Hyenas

The Cat-Adjacent Clan

Despite their dog-like faces, sloping backs, and runner’s legs, hyenas are not dogs. They belong to their own unique family tree, which is closer to cats and mongooses. The most famous of the four hyena species is the spotted hyena. Living in the African savannah (grassy plains), these animals form massive groups called clans (large family units) of up to 80 members. Unlike most other predators, female hyenas are larger, stronger, and completely in charge. Even the lowest-ranking female in the clan gets to eat before the highest-ranking male.

Heavy-Duty Jaws

A hyena is built like a walking trash compactor. While a lion might leave behind the heavy bones of its prey, a hyena can crunch through them. Their jaws can exert a force of about 1,000 pounds per square inch. This pressure can splinter the leg bone of a giraffe, allowing them to reach the nutritious marrow (the fatty tissue inside bones) inside. Their stomachs are loaded with highly acidic digestive juices that can dissolve bones, horns, and even hooves. Almost nothing goes to waste.

Giggle Alert

If you hear a hyena “laughing” in the wild, they are not telling jokes. The sound is a high-pitched cackle that they make when they are excited, stressed, or trying to claim their share of food. Each hyena has a unique laugh, like a vocal fingerprint. Other clan members can tell who is calling, how old they are, and their social rank just by the pitch of the giggle.

Savannah Geniuses

Hyenas are often portrayed as silly scavengers, but they are some of the smartest carnivores (meat-eating animals) on land. In intelligence tests, hyenas solved cooperative puzzle boxes faster than chimpanzees. They can count, too. By listening to the roars of rival clans, a hyena can calculate how many enemies are nearby and decide whether to call for backup or retreat.