description, habitat. The world of hyenas
These animals love hot climates, and therefore live only in warm countries. The native home of these predators is rightly considered to be wild Africa. Hyenas feel very comfortable here, and therefore there are a lot of them in this region.
Especially in the eastern and northern parts of the Black Continent, in particular in Tanzania, Kenya and Ethiopia. Also hyena striped is found in Mesopotamia, India, Pakistan, Iran and the Arabian Peninsula. What is true is that here their population is much lower than in African countries.
As for nearby areas, small groups of these animals can be found on the territory of eastern Georgia. There are also reports that striped predators have been seen in Azerbaijan, as well as in the southern regions of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
One important thing to understand first is that the striped hyena and the spotted hyena are not the same thing. They are two completely different species that differ both externally and socially. Looking ahead, we note that the spotted hyena has larger dimensions, it is much more aggressive than its closest congener. So, the striped hyena is a rather large predator.
The length of its body on average ranges from 80-120 cm, but there are individuals and more. At the same time, the weight varies from 35 to 55 kilograms, which makes them very dangerous opponents. As for the growth of hyena striped, it averages 70 cm, plus or minus 10 cm.
Often the hair of this beast is light gray or gray-brown. Along the entire body of the hyena are dark vertical stripes. Because of them, it received its Russian name "striped". Also this predator has a mane, which begins at the base of the head and extends all the way to the tail. It should be noted that with the arrival of winter, the hair of hyenas becomes longer and thicker.
Sometimes it can reach 7 cm, and on the mane and even more - 20-22 cm. The forelimbs of this predator are longer than the hind limbs. Because of this, its rear end is much lower than the shoulders. The head is large, the nose and the front of the neck are colored dark. The hyena's jaw is massive and is its most formidable weapon. It should also be noted that female hyenas are slightly smaller in size than males.
The striped hyena is a scavenger predator. Therefore, it spends most of its time searching for dead animals. In this case, he does not particularly care about the stage of decomposition of the found corpse. Moreover, hyena with great pleasure will eat even the bare bones, lying not one week under the scorching sun. In any case, it should not be forgotten that the hyena is still a predator.
And therefore, hunting for living creatures is also part of its everyday plans. Often it tracks small game, such as reptiles, rodents and birds. However, larger animals can also become her victims, especially if they are unable to fight back. Insects and fruits are also on the menu of striped hyenas.
After all, it is in them they find those trace elements and vitamins that are so necessary for normal growth. Hyenas like to hunt at night, as they are well oriented in the dark. They approach the choice of prey with caution, especially if it is larger than them.
Often they choose a sick or old animal as the main target, and less often - cubs. But on healthy and huge individuals, these predators are unlikely to dare to attack. As for the fall, its odor hyena can smell at a very great distance. And after the animal determines where it comes from, it will immediately go there. After all, as stated earlier, the remains of flesh - this is a favorite dish of hyenas. It also happens that these striped beasts accompany packs of other predators.
The striped hyena is generally considered a loner, as it is not strongly attached to its family and can safely do without it. However, this does not mean that she always lives by herself. There are many cases when representatives of this species gathered in small packs - from 2 to 6 individuals.
In each group there is a clear hierarchy, which no one violates. In this case, the head of the family is always the eldest female, and all the others obediently listen to her. Older hyenas help the younger ones in hunting. If the offspring is still very young and can not independently catch game, the older brothers and sisters bring them food in the den. As a home hyenas use small caves or abandoned burrows.
They always mark their territory to let others know that the place is already occupied. Hyenas rarely fight over land, unless hunger forces them to do so. It should also be noted that the spotted hyena always dominates the striped hyena. Therefore, if it happens that their paths cross, the latter obediently goes away. In African lands, the greatest danger to hyenas are leopards and cheetahs.
These predators can easily bring down even an adult animal, not to mention smaller individuals. In addition, sometimes hyenas can fall prey to a lion. In Indonesia, the tiger is a bitter enemy of hyenas. He stalks them and attacks them from ambush, depriving even the slightest chance of rescue. But Asian striped hyenas often have to endure harassment from gray wolves.