The brown or brown hyena is an African predator. Where does the hyena live? Nutrition and features

I think many people know what conflicting feelings are. One goblin friend of mine joked that every scientist experiences conflicting feelings after creating an explosive composition and destroying his entire laboratory during its testing.

Personally, the first time I felt such a feeling was while in an Orc village. I got there by accident. I didn’t even know that anyone lived in those parts, but here on you, a settler, it’s quite decent. In the center a huge tent rises - a common kitchen, dining room and part-time tavern, on either side of it are two smaller ones - the personal apartments of the leader and the shaman. In general, everything was as it should be, and they received me well there.

For a small fee I got a hammock hung with skins and protective amulets, a place by the fire with a vat of food, a bowl and a mug of excellent vodka.

Two days later, when I was about to continue my journey, there was a commotion in the village. The hunters reported to the leader that they had seen a white hyena nearby. There really was something to be nervous about.

For those who are hearing about such an animal for the first time, I will now explain what it is. The white hyena, also known as the dune hyena, got its name not because of the color of its skin or special cleanliness, but because of the bright white flame that envelops it completely, from its paws to the tip of its nose.

Most weapons simply melt in this flame, without causing any harm to the creature itself. If, however, someone manages to wound the white hyena and appears dangerous to it, then it begins to spew flames from its mouth.

Such beasts rarely appear near settlements and highways, preferring more remote places, but sometimes they can still be found there. No one will find any hints that there was a village in this place after the white hyena visits there. Traces of its presence are mainly sandy soil that has been melted and in some places frozen in a glassy sheen.

In general, in front of the orcs that accepted me, I became serious problem. Naturally, none of them had expensive and rare weapons that could withstand the white flame, and they also really didn’t want to leave their homes to escape the monster.

After watching how the fate of the village was being decided, and the leader was either threatening, asking, or beating the shaman, I decided to take a little walk and figure out how close the danger really was. After all, the unfortunate hyena could have gone far and past without finding delicious table in the form of a settlement. I didn't have to hang around for long.

We faced her, as they say, head-on. I don't remember that fight well.

I woke up already in the shaman’s tent, who, I must give him credit, worked hard on me. Then there was no need to even get rid of the scars, everything was overgrown without a trace. When my unfortunate body got stronger and I was able to wander out into the street on my own, I was greeted as a hero by the entire population of the village, led by the leader. Having seated me at the table and thanked me on behalf of all the residents, the local leader presented me with the most expensive gift, in the eyes of the orcs, which should under no circumstances be refused, well, if life is precious. And the gift was a night with any of the women of the village, to choose from.

It was then that I experienced truly conflicting feelings. On the one hand, this is true highest sign respect from this race, and to be awarded it is definitely a reason for pride. On the other hand - a night with orchesa!

The brown or shore hyena is smaller in stature than its closest relative, the spotted hyena, and is also distinguished by the presence of a long, coarse mane, colored unmarked brown, which hangs from the back to the sides. The species is common in the deserts of southern Africa, and prefers to live in areas near coastline. It feeds on carrion and sea debris. This is the largest land animal characterized by such a diet. Females and males of the species look the same. Brown hyenas live in groups of 4 to 15 individuals, led by males.

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Let's move on to more detailed characteristics:

Length

In length, brown hyenas reach from 86 to 150 cm, the average body length of the species is 110-125 cm.

Height

Height 71-88 cm, tail length from 25 to 35 cm.

Weight

The weight of adult males ranges from 40-44 kg, females weigh slightly less - from 37 to 41 kg.

Wool

Brown hyenas have long and shaggy hair, especially in the tail and back areas. The neck and back of the animal are covered with hair up to 30 cm long.

Color

It is colored mainly in dark brown body with a gray head. Paws gray, decorated with dark horizontal stripes.

Jaws

The brown hyena has a very powerful jaws: A young animal is capable of crushing leg bones, but with age, the teeth noticeably wear out and this ability is lost.

How to mark territory

Animals have a special anal gland, which is located at the base of their tails and secretes black and white secret. These hyena secretions are applied to the grass to mark the boundaries of the areas in which they live.

Nutrition

Brown hyena in its diet it is a typical scavenger. The animal's diet consists mainly of carcasses of animals that have been killed large predators, and this nutrition is supplemented by rodents, insects, eggs and fruits. As a scavenger, the brown hyena behaves very aggressively; it often appropriates the corpses of victims of predators such as the black-backed jackal, cheetah and leopard. This animal is recognized as the most carnivorous in the barren desert regions of the Namib and Kalahari. In the absence of a sufficient amount of carrion, the brown hyena switches to vegetables, fruits, marine organisms, ostrich eggs, insects; if necessary, it is also capable of hunting birds, lizards, small mammals and even poultry. Occasionally it is capable of attacking such large prey as a young antelope.

During the rains

During the rainy season, when zebras and antelopes wander across the deserts, the brown hyena's main source of food is the remains of the prey of leopard, lion and cheetah.

During a drought

During the dry period, brown hyenas obtain the necessary moisture from cucumbers and melons; the rest of the time they drink rainwater, which accumulates in temporary reservoirs.

Where does it live?

The species is widespread in the Namib and Kalahari deserts, in the central regions of the African continent south of the Sahara, in countries such as Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana and southern Angola.

Male and female: main differences

In general, sexual dimorphism in this species is not manifested in any way. Sometimes males are larger in size than females.

Behavior

For life, the brown hyena prefers clay deserts, where there are ravines, desert foothills with caves and gorges, and banks large rivers. The animal makes its lairs in the depths of caves under canopies, among stones, and sometimes in shallow burrows of other animal species.

Social hierarchy

The brown hyena is characterized by a pronounced social hierarchy, which resembles the state of affairs among wolves. In general, it is a social animal that lives in groups that consist of adults (male and female) and young animals related to them, although sometimes there are families in which there are several adults of both sexes. In such cases, there is always one dominant male leader. Young males, upon reaching sexual maturity, move from their original family to other clans. The brown hyena maintains the stability of such a hierarchy with the help of various fights and demonstrations of power.

Lifestyle

Brown hyenas feed mostly alone, but the group always has common hunting routes. In general, family groups stay friendly within. Older hyenas help guard the younger ones and sound alarms when predators approach or any other threats. Males easily leave their group and move to another. About a third of all adult males lead a solitary, vagrant lifestyle.

Reproduction

At the age of about 2 years, female brown hyenas reach sexual maturity and after their first heat they give birth to cubs.

Pairing

Mating occurs mainly from May to August, and pregnancy lasts about 100 days. Female brown hyenas mate either with wandering single males or with the leaders of their family groups. If there are other adult males in the clan, besides the leader, they do not take part in mating, but help raise the offspring.

Childbirth

Females give birth in burrows that are hidden in sand dunes, and are located far from the habitats of the spotted hyena and lion. Every 20 months, females breed offspring. If two litters are born at the same time in one group, then the mothers raise each other's cubs.

Offspring

A litter usually contains from 1 to 5 babies, who weigh approximately 1 kg. They are born, unlike spotted hyena cubs, with eyes closed, which open after 8 days. Aged three months young animals emerge from their burrows. Until this time, the babies are fed by all members of the pack. Up to 14 months, young individuals remain close to their mother in their group, after which they can leave her.

Threats

The brown hyena population is currently stable. Its main natural enemies are the lion and the common hyena. And the main threat is persecution from people, since farmers often classify the species as a pest due to attacks on livestock and are destroyed for this reason, although in fact such hunting is not typical for the hyena. They contain and preserve the species in many nature reserves and sanctuaries.

Interesting facts about the brown hyena:

• The brown hyena leads a rather solitary lifestyle; the animal's period of activity occurs at night. Despite having very acute vision and hearing, the animal is much more inclined to navigate environment by smell.
• Brown hyenas make a wide variety of sounds. Most often their voices are heard in deserts at dusk and at night. When hyenas quarrel with each other, for example, over food, they can be heard whining, growling and howling.

The brown or shore hyena is smaller in stature than its closest relative, the spotted hyena, and is also distinguished by the presence of a long, coarse mane, colored unmarked brown, which hangs from the back to the sides. The species is common in the deserts of southern Africa, and prefers to live in areas close to the coastline. It feeds on carrion and sea debris. This is the largest land animal characterized by such a diet. Females and males of the species look the same. Brown hyenas live in groups of 4 to 15 individuals, led by males.

In length, brown hyenas reach from 86 to 150 cm, the average body length of the species is 110-125 cm. Height is 71-88 cm, tail length is from 25 to 35 cm. Sexual dimorphism is generally not expressed; sometimes males can exceed females in size . The weight of adult males ranges from 40-44 kg, females weigh slightly less - from 37 to 41 kg. Brown hyenas have long and shaggy hair, especially in the tail and back area. It is colored mainly in dark brown body with a gray head. The paws are gray, decorated with dark horizontal stripes. The neck and back of the animal are covered with hair up to 30 cm long. The brown hyena has very powerful jaws: a young animal is capable of crushing leg bones, but with age the teeth noticeably wear out and this ability is lost. In addition, animals have a special anal gland, which is located at the base of their tails and secretes a black and white secretion. These hyena secretions are applied to the grass to mark the boundaries of the areas in which they live.

The brown hyena is a typical scavenger in its diet. The animal's diet consists mainly of carcasses of animals that were killed by large predators, and this food is supplemented by rodents, insects, eggs and fruits. As a scavenger, the brown hyena behaves very aggressively; it often appropriates the corpses of victims of predators such as the black-backed jackal, cheetah and leopard. This animal is recognized as the most carnivorous in the barren desert regions of the Namib and Kalahari. In the absence of a sufficient amount of carrion, the brown hyena switches to vegetables, fruits, marine organisms, ostrich eggs, insects; if necessary, it is also capable of hunting birds, lizards, small mammals and even poultry. Occasionally it is capable of attacking such large prey as a young antelope. During the rainy season, when zebras and antelopes wander across the deserts, the brown hyena's main source of food is the remains of the prey of leopard, lion and cheetah. During the dry period, brown hyenas obtain the necessary moisture from cucumbers and melons; the rest of the time they drink rainwater, which accumulates in temporary reservoirs.

The species is widespread in the Namib and Kalahari deserts, in the central regions of the African continent south of the Sahara, in countries such as Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana and southern Angola.

In general, sexual dimorphism in this species is not manifested in any way. Sometimes males are larger in size than females.

For life, the brown hyena prefers clayey deserts with ravines, desert foothills with caves and gorges, and the banks of large rivers. The animal makes its lairs in the depths of caves under canopies, among stones, and sometimes in shallow burrows of other animal species.

The brown hyena is characterized by a pronounced social hierarchy, which resembles the state of affairs among wolves. In general, it is a social animal that lives in groups that consist of adults (male and female) and young animals related to them, although sometimes there are families in which there are several adults of both sexes. In such cases, there is always one dominant male leader. Young males, upon reaching sexual maturity, move from their original family to other clans. The brown hyena maintains the stability of this hierarchy through various fights and displays of strength.

Brown hyenas feed mostly alone, but the group always has common hunting routes. In general, family groups stay friendly within. Older hyenas help guard the younger ones and sound alarms when predators approach or any other threats. Males easily leave their group and move to another. About a third of all adult males lead a solitary, vagrant lifestyle.

At the age of about 2 years, female brown hyenas reach sexual maturity and after their first heat they give birth to cubs. Mating occurs mainly from May to August, and pregnancy lasts about 100 days. Female brown hyenas mate either with wandering single males or with the leaders of their family groups. If there are other adult males in the clan, besides the leader, they do not take part in mating, but help raise the offspring.

Females give birth in burrows that are hidden in sand dunes, and are located far from the habitats of the spotted hyena and lion. Every 20 months, females breed offspring. If two litters are born at the same time in one group, then the mothers raise each other's cubs. A litter usually contains from 1 to 5 babies, who weigh approximately 1 kg. They are born, unlike spotted hyena cubs, with their eyes closed, which open after 8 days. At the age of three months, the young emerge from their burrows. Until this time, the babies are fed by all members of the pack. Up to 14 months, young individuals remain close to their mother in their group, after which they can leave her.

The brown hyena population is currently stable. Its main natural enemies are the lion and the common hyena. And the main threat is persecution by people, since farmers often classify the species as a pest due to attacks on livestock and destroy it for this reason, although in fact such hunting is not typical for the hyena. They contain and preserve the species in many nature reserves and sanctuaries.

• The brown hyena leads a rather solitary lifestyle; the animal's period of activity occurs at night. Despite having very acute vision and hearing, the animal is much more inclined to navigate its environment by smell.
• Brown hyenas make a wide variety of sounds. Most often their voices are heard in deserts at dusk and at night. When hyenas quarrel with each other, for example, over food, they can be heard whining, growling and howling.

Titles: brown hyena, brown or coastal hyena.

Area: Brown hyena lives in central Africa south of the Sahara Desert, mainly in the Kalahari and Namib Deserts. Its range lies south of the Zambezi River in Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia and southern Angola. In South Africa, the species has been practically exterminated, except for the northernmost Transvaal and Cape Province.

Description: The brown hyena has the typical appearance of the family: a large head, a reverse slope of the body (directed towards the rear end), strong and long legs. The head is wide, the muzzle is short with large teeth, and the ears are long and narrow. The forelimbs of the brown hyena are much better developed than the hind limbs. The fingers on all limbs are armed with non-retractable claws. When walking, animals step on their toes.
The hyena has an extremely long, coarse and shaggy non-erect mane, hanging from the back to the sides and running from the neck along the back. The mane is light, contrasting with the rest of the dark coloring. The brown hyena's fur is longer than its closest relatives, and is of a single color; stripes are found only on the legs. The tail is shaggy.
This hyena has 5/4 molars, and only in the upper jaw, behind the carnivorous tooth, there is a small, often falling out tuberculate tooth; the false molars are equipped with wide conical crowns.
On the sides of the anus, the brown hyena has special odorous glands, from which a secret is released that gives this animal an unpleasant odor.

Color: The coat is dark brown to brownish-black in color, with a lighter brown (straw-colored) mane and legs. The underside of the hyena's body is painted a lighter color. The hind legs have white or yellow-brown stripes.

Size: The brown hyena is significantly smaller in stature than the spotted hyena: body length is up to 1.2 m, of which the body length is 71-87 cm, and the tail: 25-30 cm.

Weight: On average, it weighs from 25 to 35 kg, with a maximum of 39 kg. Moreover, males are slightly heavier than females. Exceptionally large brown hyenas (up to 70 kg) have been recorded in isolated areas such as the Eastern Cape and the Lowveld mountain passes of Mpumalanga Province (in South Africa).

Voice: Like the spotted hyena, the brown hyena is very vocal, but unlike the first one, it does not make the characteristic laughing sounds. The voices of these hyenas can most often be heard at dusk or at night. When quarreling with each other over food, hyenas howl, whine and growl.

Habitat: The brown hyena is endemic to the southwestern, barren and arid regions of southern Africa. Although its range has shrunk in the twentieth century, especially in the southern part, it is still widespread and is able to survive close to human habitats.
Mainly inhabits barren savannas, but has also been found in deserts. Basically, the brown hyena prefers semi-deserts with a mosaic of shrubs, typical tropical savanna and wooded areas (with a well-developed layer of grass vegetation, under the forest layer).
This species of hyena can survive with very little water and therefore lives in areas with annual rainfall of less than 100 mm. They also live in savannas and woodlands with a maximum annual rainfall of up to 650 mm. They regularly use rocky areas for defense and hunting.

Enemies: The main predators are lions and common hyenas.
The main threat is persecution by humans, although the brown hyena is protected in game reserves, it is viewed and considered a pest due to its habit of attacking livestock, and therefore a large number of hyenas were killed by farmers. In fact, these hyenas have never been observed attacking livestock.

Food: The brown hyena is a large carnivore in the most barren parts of the Kalahari and Namib deserts. Here it feeds mainly on carrion. Dr. Mills once saw a young hyena eating the carcass of its dead mother for nearly a week.
In the absence of carrion, the coastal hyena makes do with fruits, vegetables, marine organisms, insects (for example, locusts, termites and dung beetles) and other invertebrates, and can also hunt small bustards and other birds, ostrich eggs, and can hunt small animals such as rodents, lizards and occasionally poultry. It also takes live vertebrate prey up to the size of juvenile antelope (particularly springbok). But of the approximately 58 different food items identified in the droppings of these hyenas, less than 6% by weight are live vertebrate prey that these animals obtained on their own.

During the rainy season, when antelope and zebra disperse across the Kalahari, leftovers from the meals of lions, leopards and cheetahs are the main source of food for these hyenas. In the dry season, due to food shortages in the desert, the percentage of carrion, as well as fruits and vegetables, sharply increases in their diet. Tsama (or gemsbok cucumber) and melons are the main source of moisture during the eight dry months, and at other times hyenas drink rainwater from temporary ponds.
The brown hyena, which lives along the ocean coastline along the coast of the Namib Desert, has been found to sometimes hunt the pups of the seals living here (but only about 3% of them kill itself), and also eats marine flora and fauna washed ashore (fish, crustaceans).
When a brown hyena comes across an ostrich nest containing eggs, it is able to bite open the egg even though it has slightly less powerful jaws than the spotted hyena, which kicks or hits the egg until it breaks.
Hyenas store food, like foxes. They also bring extra food to the den to feed the pups.

Behavior: The brown hyena is a fairly solitary animal and is mainly active at night.
Although this hyena has keen eyesight and hearing, it usually relies more on its sense of smell. The hyena has an excellent sense of smell, which helps it in detecting carrion and other prey over long distances. Having smelled prey, a hyena is able to run at high speed over long distances in order to get to the carcass before other scavengers.

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The brown hyena belongs to the hyena family. She, like most of her relatives, lives on the African continent. The main difference between the brown hyena and other representatives of hyenas is its color and long, coarse, monochromatic brown mane.

Unlike spotted hyenas, brown ones are slightly smaller in size, and males and females do not differ significantly. The family structure of brown hyenas is also different - the alpha male is considered the leader of the clan.

If we talk about the nutrition of the brown hyena, then it is the largest scavenger. Its diet consists of about 95% sea debris and carrion.

Description of the brown hyena

The size of the brown hyena is quite large. Body length – from 86 to 150 cm, without tail. Tail - from 25 to 35 cm. Height at the withers is approximately from 70 to 90 cm. Sexual dimorphism is weakly expressed, sometimes males are slightly larger than females. The weight of an adult male is from 40 to 45 kg, but larger specimens weighing from 65 to 73 kg are also found. Females weigh on average from 36 to 41 kg. The coat color is uniform dark brown, the fur is about 30 cm long on the back and neck, and there are dark and horizontal stripes on the paws. Brown hyenas have strong jaws that can gnaw through the leg of an African antelope. Although, with age, the hyena's jaw wears out a lot and the animal is no longer so good at chewing bones.

Brown hyenas have an anal gland, which is located below the base of the tail, from which the hyena secretes a black and white secretion, with which the animal often marks its possessions. Basically, the secretions are applied to the stems of grass along the territorial boundaries of the clan.

Where does the brown hyena live?

The brown hyena is common in central Africa. Its habitat extends from the south of the Sahara to the west coast of South Africa. Countries where the brown hyena is found: Angola, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, South Africa. Most often, this animal is found in the Namib and Kalahari deserts near the ocean coasts.

What does the brown hyena eat?

The brown hyena's diet mainly consists of carrion. If there is no carrion, the animal can feed on fruits, vegetables, small rodents, insects, marine animals, small birds and their eggs, and ostrich eggs for some time. Sometimes hunts African antelope. But only 6% of all food is obtained by the brown hyena on its own.

During the dry season, the brown hyena feeds mainly on carrion and vegetables. Also during this period, she eats a large number of cucumbers and melons, as this is the only source of moisture. Hyenas, which live along the ocean shores of the Namib Desert, often eat sea ​​creatures washed ashore: fish, shellfish and even whales. Occasionally, the brown hyena even hunts seal pups living in this region.

With the onset of the rainy season, brown hyenas mainly feed on leftovers. big cats, lions, leopards and cheetahs.

Lifestyle and reproduction of brown hyenas

Brown hyenas live in family groups. Each group has a hierarchy. The head of the clan is an alpha male and an alpha female. Dominance is demonstrated by displays of strength and aggression. Most of the group consists of relatives and cubs of the leaders, but strangers may also join the family. This happens more often in mating season, when young males leave their clan in search of a female.

Brown hyenas hunt alone and mainly at night. The hyena's acute sense of smell and hearing helps it obtain food. The brown hyena is capable of smelling prey or carrion at quite a distance. In one night, in search of carrion, the animal is able to cover from 30 to 50 km. You can see several brown hyenas feeding only near a large carcass. Upon returning from hunting, members of the pack sniff each other, in this way they greet their relatives.

The territory where brown hyenas live is actively guarded and marked with secretions from the anal glands. Marks are made to prevent other clans from encroaching on their territory.

The mating season for brown hyenas ranges from May to August. For the first time, the female is ready to mate at the age of 2 years, and the male at 2.5 years. Often, females of a clan mate with an alpha male or with emigrant males who come from other clans. After mating, the female brings offspring after 97 days. Just like aardwolves, males of the brown hyena clan raise their offspring together with females. The offspring are born in burrows hidden in the sand dunes, where their sworn enemies lions, spotted hyenas and hyena dogs have no access. Babies are born weighing up to 1 kg with their eyes closed. The litter most often contains from 1 to 5 babies. Up to 3 months, the cubs remain in the hole and do not come out. After 3 months of age, the babies begin to leave the den. At the same age, parents begin to feed their offspring with meat, bringing the remains of their meal to the hole. Up to 14 months, the cubs continue to be fed with mother's milk. At 2.5 years old, young males leave their clan. Females often remain in their clan, although occasionally they leave their family. The life expectancy of brown hyenas is 20-25 years.