Difference between revisions of "Hyena"

Revision as of 21:06, 27 May 2006

According to Pounced.org, Hyenas (or Hyaenidae) are tied for the 27th most popular phenotype, with less than 0.3% of all furries there registered as hyenas.

Hyenas are a group of carnivorous mammals. There are four main species of hyenas:

• Aardwolf (insectivore);
• Brown Hyena L. Parahyaena brunnea/L. Hyaena brunnea (Wikipedia:scavenger);
• Spotted Hyena L. Crocuta crocuta (pack predator); and
• Striped Hyena Hyaena hyaena (Wikipedia:scavenger, Wikipedia:omnivore).

General Information

The Hyena family is usually seen down upon by the majority. Early on, the Hyenas were seen as evil manipulative animals whom had the ability to imitate human speech and lure out the poor victim to later eat it. The laughing noise of the Spotted Hyena was found incredibly eerie and supported the beliefs of the native Africans that they could speak human language. The Striped hyena was believed to have magic and healing powers by eating it's brain and wearing their fur during rituals.

When the hyena was discovered in the medieval times, it was found categorized under several odd names. The Striped Hyena, for instance, was reffered as Water Wolf because of its wolf-like apperance and often showing up at the coasts lurking for food even in the water.

Also characteristic for the hyenas are their manes. However, the Spotted Hyena have no significiant mane but more of tuft along the neck and have slightly round-shaped ears. The Striped Hyena, Brown Hyena and Aardwolf make their manes erect to increase their size when frightened, scared, excited, threatened or aggressive.

But the most-known trait of the hyenas is their incredible strong jaws that can crunch bones and glass with ease, and thus they can eat all of their prey, kill prey with an instant bite, and find tasty treats when rooting around in garbage.

While the Striped Hyena appears in large areas like North Africa, East Africa, Middle East, South Asia and parts of China, there only exist about 2,000 specimens and they are decreasing quickly. In the 1900's, the Striped Hyena could be found in areas like South Europe, Turkey, and all the way up to south Russia. The reason why they have decreased is that the farmers blamed them for killing off their animals even if they usually stayed away from farms and humans. The Brown Hyena sits in the same boat with the Striped Hyena, but for them the status is even more critical; there only exists about 200 specimens, all of them living in South Africa and the majority in the Kalahari Desert.

Hyena facts

• Despite their apparent similarity to canines (and speculative similarity to felines), hyenas branched from the evolutionary tree over 7 million years ago, prior to the protocanid and protofelid families from which modern dogs and cats are descended. Hyenas make up their own taxonomical family hyenidae and genetically are most closely related to the civet and mongoose.
• The Spotted Hyena (L. Crocuta crocuta) is also known as the Laughing Hyena and is the most common and populous species of hyena, covering most of Africa.
• Spotted Hyena females are difficult to distinguish from males, due to strikingly similar genetalia, including females' false scrotums. This has led to many anthropomorphic Hyena characters who are, or are assumed to be, hermaphrodites.
• While the Striped Hyena (L. Hyaena Hyaena) is mainly a scavenger, it also eats small rodents, eggs, tiny lizards, fish, berries, fruit and the occasional vegetable. On the dark side, the Striped Hyena has been known of attacking young humans in India and eating them. However, it is believed that it is, just like in many other animals' cases, a lack of other edible food. Usually, the Striped Hyena is very shy and withdrawn around humans.

This species stub needs improving.

External links

• Hyena at Wikipedia
• Lioncrusher's Domain - Hyaenidae
• Animal Diversity Web - Hyaenidae