The Laughing Transvestite
Hyenas have suffered a lot of bad press. For thousands of years they have been associated with evil spirits and witchcraft (and the evil henchmen of psycho lions – thanks Disney!!). Well it is time to set the record straight, so this post is dedicated to one of my favourite mammals.
Despite their appearance Hyenas are NOT dogs nor are they even closely related. They are actually the cousins of cats and mongooses, making them Feliform (cat-like). There are four living species of Hyena; Spotted, Striped, Brown and the Aardwolf – I’ll focus on the largest, and most well known, the Spotted Hyena (Crocuta crocuta). They are currently found throughout Africa and Asia; although in the past their range extended up into Europe – with fossils being found even in Britain.
Hyenas are masters of survival. Most people assume they are scavengers and whilst this is true, they are hunters in their own right. Unlike other mammals Hyena pups are born with functioning canine teeth (fangs) and the adults have the strongest jaws of any mammal. Hyenas are endurance athletes, being able to run at 30mph for 2 miles and prey on big game including zebra, buffalo, giraffe and young elephants.
Most Spotted Hyenas live together in large family groups, known as a clan. The females rule the group, being bigger and more aggressive than the males. The laughing noises made by hyenas are used to communicate over large distances; warning, advertising and recruiting other to members. These clans are useful when dealing with the Hyena’s nemesis – lions. Unlike other animals lions and hyenas defend their territory boundaries against each other, as well as against their own species. Fights often involve fatalities (on both sides) and have been known to last for weeks, escalating into full blown warfare.
Despite the fearsome reputation Hyenas make excellent mothers, usually to twins. However Hyenas are unique in the fact that mother give birth through a penis. No, that isn’t a typo. Female Hyenas have a penis … and testicles. The pseudo-penis perfectly resembles a male penis and is used for urinating, sex and giving birth (which is a traumatic experience killing 10% of first time mothers and 75% of first born cubs). It is formed from the clitoris and is linked to excessive testosterone levels during embryonic development.
So there we have it! The cackling tranny that can kill a lion. Hilarious =) 
