SPOTTED HYAENA (FISI MADOA)

Weight: Males 125-140lb (57-64kg) Female 140-165lb (64-75kg)

Height; 2ft 8in- 2ft 11in (80-90cm)

Length; 4ft-5ft 6in plus tail 10-12in

Gestation 3.5-4 months

Young 1-4( usually 2)

Lifespan 10-12 years

IDENTIFICATION

Spotted hyenas’ have a rather bear like appearance and are the largest and most powerfully of the three species of hyena which are found in Tanzania. The have large rounded ears and a sloping back and the short tail. Female are larger than male and are distinguished by the presence of a pair of enlarged nipples after their first cubs have been born, they possess the strongest jaws of all land predations and strong teeth to break the bones. They have non retractile claws adapted for the long distance chase and are the most abundant large mammalian predators in Africa.

VOICE

Are extremely vocal, giving voice to a rich variety of grunts, growls, cackles and screams when gathered at a kill, these peels of maniacal laughter gave rise to the name laughing hyena. The contact calls is a characteristic wailing whoop uttered with the head to the ground and repeated five to ten times. This can carry for more than 3miles

HABITAT

Widespread in a variety of habitats from semi-desert and dry bush country to moist savannah and forested regions up to 13,000ft (4000m)

HABITS

Primarily nocturnal and terrestrial. Hyenas are commonly seen during daylight and are highly opportunistic scavenging and killing at any time of the day or night if the opportunity arises. They rest up between 9 am 5pm and they usually found in clans of 5-30.

Females lead the clan in hunting and defence if territory and are dominant over the males and are most biggest and aggressive hyenas, sons of dominant females outrank all clan members except their mothers and they are able to remain in their clan longer than their male age mates.

Clan members recognize each other by scent they mark grass stems with secretions from their anal glands. They usually likely to hunt wildebeest and zebras to the point of exhaustion before disembowelling them. They can gallop at speeds of 25-30mph for 1 or 2 miles. They can comfortably eat 15 kg of meat at a sitting and crack open the heaviest bones to feed on the marrow.

During the day hyenas often lie in the water at the edge of muddy pools to keep cool. They have excellent hearing and a highly developed sense of smell which they employ to good advantage when seeking out carcasses on which to feed.

REPRODUCTION

The young are born through the year, and females usually give birth to two cubs in an abandoned aardvark or warthog burrow, generally with a narrow entrance to prevent predators including the males’ hyenas. The cubs are well developed at the birth with their eyes open and their canines and incisor teeth already cut. It has recently been discovered that sibling of the same sex fight for dominance and the death of one cub between first months is uncommon.

Cubs are black at birth with the spots, gradually becoming more obvious they are seldom provisioned by clan members other than mother. Young suck until they are 12-14 months old, by which the time they can accompany their mothers on hunts and compete at kills, males leave their natal clan at around two years.

FOOD

Hyenas prey on both large and medium sized herbivores such as wildebeest and Thomson’s gazelles, they are very efficient feeders they eat everything excepts rumens contents and the horns of the prey which all are digested in 24 hours.

Hyenas occasionally kill each other during inter clan battles and lions sometimes kill them at disputes over a carcass though they do not eat them

Written by; IMANI LUBABA, rubabaimani@gmail.com, +255764148221