Image courtesy of Dr. Verna Case
The Spotted Hyena (Crocuta crocuta) is a large carnivore found in sub-Saharan Africa with a sturdy build, high shoulders, long muscular legs, and a sloping back (Mitchell 2002). Their coloration is reddish-brown to tan, and they are the only species of hyenas with spots. They have a large head with broad, rounded ears and an excellent sense of hearing and smell. Their head is shaped like an American pit bull dog and is carried low in relation to their topline. They have strong teeth and jaw muscles that are used to crush bones when they eat (Postanowicz 2003).
Image
courtesy of Dr. Verna Case
Sexual dimorphism is very prominent in the spotted hyena with the females considerably larger than the males. Leading females typically stand at 120 cm where males typically stand at 110 cm. Females are masculinized due to the excess testosterone in their bodies. Because of this masculinization, females are larger, have more muscle mass, are more aggressive, and have masculinized genitalia (Postanowicz 2003). The female's clitoris is large, looks like a phallus, and can often be erected like a penis. They were once thought to be hermaphroditic animals because the female genitalia were so similar to the males. They were also thought to have the ability to change sex from year to year (Cunha et al. 2003). After a detailed study that Cunha et al. performed researching the spotted hyena's urogential system, they found that the system reveals a remarkable array of anatomical adaptations allowing effective reproductive activity even though the sheer mechanics of the male and female's anatomical structure seem impossible. The female mates and gives birth through her clitoris and the male penetrates into a very small opening located in an unusually anterior position on the surface of the abdomen. They were unable however to determine the sequence of evolutionary events that produced this unusual co-adapted system (2003).
Both sexes have anal scent glands that are responsible for secreting a thick, sticky secretion used to mark territories. This glandular secretion is stored in a pouch outside the anus and is everted during scent marking with the hyena in a crouching position to place the secretion on grass, sticks, and other objects (Postanowicz 2003 ).
This web site was created by Keeley Roles for an undergraduate class, Animal Behavior, at Davidson College Spring Semester 2004. Email keroles@davidson.edu with questions regarding this web page.
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