And the night. Above is a silver moon. In its dim light, the rocks, trees and the landscape in general seem quite peaceful. But suddenly you hear a scary noise! Sounds like wild and hysterical human laughter! Of course, that gets on your nerves!
But there is neither man nor woman in the wilderness. No one you know has gone mad. The “hysterical laughter” comes from another source. Like it or not, you've heard the weird, nervous howl of the "laughing" hyena.
This could be your first "encounter" with this strange animal. You may be wondering how and why some hyenas laugh? You've probably heard stories about hyenas. But where does the myth fall and where does the fact begin? For example, some say that some hyenas can change sex at will. It is true? Many say these animals are just garbage, others call them predators. Who is right? Hyenas have been said to attack and kill humans. Is it a fact? What do hyenas really look like?
First a description
Hyenas look like big dogs. But they are not related to dogs. Hyenas belong to the scientific family of hyenas. Three species have been identified: the spotted or laughing hyena (in sub-Saharan Africa); striped hyena (found in North Africa, Asia Minor, and even India); and the brown hyena (in southern Africa).
The painted or smiling hyena has yellowish-gray fur with black or brown spots. The striped hyena "wears" gray fur with black or brown stripes. And the brown hyena is dark brown in color with gray hair on the neck and lower legs. Both striped and brown hyenas have long-haired fashions.
Although there are differences between the species, the hyena generally has fairly large ears and a huge head. Its shoulders are higher than its hind legs. The animal has long front legs, short hind legs and a sloping back. Each foot has four toes and the claws are extendable. This creature walks like a camel, the front and rear legs jutting out to either side. The male that the hyena sees or laughs can measure up to 3 meters high on the shoulders. Its body can be 1.5 meters long and it does not have a 33 cm tail. And he can weigh 82 pounds. Interestingly, a spotted hyena lived in the Berlin Zoo for forty years. And can you imagine House hyenas love to be petted.
But don't ignore the powerful teeth and jaws of the hyena. “These tough, mean animals are scary,” he says. "Its teeth are huge and its jaws are strong enough to break and crush the thigh bones of large animals like zebra and even buffalo." (Animal Kingdom) The spotted hyena's jaws "are probably the strongest for the size of any living mammal," says The International Wildlife Encyclopedia. These animals can break bones that lions cannot and will eat bone marrow. Smaller, brown, and striped hyenas do not have the same ability to crush bones.
Hunter or cleaner?
Obviously, the spotted or smiling hyena is a powerful creature. Usually, it spends daylight sleeping, perhaps in its coat amid thick vegetation, in a dark cave, or in a hole in the ground. In space, it is possible to find the prey of this nocturnal animal, probably the paws of an animal or maybe even part of a human skull that has been stolen from a cemetery.
Since the hyena has a very keen sense of smell, it can recognize the carcass of a dead animal from a great distance. Perhaps the body of a creature killed by lions or wild dogs. Due to the scent characteristics, a solitary hyena or a large pack may search for the carcass. (Eighty to one hundred painted hyenas can form a herd, living in a well-defined area, dividing a hole that has a labyrinth of holes and underpasses.) If the herd smells of corpse or vultures surround it, hyenas are ready to go. . the dead animal.
However, don't just think of the hyena as a litter box. Dutch researcher Hans Kruuk and his wife, who work in the Ngorongoro crater in Tanzania, have shown that painted hyenas feed on other animals. Kruuk writes: “First, Jane and I, like most people, view hyenas as addicts addicted to the death of braver animals. After seeing the wrappers in action, we discovered that they are also very efficient predators, living mostly on wildebeest and zebras. And their hunting skills are not only for them, as we have seen in dozens of encounters, but also for lions. Unlike others, Ngorongoro lions rarely hunt. Instead, the dead hyenas taken to the party are looted by the frightening "laughter" from the food containers. Hyenas kill several intruders, but often defend them from a single intruder. We once saw a whooping cough chasing a lioness on the prey and beating its buttocks until she fled into the bush and growled.
Therefore, hyenas are debris and predators. For example, a flock of spotted hyenas can disturb a group of zebras. Often, but not always, they focus on disabled, sick or young animals. Hyenas are evergreen and generally have runs. (When human habitation removes wildlife from an area, starvation can cause spotted hyenas to hunt sheep or cattle.) Sometimes they hunt alone, but it is better to hunt them in groups. Painted hyenas are so strong that they train a donkey's body.
It is not beyond hyenas to take advantage of an unusual feeding situation. As "garbage", striped hyenas collect very well. The walls of some African villages have holes through which these hyenas enter at night to consume the garbage that the neighbors throw from their huts. In the morning, they say, only a few bone fragments remain.
On the painted or laughing hyena, Dr. Bernhard Grzimek: “During World War I, hordes of hyenas lived on rubbish at the Mbagathy slaughterhouse (near Nairobi). At that time, only beef was processed in slaughterhouses; The intestines, legs and heads were discarded. After the end of the war, slaughterhouses were closed and the hyenas had to find new food sources. They chewed on brooms, carried pots, chewed and cooled leather goods such as shoes, bicycle seats and sweaty hats, searched for garbage cans and even killed several women working in the fields.
A human killer?
Yes, we know that hyenas kill people! This is the case when the ground has been cleared or when there are no more wild animals in the area. Painted hyenas rarely attack humans during the day. At night, when the natives can sleep outside in the heat, they are often attacked by hyenas. Because attackers often look for the victim's face, some people have horrible scars to show at these gatherings. "In addition," says The Animal Kingdom, "it is common in many parts of Asia and Africa for locals to take the elderly to the brink of death from their huts and villages." Because the natives are superstitious about death, they never let it happen in their homes. The elderly are left in no time, and it is no surprise that hyenas do not wrinkle their noses on these golden occasions. The animal was condemned several times as a robber.
It is not careless to take reasonable precautions not to harass this bone breaker. On the other hand, if the striped hyena is heard by the dogs, it will escape by fighting. But if it cannot escape, that hyena can outwit the dogs and pretend to be dead. Therefore, the hyena is likely to jump up and run to safety with unprepared enemies. And what an explosion of speed! Up to 64 km / h!
Is hyena bisexual?
Legend has it that painted hyenas can take on the role of man or woman at will. It is true that the external reproductive organs of both sexes are similar. But is this animal bisexual?
A doctor massacred a spotted hyena and discovered after dissection that this man had rudimentary female genitals. Another hyena he shot was a female, but it had rudimentary male organs. There are reports that rudimentary genitals have been found in another adult hyena. Another man reported that he had a hyena that became pregnant and fed at least one litter. However, it has been suggested that the three animals examined by the doctor may not be adults.
Therefore, the female hyena is the one who gives birth to the offspring. The painted or smiling hyena is born one or two (sometimes three) after a gestation period of between 99 and 110 days. By the way, the little ones are born completely. In addition, your eyes are open and can walk right after birth.
How about that “laugh”?
You may have realized that not all of these animals are called "smiling" hyenas. This difference is reserved for the African spotted hyena. To hear their frightening cries, most people have to go on a trip.
The brown hyena does not laugh, but rather howls melancholy "Wah-Wah-Wah". Indeed, the laughing hyena makes a lot of noises. Usually, its howl changes from a low, sad tone to a loud, shrill tone. Although the wolves tilt their heads towards the moon, the spotted hyena holds its head close to the ground and makes a long, low noise. But when you get close to a dead body, that hyena's howl gets really scary. Since the animal is something of a ventriloquist, it's hard to tell where the strange noise is coming from. It may cheat you for a while as it sounds like wild, hysterical human laughter. But sooner or later, you'll probably find that you've heard a cold cry from a master bone-crusher: the "laughing" hyena.
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