Hyena In Austria: An Unexpected Visitor Or Resident?

Hyenas are feliform carnivoran mammals native to Africa, the Middle East, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and the Indian subcontinent. They are known for their distinctive appearance, including their short torsos, thick necks, and powerful jaws. While they are primarily scavengers, hyenas are also skilled hunters and are behaviourally and morphologically similar to canids.

With only four extant species, hyenas are a relatively small family within the order Carnivora. Despite their low diversity, they play a vital role in African ecosystems and feature prominently in the folklore and mythology of human cultures that live alongside them.

One species, the striped hyena, has been recorded in Hollabrunn, Austria. This species is native to North and East Africa, the Middle East, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and the Indian subcontinent. It is the smallest of the bone-cracking hyenas and is known for its monogamous nature, nocturnal behaviour, and ability to feign death when attacked.

So, while hyenas are not commonly found in Austria, the striped hyena has been spotted there, adding to the country's diverse wildlife.

Hyenas originated in Eurasia 22 million years ago

Hyenas are feliform carnivoran mammals that originated in the jungles of Eurasia 22 million years ago. At the time, most early feliform species were still largely arboreal. The first hyenas were likely similar in appearance to the modern African civet. One of the earliest hyena species, Plioviverrops, inhabited Eurasia 20-22 million years ago and is identifiable as a hyaenid by the structure of its middle ear and dentition. Plioviverrops was a lithe, civet-like animal with longer legs and more pointed jaws than its ancestors.

The lineage of Plioviverrops gave rise to two distinct types of hyena: lightly built, dog-like hyenas and robust bone-crushing hyenas. The dog-like hyenas thrived 15 million years ago, with over 30 species identified, but they became extinct after a change in climate and the arrival of canids into Eurasia. The only survivor of the dog-like hyena lineage is the insectivorous aardwolf.

The bone-crushing hyenas, including the extant spotted, brown and striped hyenas, became the dominant scavengers of Eurasia and Africa. By 5 million years ago, they had become the top scavengers of large herbivore carcasses felled by sabre-toothed cats. One such bone-crushing hyena, Pachycrocuta, weighed 110 kg and could splinter the bones of elephants.

The four extant species of hyena are the striped hyena, the brown hyena, the spotted hyena and the aardwolf. The striped hyena is native to North and East Africa, the Middle East, the Caucasus, Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent. It is the smallest of the bone-crushing hyenas and retains primitive viverrid-like characteristics. The brown hyena is found in the Kalahari, where it encounters the spotted hyena. The spotted hyena is native to sub-Saharan Africa and is the largest extant member of the Hyaenidae family. It is the most social of the Carnivora and has the largest group sizes and most complex social behaviours. The aardwolf is the only survivor of the dog-like hyena lineage and is native to Africa.

Hyenas are unique and vital components of African ecosystems

Hyenas are Skilled Hunters

Contrary to popular belief, hyenas are skilled hunters and play a vital role in controlling herbivore populations. They hunt in packs and can chase their prey for several kilometres at speeds of up to 60 kilometres per hour. They are apex predators and are known to drive off larger predators, like lions, from their kills. They are also capable of killing large animals, such as giraffes, and cracking their bones to consume the marrow.

Hyenas are Nature's Cleanup Crew

Hyenas are nature's ultimate scavengers, with a keen sense of smell that enables them to detect carrion from vast distances. By consuming remains, hyenas prevent the spread of diseases and keep the ecosystem clean. They are also known to scavenge human corpses, which has led to a negative reputation in popular culture.

Hyenas have Intricate Social Structures

Hyenas, especially spotted hyenas, have intricate social structures. They live in matriarchal clans, with females dominating and outranking males in size and aggression. Spotted hyena cubs are also raised collectively, a behaviour unique among mammals, which promotes strong social bonds within the group.

Hyenas are Facing Threats

Human-wildlife conflict is a major threat to hyenas. They are often seen as pests and killed in retaliation for preying on livestock. Human population expansion and agricultural growth are also encroaching on hyena habitats. Conservation efforts are being made to protect hyenas and mitigate human-wildlife conflict.

In conclusion, hyenas are fascinating and misunderstood creatures that play a crucial role in maintaining the delicate balance of African ecosystems. They are skilled hunters, efficient scavengers, and have complex social dynamics. Protecting hyenas is essential to preserving Africa's natural heritage.

Hyenas are the largest extant member of the Hyaenidae

The spotted hyena, or Crocuta crocuta, is the largest extant member of the Hyaenidae family. It is the sole extant member of the Crocuta genus, native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is physically distinguished from other hyena species by its vaguely bear-like build, rounded ears, less prominent mane, spotted pelt, more dual-purposed dentition, fewer nipples, and pseudo-penis. The female spotted hyena is also distinguished by her pseudo-penis and lack of an external vaginal opening.

The spotted hyena is the most social of the Carnivora, with the largest group sizes and most complex social behaviours. Its social organisation is unlike that of any other carnivore, bearing closer resemblance to that of cercopithecine primates (baboons and macaques) in terms of group size, hierarchical structure, and frequency of social interaction. The spotted hyena's social system is openly competitive rather than cooperative, with access to kills, mating opportunities, and dispersal for males depending on their ability to dominate other clan members. Females only provide for their own cubs, and males do not display paternal care. Spotted hyena society is matriarchal, with females being larger than males and dominating them.

The spotted hyena is a highly successful animal and the most common large carnivore in Africa. Its success is due in part to its adaptability and opportunism. It is primarily a hunter but may also scavenge, with the capacity to eat and digest skin, bone, and other animal waste. The spotted hyena displays greater plasticity in its hunting and foraging behaviour than other African carnivores. It hunts alone, in small parties of 2-5 individuals, or in large groups. During a hunt, spotted hyenas often run through ungulate herds to select an individual to attack, chasing their prey over long distances at high speeds.

The spotted hyena has a long history of interaction with humanity, with depictions of the species existing from the Upper Paleolithic period. It has a largely negative reputation in both Western culture and African folklore, often regarded as ugly, cowardly, greedy, gluttonous, stupid, and foolish. However, it is also seen as powerful and potentially dangerous. The spotted hyena is the largest extant member of the Hyaenidae family, weighing between 40.5-55 kg, with a body length of 95-165.8 cm and a shoulder height of 70-91.5 cm.

Hyenas are monogamous

The striped hyena is a nocturnal animal, typically only emerging in complete darkness and returning to its lair before sunrise. It is a scavenger, but large specimens have been known to kill their own prey. The striped hyena is native to North and East Africa, the Middle East, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and the Indian subcontinent. It is the only extant species in the genus Hyaena, and is listed as near-threatened by the IUCN.

Hyenas are highly intelligent

The spotted hyena, in particular, has been the subject of a long-running project in Africa that challenges the social brain hypothesis, which posits that intelligence has evolved to meet the demands of social life. This hypothesis is well-supported in research on primates: the more social a primate species, the bigger its brain and the smarter it tends to be. However, this project, led by Kay Holekamp, a zoologist at Michigan State University, found that the social rank of hyenas did not correlate with their ability to solve novel problems. Instead, hyenas that employed a range of different behaviours to size up a puzzle box were more likely to figure out how to open it.

Hyenas are also able to recall the identity and rank of each member of their clan and have the political savvy to recognise friend from foe and negotiate their strict social hierarchy. They are also able to count, which is useful when trying to gauge whether to fight a rival gang. They can even use their intelligence to collaborate with other hyena clans to band together and fight off a common enemy, such as a lion.

The intelligence of the spotted hyena was also attested to by Dutch colonists in 19th-century South Africa, who noted that hyenas were exceedingly cunning and suspicious, particularly after successfully escaping from traps.

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