Interesting Facts about Hyenas

Hyenas are not members of the dog or cat families. . Instead they are so unique that they have a family all their own. Hyenas are considered to be smarter than other carnivore animals. The hyena (spelled “hyaena” in some parts of the world) is Africa’s most common large carnivore. There are three species of hyenas spotted, brown, and striped. Hyenas live in social groups called clans that can contain as 130 individuals. Hyenas surprisingly are one of the best mothers in the animal kingdom. Hyenas make a variety of vocalizations, including wailing calls, howling screams, and the well-known “laughter,” which can be heard up to five kilometers away (three miles) and is used to alert other clan members of a food source. Hyenas are opportunistic carnivores who prefer eating carrion rather than hunting, though they have been known to hunt too, so trash bins around human habitats form a great food source for them.

Here are some interesting facts about types of hyenas:

Spotted hyenas:

Spotted hyenas are the largest of three hyena species. Spotted hyenas are mainly found near Africa and eastwards through Arabia to India. Spotted Hyenas grows 4 to 5.9 feet(1.2 to 1.8 meters) . Spotted hyenas life span is up to 25 years in the wild. Spotted hyenas Live together in large groups which is called clans. Spotted hyena weighs 40 – 55 kg males. Female spotted hyenas are a bit larger than the males, but otherwise they look exactly the same. Studies have shown that spotted hyenas can determine the number of other hyenas in a rival clan and decide their best course of action. It may not be calculus, but spotted hyenas are able to count. Adult spotted hyenas mostly sleeps in holes or shallow pools or under bushes or scrubs.

Striped hyenas:

Striped hyenas are a bit smaller than spotted and brown hyenas and are the least studied. Striped hyenas are mainly found in North and East Africa, Central Asia and the Indian sub continent. Striped hyenas are a bit smaller than spotted and brown hyenas and are the least studied. Striped hyenas grows 39 to 45 inches(100 to 115 cm ) long. Striped hyenas life span is up to 10 to 12 years in captivity 20 to 25 years. They have smaller home ranges than the Spotted or Brown Hyena. There are not many negative benefits. They rarely attack livestock or people and are unaggressive, often allowing dogs to attack them without attempting to defend themselves. The striped hyena behaves submissively towards the larger spotted hyena and they allow spotted hyenas to steal there food. They have sharp vision acute hearing and a keen sense of smell, hyenas hunt at night time.

Brown Hyenas:

Brown hyenas are the second largest, ranging from 51 to 63 inches (130 to 160 cm) long and weighing 75 to 160 lbs. (34 to 72.6 kg), according to ADW. Brown hyenas can be distinguished from other hyenas by the long, shaggy hair, which is dark brown or black on the body and tan on the shoulders and neck. Hair on the neck grows to about 12 inches (30.5 cm), in contrast to the short hair on the legs, face and ears. The tail is short and bushy. These are aggressive animals, and a possible difference between the genders in appearance is the larger size of the males. The forelegs, which are horizontally striped, are much longer and more massively built than the hind legs, giving the brown hyena the appearance of always climbing a hill.  They can survive near urban areas but need some sort of cover where they can rest during the day, like bush cover and rocky areas.