We are going to start the week off learning about an intriguing animal known as the Hyena. Wait a second! Didn’t we already study the behaviour of this magnificent creature? Well, yes and no. You see we looked at the infamous Spotted Hyena but today we are going to observe their smaller relative, the Striped Hyena. These particular carnivores are native to Eastern and Northern Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia and the Indian sub-continent. Unfortunately, this widespread hyena is fighting for its life with only 10 000 individuals left in the wild and an expected 10% decrease in their population over the next three generations.

Food For Thought

You know your kid that says he isn’t hungry for dinner and then 3 minutes later is at the pantry looking for snacks? Well the Striped Hyena is nothing like this. These animals are not fussy eaters and will pretty much consume anything it can overtake. Unlike the Spotted Hyena, today’s featured animal doesn’t generally hunt in packs, although they can be found living in small groups of 7 or less individuals.

As a result their hunting strategy is slightly different and a lot less complicated. Basically, they use their speed to simply chase down their prey before launching themselves onto the back legs of the fleeing animal. As mentioned, these carnivores are opportunistic so they won’t hesitate to scavenge on the carcass of another animals kill. Yep, the Striped Hyena will eat just about anything….except Vulture meat. For some reason they do not care of the taste of the worlds most famous scavenger. Hmmm… I can’t imagine why not!

Seeing Double

Although the Striped Hyena is only about 94 centimeters (3 feet) tall,  they are capable of doubling their height in an instant. Whenever these animals get excited or scared they are able to use the mane of hair running down their back to appear much larger. By standing this row of fur on end, they nearly double their height and might make a potential predator re-think their attack. Humans are also able to perform this trick but we usually just call it a bad hair day.

Striped Hyena Fast Fact

We mentioned that the Striped Hyena is an impressive carnivore. This is definitely proven when you learn that their jaws are powerful enough to crush bone. Even more impressive is their stomach has evolved to be able to process all of the high end nutrients found in bone marrow. Essentially, these animals will not waste any part of their meal, which probably keeps them from getting in trouble by their parents. I know I was always threatened to not get dessert if I didn’t finish my meal.