3. Aardwolves are solitary animals that gather only during mating season. They have a powerful build with shoulders higher than hind legs. 30 Interesting Spotted Hyena facts. Reputed to be cowardly and timid, the hyena can be bold and dangerous, attacking animals and humans. There are basically two distinct types of hyenas – dog-like hyenas and bone-crushing hyenas. In female-dominated spotted hyena clans, adult males are the lowest of the low. They have their own family, Hyaenidae, comprising four species: the spotted hyena, striped hyena, brown hyena, and the aardwolf, which isn’t a wolf but looks like one. Through history, hyenas have been in close contact with humans. i would like to know more about Hyena auto/self cannibalism. They can run at a top speed of 60 kilometers per hour and mostly hunt wildebeest and antelopes but they also hunt birds, lizards and snakes. Wait a minute! They weigh 40 to 86 kilograms (88 to 190 pounds). Hyenas have an average lifespan of 12 years, but they can live up to 25 years. Spotted hyenas are extremely vocal animals. 3. In fact studies have shown that hyenas kill 66-90% of what they eat and when it comes to the actual hunt they are extremely versatile and successful hunters. A hanging tail for instance says that a hyena is walking or standing leisurely. Check out these fun facts about hyenas and what they’re really like. Hyenas are large carnivores, they look like large dogs. Spotted hyenas are capable of digesting skin, bones and wastes of other animals. Hyenas are very social and live in groups called clans. Hyenas are … There are four distinct species of hyenas – the aardwolf, the brown hyena, the stripped hyena and the spotted hyena. All females rank higher than males in the clan. 5. Clans can have up to 80 members, according to the National Wildlife Foundation. How exactly do they do it? Though hyenas look like large dogs, they are actually more similar to cats like lions and tigers. Even though hyenas possess dog-like features they are more closely related to cats, and closer still to civets and mongooses. I think that limiting to the use of just “hyena” as term can be a little misleading, since there are multiple species of hyenas, including the aardwolf the striped hyena and then everyone’s favorite: The spotted hyena. Hyenas feature prominently in the folklore and mythology of human cultures with which they are sympatric (two species or populations exist in the same geographic area). Hyenas evolved in Eurasia around 22 million years ago. A hyena’s heart is twice as large as that of similar-sized mammals. For example: did you know that some insects' genitals explode during sex? Hyenas are large, dog-like, carnivores. Echa un vistazo a continuación para ver 28 datos más interesantes y divertidos sobre las hienas. Hyenas are, on the whole, very expressive animals – they use a variety of calls and body movements to express themselves – they are excellent at picking up on signals. 4. Spotted hyenas are known for their “laughs”, it makes human crazy. Si bien se parecen a los perros, pertenecen a su propia familia única, los Hyaenidae. 4. Cubs are born with open eyes. Las hienas son carnívoros medianos parecidos a perros. The size of an animal's frontal cortex is believed to be connected to its social intelligence, and hyenas have a frontal cortex on par with primates. Spotted hyenas “laugh” as a form of communication to relay excitement or frustration. 3. They are larger than common cats and have elongated snouts with round, pointed ears that look like dog ears. How They Look. A spotted hyena can eat up to one third of its body weight at one meal. But they have one of the most powerful bite forces. ; Hyenas tend to be very clever at building stocks of food, and waste no time in cleaning up their meals. However, according to scientists, this species actually may have originated in Asia and used to thrive throughout Europe for about a million years but their Asian and European habitat disappeared with the end of Late Pleistocene age of the Pleistocene Epoch. Spotted hyenas are actually omnivores and they eat even vegetable matter. Spotted hyenas can run up to 60 kilometers (37 miles) per hour. 7. There are four distinct species of hyenas – the aardwolf, the brown hyena, the stripped hyena and the spotted hyena. In Bingo, the ball 30 is known as “Dirty Gertie, Blind 30”. 1. With over 30 years of experience, Easy Travel are an award winning tour operator with extensive knowledge of the local wildlife in Tanzania. Fact 1 Hyenas make a sound resembling laughter when they are excited which gave rise to the expressing ‘laughing hyena.” The cackling sounds that they make are so loud they can be heard from a distance of 3 miles. This is because the females have three times as much testosterone in their bodies. Your email address will not be published. 28. Hyenas have very powerful jaws and strong teeth. Truth: Hyenas are neither. Hyenas are large, doglike carnivores. are very common. In ancient Egypt hyenas were domesticated and even eaten! This vocalization can often be heard during a hunt. The only dog-like hyena species to live today is the aardwolf. Female hyenas have only two nipples, so litters of more than two have to fight to survive, leaving the weakest cubs to die of starvation. Though spotted hyenas are capable of digesting bones and skins, they fail to completely digest hooves, horns and hair of their prey. The hyena is Africa’s most common large carnivore. However, the brown and striped hyenas and aardwolves have male-dominated clans. Spotted hyenas live in a matriarchal society. 30 Purrtastic Persian Cat Facts You Should Know. 27. 30 Solar System Facts Everyone Should Know. Aardwolves are insectivores, and they mainly eat termites. 13. The hyena is well known for its cackling laugh-like scream, which the hyena is believed to use in order to alert other hyenas of a source of food. Their appearance, habits and sounds are already weird, but when it comes to sex, there is no more confusing creature than the spotted hyena. 2) These amazing animals inhabit savannahs, grasslands, woodlands and forest edges across sub-Saharan Africa. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Despite their reputation of being cowardly animals, hyenas can become really aggressive and dangerous. The number 30 is known as a Harshad number, or a number divisible by the sum of its digits. 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