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Hyena
The hyenas, belonging to the suborder of the feliformes, are carnivorous mammals that form a fundamental part of the fauna of Africa. The family of hyenas is divided into 4 species.
They have historically been badly regarded for being known as scavengers and for their famous hysterical laughter similar to that of human beings. This laugh is used to maintain the union of the herd when they go hunting, it can give an indication of their age and social status, which tells us that the Hyenas do not laugh for fun.
Hyenas are smarter than chimpanzees. The size of an animal's frontal cortex is connected to its social intelligence, and hyenas have a frontal cortex on par with primates. A study conducted by Duke University showed that a couple of hyenas in captivity performed better in problem solving and social cooperation than chimpanzees. Even more surprising is that during the study, the hyenas solved all the problems in silence, using only nonverbal communication signals.
Hyenas kill baby lions. Hyenas and lions often fight over the same territories and hunt the same prey. This leads to strong competition between the two animals. They steal food from each other and kill the young of their enemies. A group of hyenas can devour a whole zebra, leaving no leftovers "not even bones" in less than half an hour. However, this feeding frenzy has a cost; Hyenas fight with each other over the remains of their food.
A curiosity of this animal is that the females send Female spotted hyenas are more muscular and more aggressive than their male counterparts. This is because females have three times more testosterone in their bodies than males. As a result, spotted hyena societies are matriarchal. Even a female baby will be able to dominate over all males.
The spotted female hyena has a penis Female hyenas have a pseudo-penis that is basically an elongated clitoris. Some pseudo-penises can grow up to seven inches long, completely exceeding the average length of the human penis.
The life of a baby hyena is not easy. The spotted hyena female uses her pseudo-penis during urination, copulation, and parturition, which can make the birth process so difficult that she estimates that 60 percent of the hyena pups die of asphyxia during birth . (It is dangerous for mothers, too, baby puppies can tear the wall of the pseudo-penis, a lesion that can prove fatal.) Those who survive have other difficulties: female hyenas have only two nipples, so litters of more than two have to fight to survive, leaving the weakest puppies to die of hunger.
Hyenas have spooky greeting ceremonies. When a spotted hyena greets another after a long separation, they engage in a ceremony during which both male and female members of the species develop erections.
Being a male hyena is difficult. In the spotted hyena clans with predominance of females, the adult males are the lowest category. When the male hyena reaches sexual maturity at the age of two, he must leave the clan and look for a new group. This is a violent and vicious process. When the alpha female of the new group finally allows the male to enter, he will be constantly harassed and forced to fight for food and sex.
Hyenas are difficult to tame. The ancient Egyptians tamed striped hyenas and used them as a source of food. In ancient hieroglyphs, hyenas are often represented in subordinate positions, being persecuted and domesticated. But in a 2010 article published in the International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, AJ Legge conjectured that this was simply Egyptian pomp. Because the striped hyena lives off the carrion, which would make a terrible meal. Legge concludes that while the hyenas may have been domesticated for a period, this did not last long.
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