Hyenas are mammals of the order Carnivores, taxonomically located in the suborder Feliformia, although their morphological appearance and behavior are more similar to canids. These curious animals are generally associated with scavenging habits. However, they can also hunt live prey. Hyenas have several distinctive traits and, in this article on our site, we want to present you with information regarding how hyenas reproduceWe invite you to continue reading the next few lines.
Reproductive system of hyenas
Hyenas are mammalian animals, which generally display the reproductive traits of the group. The genitalia of hyenas, as usual in vertebrates, are different from one sex to the other, so we find differences between male and female hyenas. In general, the male is provided with external organs such as the penis and testicles, which occurs in all hyena species.
However, in the case of females we found a significant difference in the spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta), in this one:
- External reproductive system has become masculinized: because its clitoris is fused and enlarged, giving rise to a kind of penis that even has an erection.
- Does not have the external vaginal opening typical of other females: instead it has a pseudoscrotum, which consists of a canal in the urogenital canal, where this hyena urinates, copulates and after an expansion, also gives birth.
Additionally, both males and females of the last species mentioned, have the typical spines at the base of the glans, as occurs in other mammals, for example, domestic cats. Although in the striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena), a slight transitory masculinization may occur, it does not reach the point of the previous species.
It is still unknown exactly why this change occurs in the reproductive system of female hyenas. In the case of the other two species, the brown hyena (Hyaena brunnea) and the aardwolf (Proteles cristata) or termite-eating hyena, the external organs maintain the typical anatomy of other mammals.
Hyena Breeding Season
The heat of hyenas varies according to the species. In this way, we can distinguish these breeding seasons of hyenas in the following way:
- The hyena eats termites: occurs between the last two weeks of June and the first two weeks of July, which coincides with the summer.
- La brown hyena: reproduction occurs in the dry season in Africa, which is between May and August.
- The spotted hyena: does not usually have a fixed time for reproduction, but there are peaks of births in the rainy season.
- The striped hyena: in this sense it is not really seasonal, depending on the region it reproduces in one month or another.
How do hyenas mate?
Hyena mating is another trait that varies according to species. In this way, we can see that:
- The earthwolf: leaves scent marks, to attract potential mates, an act performed by both males and females. The latter are extremely aggressive and protective of their females, and when there are weak males, they mate with females from other groups.
- The brown hyena: performs a courtship that lasts from 3 to 6 nights and can present one of two types of mating In one, mating occurs between the alpha male and the females of a clan, in this case, the male is highly aggressive towards others outside of the clan. The second reproductive mode in this species is that hyenas in heat copulate with nomadic males that are not part of the clan, and can do so with several at different times. In this case, there are no confrontations between the males.
- About mating in the striped hyena: there are no major studies on the species, but in captivity, they mate throughout of a day several times, even with intervals of around 15 to 25 minutes.
- The spotted hyena: has a polygamous mating system, in which males court females. In this case the female is the dominant one and if she does not show any interest, the male shyly withdraws without attempting any confrontation. Mating in the species, due to the anatomy of the female's reproductive system, is somewhat difficult, so the male must initially use unusual movements to get inside the female. Then, when this happens, they adopt the typical form of copulation.
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How are hyenas born?
How do hyenas have children? The birth of hyenas generally occurs in dens or burrows that they use for this purpose. All species have an average gestation period of about 90 days, except for the spotted hyena which is slightly longer than about 110 days
Parturition in this species is less common because a rupture of the penis-shaped clitoris must occur for the young to be born. After delivery, a wound remains that heals over the course of a few weeks. However, the organ becomes more flaccid and does not fully recover its initial shape, but the female can continue to reproduce without any problem.
The pups are born dependent on mother's milk and weaning occurs for the aardwolf after 3 to 4 months, in the brown hyena between 3 to 14 months and in the machada between 12 to 14 months, being the carnivore that spends the longest time nursing and caring for the young.
In this species, the mothers are extremely protective, and do not tolerate other hyenas approaching their offspring; especially between female mothers and daughters, coalitions are formed that seek to guarantee the position of the latter when their mother is an alpha in the group. For the other hyenas, the relationships are different, even caring for young between different mothers can occur.
