I don’t know all about the exact onomatopoeia of a hyena’s laugh. Maybe it’s hee-hee-ha-ha? One thing I’m sure of is that they’re actually very complex animals. Especially females, but we’ll get to that later. Here are 10 amazing facts about hyenas that are guaranteed to prompt either a ‘wow’ or ‘I knew that’ reaction from you.
1. Hyenas Are Fantastic Hunters
They may be scavengers on a bad day, but on a good day – the spotted hyena is an apex predator. At least 75% of their food comes from their own kills because they’re very good at hunting. They’ve got the speed, they’ve got the stamina, they’ve got the bite force, and they’ve got the cooperation. In fact, they’re so good that the majority of their meals include prey that are much larger than themselves. Think wildebeest, rhino, or buffalo.
Hyenas are cursorial, which means they’re literally adapted to run. They can run down their prey to exhaustion at a steady pace of 25 to 31 mph. When needed, they can dial up their speed for a sprint at a whopping 37 mph. Their bite force, which is no less than 1,100 psi by the way, is strong enough to crush the thigh bone of an adult buffalo. In one bite! It’s just a couple hundred psi points that keeps them from being one of the 5 animals with the strongest bite.
2. Hyenas Make Interesting Sounds
The strange laughter is probably one of the most well-known animal sounds in the world. It lurks in India and floats through the air in the African deserts. However, while it may sound like they’re laughing, they’re not. It can be either nervousness, excitement, or social conflict that makes them resort to the laughing sound. But yes, they also use the sound to express their excitement when they come across potential prey. In addition to the laugh, hyenas can also squeal, groan, and make a distinct whooping sound.
3. Hyena Genitalia Is Fascinating
Female spotted hyenas have something we call a pseudo penis, which is a large clitoris alongside fused labia that looks like a scrotum. They grow this strange genital part because of the high levels of male hormones (androgens) during their development. While it may look like a penis, they use it to do all of the regular female things, including urinating, mating, and giving birth. If you’ve ever heard that hyenas are hermaphrodites, which means they’ve got both male and female reproductive organs, consider that myth busted.
And if you think you’ve heard of all the strange ways animals give birth, I’m here to add some new disturbing imaging to your day. Unfortunately, the size and shape of their pseudo penis makes birth a complicated and risky process for hyenas. The entire process takes 2 full days and sadly most first-time mothers and cubs don’t make it out alive.
4. Hyenas Are Good Mothers
Despite their ‘difficulties’, hyenas still make some of the best animal mothers. The energy that they have left after that excruciating birth is all invested into the development of their cubs. They nurse for up to 18 months and their milk has a high content of fat and protein. It’s actually richer than any other terrestrial carnivore, so their cubs stay healthy until they can take on the world by themselves.
Hyena mamas are also very, very protective of their cubs. They’ll fight till death to protect one of the cubs when other hyenas or predators become a threat to them. Did I mention they also teach them to fend for themselves and play/cuddle regularly to form a stronger bond?
5. Hyenas Have Very Strong Jaws
Remember what I said about the hyena’s bite force? Their jaws are so strong that they can effortlessly crush bones to get to the marrow with the good-stuff and nutrients on the inside. Their digestive system is also adapted to break down the entire carcass of an animal, which includes everything from the horns to the hair. Anyway, the hyena’s premolars are shaped like cones, while their molars are broad. This enables them to crush bones as well as grind through them. Oh, and they’ve also got ridges that attach to the top of their skulls, which gives them that extra bit of power that they need.
6. There Are Four Types of Hyenas
The spotted hyena may be the most popular, but it’s not the only hyena species in the world. The other hyenas include the brown hyena, striped hyena, and the aardwolf. The latter is the only survivor of the dog-like hyenas from 15 million years ago.
7. Hyenas Can Count
To assess social situations and make fast flight-or-flee decisions, spotted hyenas need to count. They can count the number of hyenas in a rival clan and use this information to make decisions. For instance, if a group outnumbers them, they’ll decide to abort the mission. Males will also choose their next clan based on the number of males they need to compete with. They also respond differently according to the number of calls they hear, ranging from a single call to three.
8. Hyenas Have a Long Lifespan
Hyenas, and spotted hyenas in particular, have long lifespans for terrestrial carnivores. They can live up to 20 years in the wild, while captivity doubles their lifespan to 40 years. Brown and striped hyenas reach 12 to 15 years of age, while the aardwolf’s lifespan is 10 years in the wild.
9. Hyenas Aren’t Dogs
Hyenas aren’t dogs, and neither are they cats. However, their family, the Hyaenidae, is more closely related to cats. It’s interesting because they are grouped with the cat side of Carnivora, known as Feloidea, instead of the dog side, which is Canoidea.
10. Hyenas Have Complex Social Lives
They’re one of the few animal species that have a leader. Plus, their clans are dominated entirely by females. But what makes these social groupings, or clans, unique is that all females outrank all males – even the youngest ones! Fortunately, they don’t always use this for conflict. They cooperate to find meals and defend their territories and their alliances are pretty strong.
