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Spotted hyenas vary in their folkloric and mythological depictions, depending on the ethnic group from which the tales originate. It is often difficult to know whether spotted hyenas are the specific hyena species featured in such stories, particularly in West Africa, as both spotted and striped hyenas are often given the same names.
The spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta), also known as the laughing hyena, [3] is a hyena species, currently classed as the sole extant member of the genus Crocuta, native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is listed as being of least concern by the IUCN due to its widespread range and large numbers estimated between 27,000 and 47,000 individuals. [1]
The spotted hyena has a long history of interaction with humanity; depictions of the species exist from the Upper Paleolithic period, with carvings and paintings from the Lascaux and Chauvet Caves. [1] The species has a largely negative reputation in both Western culture and African folklore. In the former, the species is mostly regarded as ...
The striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena) is a species of hyena 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 .
The aardwolf (Proteles cristatus [3]) is an insectivorous hyaenid species, native to East and Southern Africa.Its name means "earth-wolf" in Afrikaans and Dutch. [4] [5] It is also called the maanhaar-jackal [6] [7] (Afrikaans for "mane-jackal"), termite-eating hyena [8] and civet hyena, based on its habit of secreting substances from its anal gland, a characteristic shared with the African civet.
It is still unclear whether the genus evolved in Africa or Asia, although the oldest known fossils are from Africa and dated to about 3.8 mya. [1] The earliest remains from Asia currently attributed to the genus is Crocuta honanensis from the Early Pleistocene of China dating to around 2.5-2.2 million years ago, but its relationship to the living spotted hyena is ambiguous.
It is currently the rarest species of hyena. [7] The largest remaining brown hyena population is located in the southern Kalahari 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 as near threatened in the IUCN ...
Pachycrocuta is an extinct genus of prehistoric hyenas.The largest and most well-researched species is Pachycrocuta brevirostris, colloquially known as the giant short-faced hyena as it stood about 90–100 cm (35–39 in) at the shoulder [1] and it is estimated to have averaged 110 kg (240 lb) in weight, [2] approaching the size of a lioness, making it the largest known hyena.