image Credit: Pixabay

However, I would like us to find out if these species are actually as scary as we think or probably effective in the animal kingdom. We would also see the class they fall into and also some characteristics they possess.

With no further ado, let's get into the post of the day

The Hyenas

Hyenas (often spelled as hyaenas) are from a suborder within the Carnivora consisting of "Cat-like" carnivorans. Hyenas are not members of the dog or cat families. Instead, they are so unique that they have a family all on their own, called Hyaenidae. They are one of the smallest in the class Mammalia with no much diversity, hyenas may have a similar shape to dogs but, they are more closely related to the cat family.
imagewikimedia: Spotted hyenas by GalliasM now in Public Domain
under, CC0 1.0

Researchers have shown that hyenas are the fifth-smallest biological family in the Carnivora. However, most hyenas are native to sub-Saharan Africa and as such, they are commonly seen as frightening and worthy of contempt. In some remote areas of the world, Hyenas are thought to influence people’s spirits, rob graves, and steal livestock and children. Other cultures associate them with witchcraft and magic, using their body parts in traditional African medicine.

Relatively, hyenas have been seen as scavengers, vicious wild beasts and bone eating creatures that hunt in the dark, but there are millions of things to learn from these species, yes they might be dangerous, but on the other hand, there are lots of important traits they possess. Hyenas are very social and live in groups called clans. A Clan can have up to 80 members, according to the National Wildlife Federation.

An interesting observation would be the fact that, hyenas are always in some sort of amusement (rather "a state of happiness") and this gesture might seem scary, more or less weird but, surprisingly hyenas don’t just laugh for fun. Scientists say that the pitch
and the note (or tone) of a hyena’s laugh can give an indication of its age or social status. Speaking of scary, The form to which these species pay respects or greet each other is not short of fascinating than their laughs. Now, when a spotted hyena greets another hyena after a long separation, they engage in ceremonial greetings during which both male and female members of the species develop erections.

Origin

Twenty-two million years ago, the Hyaenidae Family appeared in the Jungle during the Less recent period popularly know as Miocene
which was named by Charles Lyell the geologist.

Over the years these species diversified into two distinct group: The Dog like Hyenas and Bone Crushing hyenas. The dog-like hyenas were nimble-bodied, wolfish animals; one species among them was Ictitherium vivarium, which was similar to a jackal. The dog-like hyenas were very numerous; in some Miocene fossil sites, the remains of Ictitherium and other dog-like hyenas outnumbered those of all other carnivores combined.

Unavoidably, the rate of depopulation increased on the side of the dog-like hyenas, after a severe climate change, this climate change wiped out the entire dog-like hyenas living only one sole survivor, the Aardwolf 7 million years ago.

Other Researches shows, the family Hyaenidae diverged from the family Viveridae 24 million years ago at the beginning of the Miocene period. The family comprises four species in three genera. The spotted hyena is the most commonly encountered species in the wild; aardwolves, striped hyenas, and brown hyenas are rarely encountered because of their small size, nocturnal habits, and solitary nature.

A Descriptive Insight; Spotted Hyenas

Scientific Name: Crocuta Crocuta

Class: Mammal

Weight: 50-87kg

Existence: about 25years

Velocity: 65km/h

Diet: Carnivore

Habitat: Savannahs, Grasslands, woodlands.

The Spotted hyena, is also called a "Crocuta crocuta", famously known as the laughing hyena, these species are often used in movies and cartoons like the one mentioned earlier on. The spotted hyenas is a group of hyenas, currently classed as the sole member of the genus Crocuta, and it is native to sub-Saharan Africa. They are famed scavengers and often dine on the leftovers of other predators. But these hardy beasts are also skilled hunters that will take down wildebeest or antelope within a quick and impulsive time frame.

imageWikimedia: Spotted Hyena with Bones of It's Prey by Marcel Oosterwijk now in Public Domain under CC BY-SA 2.0

Spotted hyenas are highly intelligent creatures, they communicate with yells, whoops and cackles – some of which can be heard almost 5km away!

Diet; The Need To Feed

When hunting for food, Spotted hyenas hunt using the "divide" and "conquer" strategy. In essence, they hunt in numbers and Despite what Simba would have you believe, spotted hyenas don’t just scavenge for lion leftovers. Spotted hyenas hunt and kill in packs. Ninety-five percent of what they feed on comes from hunting and scavenging. A group of hyenas can devour an entire zebra, leaving no leftovers—not even the bones—in less than 30mins, give or take maybe less than an hour. However, this feeding frenzy comes at a cost; hyenas rip, claw, and fight with one another over the remains of their meal.

imagewikimedia: Hyena Skull at the British Museum Of Natural History, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0

Catching Its Prey

The spotted hyenas are carnivorous in nature and they have to hunt to feed, they survive on the leftovers of other predators often times while hunting for preys they get into conflict with the King of the Jungle " Lions " and sometimes die in the course of the fight for that prey.

A Spotted hyena runs at a velocity of 65km/h while hunting its prey. These guys like to make their meal more efficient and equipped. They are super-skilled predators; When hunting down a prey, they use their strong teeth and jaw to pin down the prey leaving it defenseless and weak, as they carry the prey to a safer location where they eat and chop down its bones. Some of them even end up fighting over the bones of the devoured prey.

Striped Hyenas

Scientific Name:Hyaena Hyaena

Class: Mammals

Weight: 23-65kg

Existence: 12 years

Velocity: 47km/h (maximum)

Diet: Carnivore

Habitat: Mountains, Savannahs, Woodlands

Striped Hyena also called "Hyaena Hyaena" are considered to be the second member of the true hyenas' species (Hyaenidae). They're a bit smaller than spotted and brown hyenas and are the least studied. They have a broad head with dark eyes, a thick muzzle, and large, pointed ears and grey in color. They are native to East Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia.
imageWiki media: An image of a Striped hyena by Winfred Austin now in Public Domain under CC BY-SA 3.0

They may have evolved from Africa being part of the four extant species, with the looks of a dog and long legs. The striped hyena is a Nocturnal
mammal, also they are monogamous, dwelling in arid mountains and dens in grasslands, they have a lifespan of 12years but they can last even up to 25years or even more than that.

Striped Hyenas have vertical stripes on their flanks and black vertical stripes in their legs. Stripes are more prominent in the summer and less defined in the winter. Striped Hyenas, like other Hyena species, have a downward sloping back, a pointed muzzle, and pointed ears. Like many animals that inhabit very hot desert climates, their ears radiate heat. When threatened, the mane that extends down the center of their back can be made erect which makes the hyena appear much larger (38%) and more intimidating to predators. Their tail is long, bushy, covered in long, coarse hair and is black and white in color. Each of their paws has four non-retractable, short, blunt claws.

Diet And Hunting

Striped Hyenas mainly feed on carrion but they also catch live prey such as insects, rodents, birds, lizards, and rabbits. They will also supplement their diet by eating a variety of fruits. They regularly go after other animal kills, scavenging for food and bones, With powerful jaws that crush bones easily - This gives them the ability to digest some parts of their prey that other animals cannot;
Parts such as hooves, horns, hair, and ligaments are regurgitated into pellets.
image Wiki media: Skull drawn by V. N Lyakhov licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0

They often cache their food such as bones, pieces of flesh, or meat, in shallow holes dug with their snouts. Unlike the Spotted Hyenas, They scavenge for food and often hunt for themselves, in the dark.

Hyaena is nomadic in nature, moving from one water hole to another. Interestingly, they can drink any kind of water; salt water, fresh water, and soda. More importantly, striped hyenas can go for long periods without water.

Reproduction

The male striped hyena has a pouch of naked skin near the anal spot. Above the anus, the large anal gland opens into it. Many fatty glands exist above and between the opening of anal glands. When the male and female go into mating or social interaction the anas can be everted by approximately 0.5 cm. When a predator attacks, the Hyena everts the anal gland and spread out a hard and bitter smelling liquid. Its senses ability are very bad but eyesight is very good and sharp. However, there is no specific breeding season for the Striped Hyena. After a gestation period of 90 – 92 days and approximately 2 – 4 helpless cubs are born in nesting dens. Hyena cubs are born blind and their ear canals are closed. Their coats are white to grey with clear black stripes. After 7 – 8 days, the cubs are able to open their eyes and their teeth develop after 3 weeks. Within the spaces of 5months, they are able to chew meat after being breastfed by the mother hyena.

Brown Hyenas

Scientific Name: Hyaena brunnea

Class: Mammals

Weight: 40.2–43.7 kg

Existence: 12-15 years

Velocity: 40-50km/h

Diet: Carnivores

Habitat: Desserts, Woodlands, Forests

Brown hyenas are often called Strandwolf but scientifically, they are called "Hyaena brunnea". They are the second largest after the Crocuta Crocuta. Similar to the striped hyenas, brown hyenas are nocturnal and also scavengers, they travel 20-50km/h in the hunt for food.
imageImageCredit: Pixabay

However, The Strandwolf are not so much in the way of numbers, they are actually very rare, that they are sometimes not ignored. They live in relatively small clans, and most are nomadic in nature since they dwell in desserts. The "brunneas" are native to Ethiopia, few are found in some areas in South Africa. They have an uncanny resemblance to the foxes and the wolves and can live in hot and dry places - This makes them unique.

Feeding For The Brunnea(s)

Brown hyenas are primarily scavengers and their diet consists of carcasses killed by larger predators, but sometimes balance up their meal with Fruits, vegetables, insect, and mammals. The Brown hyenas do not hunt in groups unlike the spotted hyenas, they make their kill with or without aid, they are very skilled
Locating carcasses kilometers away all due to their high sense of smell.

Brown hyenas like the spotted hyenas also have Powerful jaws for cracking and disseminating bony structures, they may even eat things that may be harmful to other wild animals because they are immune.

Reproduction

Brown hyenas do not have particular seasons as to when or how they Mate. Usually, Mating is never done between members of the same clan, it is rather done between specific members of different clans. However, in other to reproduce, the females have to mate with dominant/nomadic males rather than their own clan. It is said that the average year a brown female hyena is due for reproduction is about 2-3 years, this is because they have more than one estrous cycle during a specific time of the year and can be divided into short-day and long-day and also, females generally produce litters which consist of 1-6 cubs once every 20months.

The Aardwolf

Scientific Name: Proteles Cristatus

Class: Mammals

Weight: 7-11kg

Existence: 8-15 years

Velocity: 25mph

Diet: Insectivorous

Habitat: Grasslands, Scrublands and Savannahs

The Aardwolf being the smallest in the Hyaenidae family, is an insectivorous mammal relatively called the Earth wolf. This species nearly went into the gates of extinction, due to climate change, they belonged to the group dog-like hyenas but now they are the only extant species classified under the mammalian subfamily Protelinae. imageWiki media: An Aardwolf by Dominik Käuferle Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0

Originally, the aardwolf belonged to the family Protelidae, but seeing the fact that they showed similar characteristics with the striped hyenas, scientist thought it wise to class them under the family "Hyaenidae".

Description

The shy Aardwolf, is a thinly sized mammal with a resemblance to the striped hyenas, a little bit slender though with a length of about 50-85cm, weighing approximately 7-15kg. The aardwolf has jaws and canines similar to the other hyenas, but it is used only for protection and fighting although the aardwolf will eventually lose its teeth as it increases in age. They actually grow to the size of a fox.
imagewikimedia: Skull of An Aardwolf by Sklmsta , licensed under CC0

Aardwolf, generally look like striped hyenas but they do not possess the speed and agility that the striped hyenas have. They are also nocturnal mammals and are not so efficient in fighting off predators but on the other hand they (aardwolf) trick predators by doubling back on their tracks; in other to mislead the predators.

The General habitation of an aardwolf would be areas with enough insects for it to feed on, places like bushlands, dryland and Savannahs. They are native to Southern and Northern Africa, they live in under the borrows of stunted trees and also scrublands hiding throughouy the day, emerging at night in search for food.

Aardwolves mainly feed on insects specifically Trinervitermes and primarily termites using their long sticky tongue. They do not feed on fleshy substances, they are not carnivorous in nature. An aardwolf can consume about 300,000 termites in one night, they also locate food using sound and sense of smell. They may also eat larva, eggs and other insects. Researchers have shown that the main aim of the aardwolf is to control the termite populations.

General Habitation

Where do hyenas live? Where hyenas live depends on their type. Brown hyenas have a very limited range and live only in Southern Africa, including the Kalahari and Namib deserts. They are usually found between the Angola-Namibia border and the Orange River in South Africa. Over the year's wildlife research has shown that there are about 3 subspecies of hyenas, with an estimated population of about 10,000.

Essentially, hyenas are widespread and found in most habitats, like the Spotted hyenas are found in all habitats, including savannas, grasslands, woodlands, forest edges, sub-deserts, and even mountains up to 12-13 thousand ft. Most hyenas live in caves and dens in some native African countries and can adapt to any habitat.

Hyenas are very good creatures when it comes to solving problems and though they may look like dogs they are more closely related to the cats, and in their own way, yeah they may be dangerous so it wouldn't be advisable to have one as a pet of some sort. So until next time, stay safe! see you around.

References

New world Encyclopedia

Hyaenidae

Hyenas

Famed Scavengers

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Hi @rhemakosi! It is a really interesting article which is worth reading. I loved the pictures of the Hyenas you put in here and the information provided by you regarding the Striped Hyenas!

I didn't knew that they might have evolved from Africa being part of the four extant species, with the looks of a dog and long legs. The striped hyena is really an interesting one for me!

Well done! You did well and I am looking forward in reading your upcoming articles. Wishing you a very nice time here! Have a happy steeming here.. Best wishes!! 😇

Cheers!! :)

Thank you very much @star-vc. striped hyenas also do live for about 25years in captivity and they even compete with predators like wild dogs, lions for prey, let's not forget their long legs, helps them in hunting.

It is really very interesting! I loved the informations you shared with me in comment! thanks a lot for this!! :)

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