5 things you might not know about Hyenas

Posted on June 30, 2014 Updated on September 11, 2014

Generally, the first encounter we all have with hyenas is in The Lion King, where they are depicted as slightly crazed, fun loving and deceptive animals with high pitched laughs and a pack mentality. Sure, this is a caricature of what they are really like, but it is still what many people think of when they see a hyena in the wild. What many people don’t know however, is that hyenas play a huge role in the ecosystems they live in, and are important and powerful for a number of reasons. Here are a few interesting facts about these wild dogs that many people may not know.

1. We are all aware of the ominous laughing sound the hyena makes when communicating, and many people even believe that what they are doing is actually laughing, which is why it may look like they are constantly smiling. While they are not really joking around, the call is a fundamental part of their communication, and it allows them to communicate with other hyenas up to three miles away.

2. Typically known as scavengers, hyenas tend to avoid trouble where they can, and will try steal food away when bigger predators aren’t looking, or once they have finished their meals. However, they will not hesitate to group up and take down bigger animals, sometimes even large wildebeest, in order to get their food. Hyenas hunt in packs of up to 8 members, so even though they’re small, there is still a lot of danger when they are around.

3. Hyenas have incredibly strong jaws for their size, and they make use of that power to get every bit of nutrition they can from a carcass, breaking up the bones and chewing through the tough skin of their prey in order to get their nutrients. Because they are mainly scavengers, females often have to protect their young against the males, since they tend to be cannibalistic when there is a shortage of food available.

4. Hyenas have incredible endurance, and can go for several days without any water. Their hind legs are shorter than their thick, muscular front legs, giving them a posture similar to that of a bear. This posture is great for long distance travel, and allows them to cover a lot of ground quickly and without using a lot of energy.

5. The average life span of a hyena is around 19 years, and females give birth to up to four cubs at a time after a gestation period of between three to four months. Females also tend to prefer mating with males from outside of their own pack, and uncommonly in the animal kingdom, have higher testosterone levels than their male counterparts.