33+ Most Amazing Facts About Hyenas
Hyena is a wild animal. Hyenas are large in size. They are nocturnal and carnivores. Hyenas are one of the most adaptive animals living in diverse habitats. Mostly known for its laugh like call hyena is one of the feared animals in wild. Hyenas are described as frightening and worthy of contempt. Many concepts about hyenas portray them as the villains of nature.
Hyenas are unique biological species that is called Hyaenidae. Hyenas are an important part of the African ecosystem. Hyenas are intelligent animals. Hyenas are famous for their laughs. There are many things about wild hyenas unknown to us. These are some little known facts about hyenas.
There are four species of hyenas, spotted hyena, brown hyena, striped hyena, and aardwolf.
Female hyenas are larger than males.
Human is the only predator to hyenas.
The spotted hyena is the largest hyena species. Aardwolf is the smallest hyena species.
Hyenas are born with shut eyes.
Though known as scavengers, not all hyenas are scavengers. Only the striped hyenas are scavengers.
Mostly spotted hyenas call like laughs. But not when they are happy, they laugh mostly when aggressive or nervous.
Hyenas can run at the top speed of 60 km per hour for several kilometers.
Hyenas don't mark territories by urinating. They mark their territories by using their anal glands.
The aardwolf species of hyenas are mainly insectivores, meaning an animal that feeds on insects, worms, and other invertebrates.
An aardwolf eats up to 300,000 Trinervitermes on a single outing.
Brown hyenas live only in Southern Africa, including the Kalahari and Namib deserts.
Hyenas live as much as double in captivity. Hyenas have a life span of 10-12 years in the wild and up to 25 years in captivity.
Hyenas live in groups. These hyena groups are called clans.
The brown hyena species are endangered.
The hyena’s laugh can give an indication of its age and social status.
Spotted hyenas kill at least 95% of there own prey.
Most hyena species are matriarchal.
Spotted male hyenas have to leave their own clan and start to live with a new clan after being mature for 2 years.
Every spotted hyena has different patters of their spots.
Hyenas laugh calls can be heard from up to 5 kilometers away.
The main rivals of hyenas are Lion and wild dogs.
Hyenas are cannibals. They may attack and eat other hyenas, especially when they are young.
Spotted hyenas live in the south of the Sahara Desert. They have the widest habitat range amongst hyenas.
Hyenas are one of the most intelligent mammals. In a research conducted by Duke University, a pair of hyenas solved complex problems in captivity.
Hyenas can communicate without any verbal communication.
Brown Hyenas are solitary, unlike other hyena species.
Brown hyenas can travel 20-45 kilometers in search of food every night.
Estimated population of Spotted hyena in wild is between 27,000 and 47,000 individuals.
The brown hyena population size range from 5000 to 8000 in the wild.
The world population of Striped hyenas is estimated at 5000 to 10,000 individuals.
Aardwolves population is unknown and the animal is thought to be common but rarely seen.
Hyena Offsprings are raised socially.
Hyenas eat almost every part of their prey, even the horn, and hoofs.
Pachycrocuta brevirostris an extinct species hyena species was as big as Lions.
In nature, meerkats are the closest relatives of Hyenas.
Hyenas are the smallest in the class Mammalia with only four species.
Most hyenas never make their own den.
With a strong jaw and teeth, the hyena can eat teeth, hoof, and horns. Hyenas can digest rotten flash.
Hyenas are strong animals and believed to the most successful carnivores.