The spotted hyena is Africa’s most common large carnivore and, contrary to popular belief, is a highly skilled hunter rather than merely a scavenger. Female spotted hyenas are larger than males and dominate clan hierarchies, a rarity among mammals. Their powerful jaws can crush bones that other carnivores leave behind, allowing them to extract maximum nutrition from a carcass.
About the Hyena
Crocuta crocuta
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Spotted hyenas are more closely related to cats than to dogs, despite their dog-like appearance.
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Female spotted hyenas have pseudopenes — external genitalia resembling a male's — making sex determination externally very difficult.
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A hyena's digestive system is so acidic it can dissolve bone and even anthrax-contaminated carcasses without getting sick.
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Hyena 'laughter' is actually a contact call used to communicate excitement or submission, not amusement.
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They have one of the strongest bite forces of any land mammal, measured at over 1,100 Newtons.
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