ExtinctZoo - The Animal That Just Doesn't Make Sense...

Episode Date: August 20, 2025

Looks like Simba's got some explaining to do

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Multi-vehicle discount, safe driver discount, new vehicle discount, storage discount, legacy. How many discounts will you stack up? Tap the banner or visit usa.com slash auto discounts. Restrictions apply. If nature was an artist, the spotted hyena would be modern art. Specifically the kind where you're wondering, who let this in? And the reason why is that these guys break pretty much every rule in the mammal biology handbook. being able to crush bones like potato chips, have hunting skills that put even lions to shame, and of course you can't forget, the females having bigger penises than the males.

In short, spotted hyenas are absolute freaks of nature. Now, you might be thinking, hold up, aren't hyenas just those ugly dog-looking things that steal lion kills? Well, forget everything you think you knew about hyenas, because it's probably wrong. These animals are so much more than the villains that Simba would have you believe. In fact, they're not only highly intelligent creatures with one of the most complex social systems among mammals, but they are also highly successful active predators that are more likely to have their kill stolen by lions than the other way around. But we'll get to that later.

Despite their candid-like appearance, hyenas belong to the suborder, philiformia, making them more closer related to cats and viverids than to dogs. To be exact, the hyena family, hyena day, diverged from the phylaverid lineage approximately only 22 million years ago, with the earliest known member being Pliavaverops, a civet-like animal that inhabited Eurasia. They were smaller forest-dwelling animals, likely having a mainly insectivorous or omnivorous diet. However, over time, as a result of convergent evolution, the family gained traits that have led to its more dog-like appearance, despite not being closely related. And eventually, the hyena days split into two separate lineages. The dog-like hyenas, with the only

current living representative being the Ardwolf, and the bone-crushing hyenas, which includes our friend the spotted hyena. To the surprise of no one, bone-crushing hyenas are named such because that's exactly what they do. Most carnivores are unable to make full use of a carcass due to the difficulty in processing bone and other tough material, and so these guys evolved traits to take advantage of these leftover carcasses. Specifically, bone-crushing hyenas developed a ridiculously strong bite force relative

to size. and conical premolars that allowed them to take advantage of this bite force and thus crushed bones. And in fact, they were so successful with these adaptations that by five million years ago, the bone-crushing hyenas had become the dominant scavengers of Eurasia, primarily feeding on large herbivore carcasses, which, funnily enough, was often those that were killed by saber-toothed cats. There was even one genus of hyper-scavenger hyenas, the Pachycrocutta, that evolved to become so big and so powerful that they could even crush the bones of elephants and mammoths. And it goes without saying, the spotted hyena has absolutely retained the ability to pulverize

bones, having not only specialized crushing premolars, but also a tooth specifically designed to hold the bone in place while they chew it. On top of that, they also bite with a force of over 1,000 suns, which scientifically speaking is 1,140 pounds per square inch. To put this into perspective, this is over 40% more than the bite force of a leopard, and they can even outmatch the bone-crushing ability of brown bears. so powerful that they can break the bones of giraffes. And let me just point out, they don't just crush bones but literally consume them in their entirety,

having the ability to completely digest them and pretty much everything else in the carcass, minus hair and horns due to them being made of keratin. So obviously these adaptations have made the spotted hyena expert scavengers, and it is partially due to this that the spotted hyena has become the most successful members of the hyena family, being found across the majority of sub-Saharan Africa, from the Sahel to South Africa. And they're not picky about their habitats either. Savannah's, grasslands, woodlands, forest edges, you name it, and they can make it work.

In fact, they were once even found in Western Europe as short as 11,000 years ago, which is quite the scary thought, as these guys are no small fries. Now you often see hyenas compared to lions, which relative to the king of the savannah makes hyena seem rather diminutive in nature. But this can't be further from the truth. Their size depends on location, but they can reach an average of 69 kilograms or 163 pounds, with exceptionally large individuals sometimes weighing up to 90 kilograms or 200 pounds. Which might not sound that big, but to give you an idea of how massive that actually is,

the largest gray wolf recorded in modern history only weighed 79.6 kilograms, and the average North American wolf is only 36 kilograms, making the average spotted hyena nearly double in size. But here's where things start to get weird. You see, in the world of spotted hyenas, it's the ladies who wear the pants. Female spotted hyenas are not only harder, better, faster, stronger, but they're also larger and more aggressive than the males. With those exceptionally large individuals I mentioned, actually being females.

And to add fuel to the fire, female hyenas also have more testosterone as well, which is literally an androgen, which by definition is a male-defining hormone. And if you think that's strange, just wait until you hear about their, um, equipment. And what I mean by this is that female spotted hyenas have a penis. Well, technically it's a pseudo-penus, but for all intents and purposes, it's basically a penis. The reason being is that despite technically being in a large clitoris, it looks and functions almost exactly like a male penis. I mean, it's even thicker than their male counterparts, and they also get erections.

And did I mention that they also have a pseudo-scrotum? because they do. In fact, their genitalia is so visually similar to the males that throughout history, people had all sorts of crazy theories and ideas about them, such as that they change sexes every year, or that they were hermaphroditic, such as described by Hemingway himself. And this bizarre anatomy isn't just for show,

as female hyenas use their tool for everything from urinating to mating. And the real kicker is that they even get birth through it. Now, if you're wincing at the thought of pushing a baby through what's essentially a penis, you're not alone. And it is actually an incredibly difficult and dangerous process. The birth canal is only about an inch in diameter, and first-time mothers have a mortality rate as high as 18%. In other words, one out of five new mothers will die

due to how strenuous the birthing process is. And to facilitate the birth, the pseudopinus will completely rupture, which takes at least weeks to heal. So safe to say, childbirth is absolutely one of the most painful experiences a hyena can go through. So shout out to those moms. And speaking about the dangers of childbirth, it's even worse for the child itself, with about 60% of firstborn cubs dying from suffocation during the long and difficult birth. And to add fuel onto the already well-stoked fire, neonatal sybilicide is incredibly common in the spotted hyenas, with an estimated 25% of cubs

being killed by their siblings within the first month of life. So at this point, you may be thinking, why would evolution favor such a seemingly impractical and anatomical arrangement? Well, it turns out that in the cutthroat world of hyena society, looking and acting masculine is a major advantage. The more dominant to female is, the more successful she is, and the more testosterone she produces during pregnancy,

leading to more masculinized offspring, both anatomically and behaviorally. In other words, it's a cycle perpetuated by positive selection, which has led to female hyenas becoming more and more masculinized. And as alluded to, this extends to the behavior itself. Spotted hyenas have an incredibly complex society which is led by a dominant female, known as the matriarch.

This matriarchal system is quite unique among large carnivores, and actually more closely resembles the social structure of some primate species. The matriarch's influence extends throughout the clan, with her offspring inheriting ranks just below her own. What this means is that literal cubs will immediately outrank every other subordinate to their mother. Talk about nepotism. And female spotted hyenas don't just lead, but also dominate males in almost every aspect of life. They are, as I mentioned, more aggressive, and they take precedent in almost everything, including feeding. This dominance is established early in life,

with pretty much all females, including cubs, outranking all males. And this social hierarchy is strict and linear, reinforced through frequent displays of aggression and submission. I will, however, mention that there have been cases of male hyenas leading clans. But in such cases, researchers have found that the males were actually offspring of the matriarch, and thus managed to co-opt the authority, so to speak. Klan's sides itself also varies significantly, ranging from a few as 10 individuals to as many as 80, depending on habitat and prey availability. Within these clans, hyenas formed complex social networks influenced by factors such as kinship,

individual preferences, and environmental conditions. And what's interesting, and is again parallel to certain primates, is that they display remarkable social intelligence, recognizing not only individual clan members, but also understanding third-party relationships and rank dynamics. They even have behaviors that many would consider as almost human-like, such as how, when approaching a dominant animal, subordinate-spotted hyenas will walk on the knees of their forelegs in submission, almost like bowing. And again, similar to humans, jealousy is actually a thing, where it is common to see

low-ranking females bullying higher-ranking cubs when the cubs' mother is absent. On top of this, dominance in rank is not completely dependent on size, but also allied networks, which is a direct parallel to how rank is acquired through coalitions and primates, and even humans. Now, in a less human-like fashion, the common greeting among clan members consists of two individuals raising their hind legs and licking each other's anogenital area, during which erections often occur. And interestingly enough, erections are usually a sign of submission and are more common in males than females.

So basically if you're a horn dog, you're a loser. Now, with such complex behavior in societies, it shouldn't come as a surprise that research has shown them to be highly intelligent. Compared to other hyenas, spotted hyenas show greater development of the frontal cortex, which in some ways is similar to the development shown in primates, with studies suggesting the similarities to be a result of convergent evolution. And in some aspects, they may even be smarter, with one study showing that spotted hyenas outperformed chimpanzees when given a problem that must be solved cooperatively.

In this specific test, pairs of hyenas were rewarded when they tug two ropes in unison, and hyenas were shown to quickly figure this out and solve it. And crazily enough, researchers even observed experienced members teaching others how to do it. In comparison, chimps and other primates require specific training in order to solve it. And cooperation itself did not come as naturally. And in a different side of the same coin, spotted hyenas have also shown deceptive behavior, such as purposely emitting alarm calls when eating in order to frighten off others to give them a better chance to eat in peace.

Now at this point, you may be thinking, okay, so hyenas are smart and are built differently, literally. But how does that help? Well, hold on to your hats, folks, because we're about to shatter another myth. And that is, spotted hyenas are actually accomplished hunters. Very accomplished. Like I mentioned previously, the spotted hyena is a part of the bone-crushing hyena family, which are generally speaking scavengers.

But the spotted hyena actually does not follow this rule, as scavenging is simply the ancestral condition. Ten million years ago, the spotted hyena diverged from the striped and brown hyenas. And due to evolutionary pressure from new arrivals on the scene, they developed two very key traits that have led to their current success, complex social behavior allowing them to operate in teams, and wicked sharp carnassials that allow them to easily dispatch prey, as opposed to them simply waiting for them to die, as other scavengers would. These two adaptations together allow the spotted hyenas to switch their niche from being primarily scavengers to being the

ruthless pack hunters that they are today. In fact, in many areas, they hunt and kill up to 90% of the food they eat. And as the freaks they are, they are also crazily good. at getting their food. Because they have a 75% average hunting success rate, which is insane even if it doesn't sound like it. To put this into perspective, wolves have a success rate of 20%, great white sharks, 48%, and the supposed king of the savannah, lions, only having a success rate of 34%. And this success is surprise surprise due to a combination of their anatomy, pack hunting, and intelligence, with a big emphasis on the intelligence and cooperation portion. In fact, In fact, researchers have observed spotted hyenas seemingly planning in advance of hunts,

which is remarkable in itself. But get this, they don't only plan, but they plan specifically for the species that they want to hunt, as they've been recorded having specific pre-hunting behavior, depending on the prey they're going after. And of course, if this wasn't advantage enough, once these cackling guys get going, they don't stop, because they are endurance hunters and can run at speeds up to 37 miles per hour for miles, which is, you know, like Usain Bolt, running 150% faster than his top speed, and for a distance at that. And they do this while making craze noises the entire time like maniacs. So it's no wonder that their prey often dies of sheer exhaustion and likely terror. And speaking of noises,

the infamous hyena laugh is not really a laugh, actually quite far from it. The cackle we associate with the hyenas is actually a sign of frustration or stress, usually made when being attacked or chased. And that's just one of many sounds, as hyenas have a whole repertoire of vocalizations, from whoops to grunts to screams, which they use to communicate everything from their location to their social status. So, with both bronze and brains, plus terrifying noises, you might think that hyenas would be the undisputed kings, or rather queens, of the savannah. But nature loves balance, and thus even these guys have their rivals. Chief among them, lions to no surprise. which I guess is something that Lion King got right.

But to go against conventional belief again, lions are typically the antagonizers in their relationship as opposed to the other way around. Not only do they steal more kills from hyenas than vice versa, but they're also responsible for a significant amount of hyena deaths. Sometimes being responsible for up to 71% of hyena deaths, depending on the region. But in response to this dynamic, hyenas have learned to mob lions who enter their territory.

But even then, it's not a fair fight. As even against the lionesses, unaccompanied by the male, hyenas generally need a ratio of four to one just to scare them off. However, it's not all bad for our spotted friends. As on the flip side, hyenas dominate pretty much every other terrestrial African predator, with really only leopards sometimes being able to hold their own. In fact, it's so bad for some species, like the African wild dog, that hyena populations are strongly correlated with a very much diminished population. And speaking of relationships, hyenas and juneas and children,

humans have a pretty complex one. Now you might be thinking, surely all that bone-crushing power and aggressive behavior makes them terrible neighbors for humans, right? Well, not necessarily. While conflicts do occur, especially in areas where livestock is present, hyenas and humans have coexisted for thousands of years. And in some cultures, hyenas are even revered. Take the city of Harar in Ethiopia, for example. There, hyena has been recorded living in the city for at least 500 years, where they act as a sort of sanitizer, feeding on the trash and essentially eliminating potential disease vectors. Additionally, since at least the 1960s, local hyena men have started regularly feeding them by hand, a tradition that they believe protects the city from evil spirits.

But of course, not all human hyena interactions are so harmonious. In many parts of Africa, hyenas are caught in the crossfire of human wildlife conflict. For example, livestock predation is a major issue, with spotted hyenas primarily targeting cattle, sheep, and goats. And these attacks often lead to retaliatory killings by farmers, even when considering that studies have shown that hyenas are often mistakenly blamed for livestock deaths that they didn't actually cause. But what's more concerning are the rare but dramatic cases of hyenas attacking humans. Despite being typically shy around people, with a flight distance of up to 300 meters during

the day, hyenas become bolder at night and have been known to follow humans. humans closely. Attacks on people tend to target women, children, and sick men, with several harrowing historical accounts. For example, in 1903, hyenas in Angona land were reported to wait outside people's huts at dawn, attacking when doors were opened. And in the year of 1908 to 2009 in Uganda, they regularly preyed on sleeping sickness sufferers in outdoor camps. And perhaps the most chilling incident of the mall occurred in Malawi in 1962, where a pair of exceptionally large hyenas kill 27 people before being shocked. And unfortunately, Malawi has seen repeated instances of hyena attacks, particularly in the Fulombie plain. But of course, like mentioned, hyenas also

face severe threats from humans, be it due to habitat loss, coaling, livestock protection, and curiously enough, traditional medicine practices. In various African countries, different body parts of hyenas are used for medicinal or magical purposes, which can lead to overhunting. For example, in Burkina Faso, the tail is prized, while in Malawi and Tanzania, the genitalia, nose tips, and tails are used in traditional remedies. So, humans and hyenas, it's complicated. Perhaps almost as complicated as butt at hyenas itself. And sure, they might steal your garbage, or, you know, occasionally eat people, but hey, nobody's perfect.

So whether you see them as bloodthirsty killing machines, or just weird-looking old cat dogs, One thing is for sure. They are one of nature's most unique animals. Thanks for watching, and until next time on Living Zoo. Ambition comes in all shapes and sizes. At First Citizens Bank, we roll with your goals because we're built for what you're building. Fit for your ambition for Citizens Bank. Own it all. Pay off your home, travel for life, drive a Ferrari. In celebration of the world premiere of the Monopoly Big Board Buckslot Machine by Aristocrat Gaming, Yamava Resort and Casino at San Manuel is giving one person a $1.6 million dream package.

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