Thebrown hyena (Parahyaena brunnea), also called thestrandwolf,[4] is a species ofhyena found inNamibia,Botswana, western and southernZimbabwe,[5] southernMozambique, westernEswatini, andSouth Africa.[6] It is the only extant species in the genusParahyaena. It is currently the rarest species of hyena.[7] The largest remaining brown hyena population is located in the southernKalahari Desert and coastal areas in Southwest Africa.[8] The global population of brown hyena is estimated by IUCN at a number between 4,000 and 10,000 and its conservation status is marked asnear threatened in the IUCN Red List.[1]
Brown hyenas are distinguished from other species by their long shaggy dark brown coat, pointed ears, and short tail.[9] Their legs are striped brown and white, and adults have a distinct cream-colored fur ruff around their necks.[10] Erectile hairs up to 305 mm (12.0 in) in length cover the neck and back and bristles duringagonistic behavior.[6] Body length is 144 cm (57 in) on average with a range of 130–160 cm (51–63 in).[11] Shoulder height is 70–80 cm (28–31 in) and the tail is 25–35 cm (9.8–13.8 in) long.[1] Unlike the largerspotted hyena, there are no sizabledifferences between the sexes,[12] although males may be slightly larger than females.[6] An average adult male weighs 40.2–43.7 kg (89–96 lb), while an average female weighs 37.7–40.2 kg (83–89 lb).[6] Brown hyenas have powerful jaws, and young animals can crack the leg bones ofspringboks in five minutes, though this ability deteriorates with age and dental wear.[7] The skulls of brown hyenas are larger than those of the closely relatedstriped hyena, and their dentition is more robust, indicating a more specialized dietary adaptation.[13]
The brown hyena inhabits desert areas, semi-desert, and open woodland savannah in Southern Africa.[14] It can survive close to urban areas by scavenging, and they have been documented using the deteriorating infrastructure of abandoned mining towns in Namibia for shade and as den sites for mothers with pups.[15] The brown hyena is not dependent on the ready availability of water sources for frequent drinking and favors rocky, mountainous areas, as these provide shade.[8] It hashome ranges of 233–466 km2 (90–180 sq mi) in size.[16]
Today, the brown hyena only inhabitsSouthern Africa, with the earliest known occurrence in the region during theLate Pliocene based on fossils from the Makapansgat-Member 3, dated to approximately2.85 to 2.58 million years ago.[17] It may have lived also in theIberian Peninsula and perhaps in other parts of Europe,[18] indicated byfossils found in the area ofGranada (Fonelas 1) dated to the Late Pliocene,[19][20] but it is uncertain whether the Fonelas hyena specimens are truly brown hyena.[21] Early Pleistocene brown hyenas are known to have fed onhominins, though whether this constituted scavenging or active predation is unclear.[22] During theMiddle Pleistocene, it inhabited what is now Kenya.[23] Latrines made by brown hyenas have been discovered in South Africa dating back to the Middle Pleistocene.[24] There is the possibility thatParahyaena may be synonymous with the extinctPachycrocuta, making the brown hyena the only extant member of this genus.[25]
In the Kalahari, 80% of a brown hyena's activity time isspent at night, searching for food in an area on spanning 31.1 km (19.3 mi) on average, with territories of 54.4 km (33.8 mi) having been recorded.[26] They maycache excess food in shrubs or holes and recover it within 24 hours.[6]
Brown hyenas have a social hierarchy comparable to that of wolves, with a mated pair and their offspring. They live in clans composed of extended families of four to six individuals.[9] Clans defend theirterritory, and all members cooperate in raising cubs.[9] Territories are marked by 'pasting',[27] during which the hyena deposits secretions from its largeanal gland, which is located below the base of the tail and produces a black and white paste, on vegetation and boulders.[14] Brown hyenas maintain a stable clan hierarchy through ritualized aggressive displays and mock fights. A brown hyena male can move up in rank by killing a higher ranking male in confrontation, while the alpha female is usually just the oldest female in the clan.[9] Emigration is common in brown hyena clans, particularly among young males, which will join other groups upon reaching adulthood.[6]
Brown hyena with food in mouth. Hyenas are master scavengers and are able to completely digest bone matter. Indigestible items containingkeratin such as hooves, horns, and hair are regurgitated in pellets.
Brown hyenas are primarily scavengers. The bulk of their diet consists of carcasses killed by larger predators, but they may supplement their diet withrodents, smallbirds,insects,eggs,feces,fruit (the tsama melonCitrullus lanatus var.vulgaris, the hookeri melonCucumis africanus and the gemsbok melonAcanthosicyos naudinianus) andfungi (the desert truffleKalaharituber pfeilii).[28][29] As they are poor hunters, live prey makes up only a small proportion of their diet. In the southernKalahari, species such asspringhare,gemsbok,springbok lambs,Burchell's zebra,bat-eared foxes,korhaans,crowned plovers andhelmeted guinea fowl constitute 4.2% of their overall diet,[26][29] while on the Namib coast,black-backed jackals andcape fur seal pups compose 2.9% of the diet.[29][30] They have an exceptional sense of smell and can locate carcasses kilometers away.[14] Brown hyenas are aggressivekleptoparasites, frequently appropriating the kills of black-backed jackals, cheetahs andleopards.[31] Single brown hyenas may charge at leopards with their jaws held wide open and can tree adult male leopards.[31] They have been observed treeing leopards even when no kill was in contention.[32] In the Kalahari Desert, they are often the dominant mammalian carnivores present because of this aggressive behavior and the relative scarcity oflions,spotted hyenas, and packs ofAfrican wild dogs. In areas where their territories overlap, brown hyenas may, on rare occasions, be killed by spotted hyenas and lions.[1] Brown hyena cubs are also susceptible to being killed by wild dogs and jackals.[11]
The brown hyena does not have amating season.[16] Female brown hyenas arepolyestrous and typically produce their first litter when they are two years old. Theymate primarily from May to August. Males and females in the same clan usually do not mate with each other; rather, females will mate withnomadic males.[14] Clan males display no resistance to this behavior, and will assist the females in raising their cubs.[7] Females give birth in dens, which are hidden in remote sand dunes far from the territories of spotted hyenas and lions. The gestation period is around 3 months.[14] Mothers generally produce one litter every 20 months. Usually, only the dominant female breeds; however, if two litters are born in the same clan, the mothers will nurse each other's cubs, though favoring their own.[7] Litters usually consist of 1–5 cubs, which weigh 1 kg (2.2 lb) at birth.[6] Unlike spotted hyenas,[7] brown hyenas are born with their eyes closed, and open them after eight days. Cubs are weaned at 12 months and leave their dens after 18 months.[6] Also unlike spotted hyenas, all adult members of the clan will carry food back to the cubs.[7] They are not fully weaned and do not leave the vicinity of their den until they reach 14 months of age.[6] Brown hyenas reach full size at an age of around 30 months[14] and have a life span of about 12 to 15 years.[16]
The global brown hyena population is estimated to comprise 4,000 to 10,000 individuals.[8][1] It is listed asNear Threatened in theIUCN Red List.[1] The major threat to the brown hyena is human persecution, based on the mistaken belief that it is harmful to livestock. Farmers find brown hyenas scavenging on livestock carcasses and wrongly assume that the hyenas have killed their animals.[26] Brown hyena body parts are also occasionally used for traditional medicines and rituals. The brown hyena is not in high demand for trophy hunting.[8]
There are several conservation areas that are home to the brown hyena, including theEtosha National Park in Namibia, theCentral Kalahari Game Reserve in Botswana and theKgalagadi Transfrontier Park.[8] The maintenance of these protected areas aids in the conservation of these animals. Educational campaigns are being utilized to promote awareness about hyenas and dispel prevailing myths, while problem individuals are removed from farmlands and urbanized areas.[8]
^abcBhattacharya, Deepamala (4 February 2012)."Brown Hyena".Animal Spot.
^Patterson, D.B.; Faith, J.T.; Bobe, R.; Wood, B. (2014). "Regional diversity patterns in African bovids, hyaenids, and felids during the past 3 million years: the role of taphonomic bias and implications for the evolution ofParanthropus".Quaternary Science Reviews.96:9–22.Bibcode:2014QSRv...96....9P.doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2013.11.011.
^Goss, R.A. (1986).The influence of food source on the behavioral ecology of brown hyaenas Hyaena brunnea in the Namib Desert. Pretoria: University of Pretoria.hdl:2263/83228.
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