Striped hyaena
- The striped hyena has exceptionally strong teeth capable of crushing even the largest bones; its canines are enormous. It has 34 teeth.
- Large subspecies of the striped hyena are capable of hunting sheep, goats, dogs, donkeys, horses, and calves. Observations have shown that they can cooperate when pursuing large prey.
- The Striped Hyaena can raise the fur on its mane when seeing a conspecific doing the same. This happened when hyena A saw a neighbor in the enclosure raising its fur in a defensive manner.
- Striped hyenas are able to tuck their tail between their hind legs, pressing it against their belly, as well as practically placing it on their back.
- The striped hyena is the only hyena that does not live in large clans.
- The Striped Hyaena can crack the shell of even a large tortoise, as its teeth are capable of handling this task.
- Striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena) sniffed the anal area during reunion after 7 months of separation. This occurred between male B and female A, who had not seen each other for almost half a year.
- At 9 months, striped hyena cubs receive 2 kg of beef with bones. Beef is introduced into their diet as early as 6 months.
- In spring, in Central Asia and the Caucasus, the striped hyena almost entirely feeds on turtle eggs when they hatch.
- Striped hyenas can distinguish kin by external features even at a distance of 10 meters. This was established by the behavior of female A, who showed directed behavior only toward female M, not toward male B.
Age
Striped hyaenas typically live from 12 to 20 years, with a maximum lifespan of 25 years, and a theoretical lifespan ranging from 12 years and 6 months to 25 years. The age of sexual maturity for the species ranges from 1 year and 8 months to 2 years and 9 months. The young open their eyes between 5 days and 1 week and 2 days; during the embryo stage, the fetus develops inside the mother for approximately three months. A striped hyena pup is born blind and covered in dark fur, living in a shelter and feeding on milk. The adult stage lasts from 2 to 12 years, during which the species independently obtains food and can form pairs for reproduction.
Phenotype
The striped hyaena has soft, striped fur that aids in camouflage within grass; the young’s eyes open approximately one week after birth. The species possesses very strong jaws capable of crushing large bones. Its front legs are longer than its hind legs, which assists with both rapid running and digging burrows. A high mane of long hair covers the loins and back, and the animal raises this mane to appear larger. Black stripes on the sides, legs, and head provide camouflage in dry grass.
Physiology
Striped hyenas measure from 1 to 1.25 meters in body length and from 17.8 centimeters to 3.5 meters in height; their mass ranges from 52.29 to 55.45 kilograms. The species’ embryos weigh from 1 to 400 grams and measure from 0 millimeters to 20 centimeters in length, while the young weigh from 400 grams to 7 kilograms and measure from 20 to 60 centimeters in length. Adult striped hyenas weigh from 25 to 40 kilograms and measure from 1 to 1.2 meters in length.
Habitat
Striped hyaenas inhabit terrestrial landscapes including highlands and tundra, deserts and semi-deserts, and ground meadows and steppes; the species’ elevation range extends up to 2.5 kilometers above sea level. They are found in tropical savannas characterized by heat, uneven rainfall, abundant grass, and trees, as well as Mediterranean forests with hot, dry summers and warm, rainy winters. The animal also occupies deserts and dry scrublands which are very hot and dry with infrequent rainfall and cacti, and experiences climates that are very hot and nearly dry with little to no rain, hot steppes with very hot and dry summers and abundant grass, extremely dry conditions where rainfall is very rare, and areas with very hot days and cold nights and almost no rain. The species can also be found in areas with almost no rainfall during the summer months, but more precipitation during the winter.
Shelter
Striped hyaenas inhabit burrows located within the ground, among rocks, or in abandoned dens of other animals; these burrows serve as dens for the species. The dens are used for reproduction, resting, and protection from the sun.
Geography
Striped hyaenas occupy the biogeographical realms of Afrotropics, Indomalaya, and Palearctics; the species inhabits the Northern Arabian Desert, the Arabian Desert, the Desert Coastal Plain of the Arabian-Persian Gulf, the South Iranian Jiroft-Sindian desert and semi-desert, scrub thickets of the northern highlands of Arabia, and scrub thickets of the Red Sea-Arabia desert.
Feeding
The striped hyena is a scavenger and nocturnal hunter, primarily feeding on carrion but also preying on small animals such as rodents, hares, birds, and reptiles, and occasionally consuming insects and fruits. The species' feeding strategy includes active hunting and scavenging, with a daily food requirement ranging from 1.5 kg to 5 kg. As prey, the striped hyena selects antelopes, porcupines, hares, desert partridges, lesser gerbils, dwarf gerbils, and European land tortoises. Striped hyena cubs feed on milk.
Reproduction
Striped hyenas inhabit and develop on land, outside of bodies of water, and their young develop in nests built on or near the ground, sometimes located directly on the surface of the soil, or concealed within underground burrows; the species reproduces through live birth, with offspring born alive on land rather than hatching from eggs or larvae. Gestation lasts 3 months, after which the female gives birth to a litter of 1–4 young, and both parents provide food for them. A male and a female form a pair, and after a pregnancy of 90 days, the female produces 1–4 offspring. The interval between reproduction is from 8 months to 2 years, and the species reaches maturity from 2 to 4 years. Reproduction always occurs through fertilization, without generation changes, and nests are located directly on the surface of the ground on land, with both parents participating in rearing the young.