10 Incredible Facts about Hyenas

Across the animal kingdom, hyenas have remained to be one of the most under-appreciated and misunderstood species. Ranging from their predatory mode of feeding, mating, family build-up, intelligence to life expectancy, little has been understood as pertaining to the hyenas. It is therefore an amazing experience to know some of the interesting facts about hyenas.

Here are the top 10 Incredible facts about Hyenas.

▶ THEY ARE ADEPT HUNTERS:

The hyenas can hunt and kill animals several times larger than them like the giraffes and buffalos -10 Incredible Facts about Hyenas

The common belief about hyenas is that they are purely scavengers. However, you should note that such a belief is a false accusation. Often, it is argued that hyenas steal their food basically from lions. On the contrary, you should observe that hyenas do kill about 60-90% of the food they eat. The hunting ability of the hyenas is predominated by intense versatility and success. They have the ability to cruise at speeds of up to 60kph, over longer distances. As such, they often run down their prey to exhaustion. The hyenas can hunt and kill animals several times larger than them like the giraffes and buffalos. The lions, however, cannot scavenge on the food killed by hyenas owing to the great success of hyenas.

▶ HYENAS ARE GREAT MOTHERS :

hyenas are surprisingly one of the best nurturing mothers in the animal kingdom -10 Incredible Facts about Hyenas

On many occasions, when one thinks about the great mother nurturing skills, then a cat nursing her kittens or a gorilla nestling her young baby immediately come into mind. The hyenas are often given less attention. However, you should note that hyenas are surprisingly one of the best nurturing mothers in the animal kingdom, and they invest more energy per cub when compared to any other carnivore living on land. In relation to the number of cubs, hyenas give birth to between 1 and 3 cubs. Interestingly, hyena cubs are precocial because they are delivered at the most advanced development stage. In other words, they are born with their teeth intact, and with their eyes open. Their muscles are also strong at the time of birth, and they are always ready to go.

▶ HYENAS CAN COUNT:

hyenas can count and establish the number of other hyenas in the rival group -10 Incredible Facts about Hyenas

It is indeed interesting to know that hyenas can count and establish the number of other hyenas in the rival group, then determine the best course of action. Additionally, for males to join the other clan, they have to conduct a prior census and join the clan with the least number of other males. This can not be the basic or detailed mathematics such as calculus, bet yes, hyenas have the counting potentials.

▶ THE FEMALES HAVE COMPLICATED AND UNUSUAL GENITALS:

 The Females have complicated and Unusual genitals - 10 Incredible Facts about Hyenas

In many instances, people have false allegations that hyenas are hermaphrodites. In as much as such an allegation is false, there are many reasons which can support why the allegations have been made, and why it has been thought that the accusations may be true. On conducting a keen observation, you will note that female hyenas often have both a pseudo scrotum and a pseudo penis. It is by no surprise that these pseudo features are typically similar to those of the males. The pseudo penis in the females represents their clitoris, through which they have sex, urinate and give birth.

▶ HYENAS HAVE VERY POWERFUL JAWS:

A bite from hyenas’ jaws can crush bones and equally kill - 10 Incredible Facts about Hyenas

A bite from hyenas’ jaws can crush bones and equally kill. The jaws have evolved and adapted significantly to producing massive force within specific sections of the dentition. Hyenas have the ability to crush open bones with diameters of about 2.5 inches. In such a manner, the hyenas can access the nutritious bone marrow that is often inaccessible to most predatory animals.

▶ THE HYENAS ARE REMARKABLY LONG-LIVING:

One of the hyenas recorded to have lived the longest was in captivity - 10 Incredible Facts about Hyenas

Canine species such as dogs often live for about 6-10 years. Equally, wild felids such as tigers and lions have the ability to live for periods ranging between 10-15 years. In comparison, the hyenas supersede the canine and felids lifespan and can live for periods of up to 20 years in the wilderness. Their jaws often take between 7-10 years, long after their sexual maturity, to develop fully. Amazingly, one of the hyenas recorded to have lived the longest was in captivity, and it lived for 41 years and one month.

▶ HYENAS HAVE A HISTORY OF CONQUERING:

These hyenas competed with human beings for caves and resources - 10 Incredible Facts about Hyenas

Currently, within the diverse habitats of predatory animals, it is observed that hyenas remain to be one of the most successful groups among carnivores. In ancient times, spotted hyenas dominated larger sections of Eastern Serbia and the British Isle. These hyenas competed with human beings for caves and resources.

▶ HYENAS ARE INTENSIVELY SOCIALLY COMPLEX:

Hyenas are quite sociable and they live in groups which can contain members up to 130 -10 Incredible Facts about Hyenas

Hyenas are quite sociable and they live in groups which can contain members up to 130. Unlike other predators such as lions and foxes that stay together, hyenas are barely together and are found by themselves. However, they do meet from time to time, which makes their living group to be referred to as a “fusion-fission” society.

▶ HYENAS ARE VOCAL:

The hyenas are often recognized by their giggle and laugh - 10 Incredible Facts about Hyenas

The hyenas are often recognized by their giggle and laugh. You will realize that the laugh of the hyenas is not funny, but associated with the expression of uncertainty and social anxiety. In places where hyenas live, whoops are common and mostly heard at night.

▶ HYENAS ARE EXTREMELY INTELLIGENT:

 Hyenas are extremely intelligent

There is a perception that hyenas are foolish and dull. This perception is attributed to the misunderstanding associated with the giggles and laughs of hyenas. However, the reality is that observed hyenas show amazing intelligence that baffles most of the wild animals in Africa. Their intelligence is always linked to mimicry of human being’s intelligence evolution.

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