WildFact
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Information Section
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Terrestrial Wild Animals
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Carnivorous and Omnivores Animals, Excluding Felids
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Canids (Canidae) & Hyaenids (Hyaenidae)
Spotted Hyena (Crocuta crocuta)
Spotted Hyena (Crocuta crocuta)
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Spotted Hyena (Crocuta crocuta)
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Very bold this lone hyena (if it is indeed lone)... South Luanga National Park, Zambia.
Let us show an other side of the spotted hyena (because when we see the last posts of this page, it's rather bloody) !
Suzi Eszterhas: " Three-week-old spotted hyena cubs with mother in den, Masai Mara Conservancy, Kenya. Spend a few minutes at a hyena den and you'll see why these animals aren't the evil villains they are portrayed to be in Disney movies. ".
Dereck Joubert: " The more we learn about them, the more we can appreciate just how undeserved the stereotype of the slow-minded, skulking scavenger really is. We know from research on spotted hyena brains that these are, in fact, animals of marked intelligence. Whether they’re navigating those infamous clan hierarchies or working together to defend hunting grounds, their complex and highly social lives have given rise to a sophisticated brain with a large frontal lobe – something they share with creatures known for their intelligence, including chimpanzees … and us. "
" Hiena carrying a wildbest head in the Serengeti, life and death in the Wild! "
Spotted Hyena skeleton
Credit to @natural_selections  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author
Beverly Joubert: " Cast against the orange glow of an African sunset, the outline of a spotted hyena is unmistakable. Although they are often labelled as lowly scavengers, these predators are more than capable of hunting for their meals. Spotted hyena clans are highly organised and communication is key. In addition to their iconic cackle, hyenas have a wide repertoire of complex vocalisations that they use to maintain social order in the clan. When they work together, these tenacious hunters can bring down prey many times their own size. As darkness set in, this lone male emerged to begin his nightly search for food. In a harsh landscape where survival is reserved for the resilient, few animals show more mettle than Africa’s spotted hyenas. "
Hunting rates and hunting success in the spotted hyena ( Crocuta crocuta )
Abstract Hunting group size, hunting rates and hunting success were monitored over a seven-year period among members of one large clan of spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) inhabiting the Masai Mara National Reserve, in south-west Kenya. Prey availability varied seasonally in this study area, and hyenas tended to hunt whichever prey species were most abundant during each month of the year. Over 75% of 272 hunting attempts were made by lone hyenas, even when they hunted antelope three times their own body mass, such as wildebeest and topi. Of all prey that were commonly hunted, only zebra were usually hunted in groups. Approximately one-third of all hunting attempts resulted in prey capture. Although no significant sex differences were observed in juvenile or adult hunting rates, low-ranking adult females hunted at significantly higher hourly rates than did higher-ranking females. Hunting success was not influenced by the social rank of hunters, but hunting group size and hunter's age strongly influenced success. Young hyenas were poor hunters, and did not achieve adult competency levels until they were 5–6 years old. |
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