Hyena
Interesting Facts
The Hyena, the spotted and brown Hyena is a predator and a scavengers. They range from 135 to 155 pounds (62 to 70 Kilograms) with the females being larger than the males. They make numerous sounds including the famous laughing sound. This laugh is made to express fear or to indicate submission to a senior member of their clan. The female of this species are dominant over the males. These Hyenas have extremely strong jaws capable of bighting through bones. The Spotted Hyenas life expectancy is about twelve years. They live in large groups (clans) which can include as many as eighty individuals. Although primarily scavengers they will kill animals for food this includes large prey such as antelope. The coat of the Spotted Hyena is a sandy grey or brown colour and has black spots. The four species of Hyenas are spotted, stripe, brown, and aardwolf. Hyenas are generally nocturnal. Despite their small size hyenas are one of Africa’s most lethal animals. Occasionally even attacking humans. Hyenas can survive several days without water. Hyenas may look like some what like dogs but they are more closely related to cats. On a one-to-one basis hyenas can displace any predator except a lion from a kill.Lionesses and cubs will give way if they are outnumbered four to one. Usually lions cannot be displaced from a carcass by a hyena if an adult male is present. However if they are heavily outnumbered, even lions give away their food to them.