When you look at hyenas, it’s easy to imagine them as related to dogs. With upright ears, rope walking and social behavior, they appear to share many of the dog’s characteristics. But you might be surprised to find out Hyenas are not closely associated with dogs at all, and if anything, more closely associated with cats, but not cats. In fact, the closest relative of a hyenas is the mongoose (Animals known for being extremely energetic, much bigger attacks on animals, like the Chihuahuas in the African savanna). You may be more familiar with another type of mongoose, the curious meercut.
Let’s take a closer look at hyenas, and what they do and what they don’t have in common with our dog peers.
Is it a Hynus dog or a cat?
Hyenas are neither dogs nor cats, but are slightly more closely associated with cat friends than dogs. Within a class of mammals (mammals), Carnivora (carnivora) is divided into two major groups: Caniformia and Feliformia. As you can probably guess, caniforms share more dog-like traits, but Felform is more cat-like. Felifolifore is further divided into ferroid families, including the Reidae family, including lions, tigers and domestic cats. Another branch is Viverroidea, which contains civilian-like creatures and the Herpestoid family group, home to mongooses and hyenas.
Classifications based primarily on animal morphology are more accurately categorized based on DNA, and these divisions have been altered and reorganized over the years.
There are four types of hyenas. The most well-known is the large spotted hyenas (Crocta Crocta). The smallest name of the group, aardwolf (Proteles Cristatus), suggests that confusing them with dogs is a simple mistake.
Are hyenas related to wild African dogs?
It is even more reasonable to confuse these two for near-kinds when making decisions based solely on appearance. Look at those ears! However, the wild African dogs (Lycaon pictus) actually teeth Member of the Canid family. This just shows you can’t really judge a book on the cover!
what teeth hyena?
Heinus has established that he is not a dog, not a cat. So what are they?
Hyenas are carnivorous mammals closely linked to mangoes (including meerkat) and Fossa, a medium-sized carnivorous animal native to Madagascar. With the exception of Aardwolf, a predominantly insecticide, hyenas are hunters and scavengers and have appetite. With large carnivorous competitors and even larger prey species hunting, the hyenas evolved into a much more intimidating form than their small relatives. Although they are often portrayed as sly in the savage, these highly social creatures form strong and complex relationships within the clan, favoring group stability over individual interests It has a system that is dominated by women.
Can I keep a hyenas as a pet?
You may have seen crazy images of people walking through hyenas on strings. This is not a good idea for a few reasons:
- Hyenas are wild animals. They are not tamed and do not even rely on being tamed as much as other wildlife species. Hyenas species do not have a “genetic memory” that easily accepts these animals as pets, as they are not kept as domesticated history or as pets. It’s hard enough to provide their needs at a zoo or conservation park, let alone in your home or backyard.
- Hyenas have the strongest jaw on the planetwith crush bite power of about 1,000 Newtons (n). To put that into perspective, the hippo has the strongest bite power of any land animal of over 8000 N. Average 360 n. If a hyenas bite, they are more likely to lose their limbs and life.
- Most hyenas are packed animals It forms a strong bond with their family groups. Dogs also form packs and social groups, but the domestication process means that their social needs are easily met by the human family. If unpacked hyenas are highlighted and keeping one hyenas as a pet is a bad idea, maintaining the entire pack becomes a disaster!
Interesting Hyena Facts
They may not be the cutest creatures, but when it comes to hyenas, there’s more to see than you’ll encounter.
Hyenas live in the head of the family
Spotted hyenas live in medium to large clans dominated by women. Unlike wolves, where only the dominant pairs breed, there are matrilins (families under one matriyaki) that hunt and forage individually, but live and defend the territory together. Once sexual maturity is reached, men disperse and find another clan.
Hyenas has a complex hierarchy
Within Matrilin, the mother always predominates her grandchildren, while the younger daughter is predominant with her older siblings. Behaviorists believe this extraordinary structure may help support coalition and stability over the full “survival of the fittest strategy.”
Girls become boys
The external organs of female hyenas evolved to resemble male externalities, as they are likely a result of a female-dominated social structure. Phallic vagina paired with modified labia mimicking the enlarged clitoris and penis gives the female hyenas a very masculine look, making it almost impossible to distinguish between genders without thorough examination. Their patriarchal society and transsexual form of hyenas prove that they are promised a gender role above XS or YS.
Final thoughts
At first glance, hyenas are easily mistaken for a strange-looking dog, and female hyenas can also be mistaken for a man! These fascinating creatures seem to oppose the essence that follows many rules and are extremely successful. Hyenas are much appreciated from far and far, but it is worth the time to have the opportunity to observe quirky personalities and fascinating family relationships in their natural environments. They may not be the most traditionally beautiful members of the Animal Kingdom, but Hynus is certainly one of the most interesting.
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Featured Image Credit: Tristan Tan, Shutterstock
