ADOPT A HYENA

HYENA

Taxonomy:

Habitat & Distribution

Savannas, grasslands, woodlands, forest edges, subdeserts and mountains to 13,000 feet.   They can be found from Tanzania, Kenya, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Congo, Sudan, Central African Republic, Cameroon, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Mali, Senegal, and Sierra Leone. Although spotted hyaenas occur throughout sub-Saharan Africa, their density varies widely among different habitats; they have been extirpated from many parts of South Africa, but high densities occur in the Serengeti ecosystem, including Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania, and in the Aberdare Mountains of Kenya.

Hunting and Diet

Spotted hyenas are better equipped for scavenging than other African predators: not only are they able to splinter and eat the largest ungulate bones, they are also able to digest them completely. Spotted hyenas can digest all organic components in bones, not just the marrow. Any inorganic material is excreted with the feces, which consist almost entirely of a white powder with few hairs.  Wildebeest, zebra and Thompson’s gazelles are most common prey items.  Spotted hyenas have also been found to catch fish,  tortoises, humans,  black rhino,  hippo calves,  young African elephants, pangolins,  pythons, and a large number of different ungulate species.

A single spotted hyena can eat at least 32 lbs (14.5 kg) of meat per meal .  A single hyena can take less than two minutes in eating a gazelle fawn,  while a group of 35 hyenas can completely consume an adult zebra in 36 minutes. Spotted hyenas do not require much water, and typically only spend 30 seconds drinking .

Social Structure

Spotted hyena societies are more complex than those of other carnivorous mammals, and have been reported to be remarkably similar to those of cercopithecine primates in respect to group size, structure, competition and cooperation. Like primates, spotted hyenas use multiple sensory modalities, recognise individual spotted hyenas, are conscious that some clan-mates may be more reliable than others, recognise 3rd party kin and rank relationships among clan-mates, and adaptively use this knowledge during social decision making. Also, like cercopithecine primates, dominance ranks in hyena societies are not correlated with size or aggression, but with ally networks.

Reproduction and Offspring

Spotted hyenas are not seasonal breeders, and can reproduce at any time of the year .  The average litter consists of two cubs, with three occasionally being reported.  Mating in spotted hyenas is a relatively short affair which typically only occurs at night with no other hyenas present. Males will show submissive behavior when approaching females in heat, even if the male outweighs its partner. Males take no part in the raising of young . The length of the gestation period tends to vary greatly, though 110 days is the average length of time. In the final stages of pregnancy, dominant females provide their developing offspring with higher androgen levels than lower-ranking mothers do.  Birth is difficult, as females have to give birth through their narrow birth channel. Also, spotted hyena cubs are the largest carnivoran cubs relative to their mother's weight.  In captivity, many cubs of first time mothers are stillborn because of the long labor times involved, and in the wild, it is estimated that 10% of first time mothers die during labor.  The cubs are born with soft, brownish black hair, and weigh on average 1.5 kg.  Unique among carnivorous mammals, spotted hyenas are also born with their eyes open and with 6–7 mm long canine teeth and 4 mm long incisors. Also, cubs will attack each other from the moment they are born. This is particularly apparent in same sexed litters, and can result in the death of the weaker cub.  This neonatal siblicide can amount to 25% of overall spotted hyena cub mortality factors. 

Communication

Spotted hyenas have a complex set of postures in communication. When afraid, the ears are folded flat, and are often combined with baring of the teeth and a flattening of the mane. When attacked by other hyenas or by wild dogs, the hyena lowers its hindquarters. Before and during an assertive attack, the head is held high with the ears cocked, mouth closed, mane erect and the hindquarters high. The tail usually hangs down when neutral, though it will change position according to the situation. When a high tendency to flee an attacker is apparent, the tail is curled below the belly. During an attack, or when excited, the tail is carried forward on the back. An erect tail does not always accompany a hostile encounter, as it has also been observed to occur when a harmless social interaction occurs. Although they do not wag their tails, spotted hyenas will flick their tails when approaching dominant animals or when there is a slight tendency to flee. When approaching a dominant animal, subordinate spotted hyenas will walk on the knees of their forelegs in submission.

Conservation Status

Not listed on CITES.  IUCN:  Lower risk, Conservation dependent