In the African savannah, if the lion is the deserved overlord, then the spotted hyena is definitely called the "second brother of the prairie". As a "gang group" second only to lions in combat effectiveness, spotted hyenas dare to surround tigers, fight gray wolves, and beat grizzly bears.
But can you imagine? The african second brother should actually be called "second sister", because the strongest fighting force of the spotted hyena is not a male but a female, and every girl spotted hyena is male and vigorous, with a tintin that only a young man has. So the question is, female spotted hyenas seem to be "hermaphrodite", is this a genetic distortion, or the male incompetence?
Teenage girls also have lad parts?
Spotted hyenas are a special presence in the animal kingdom because females are more powerful and majestic than males.
In the spotted hyena family, a male weighs about 50 kg, but a female spotted hyena can weigh 82 kg. Females have strong forehumen and broad shoulders, which also makes them faster and more suitable for chasing prey.
Of course, these are only a small part of the difference between male and female spotted hyenas, and what really shocks them is the reproductive system.
Female spotted hyenas have extremely prominent external genitalia, both in size and shape, almost identical to male spotted hyenas, and female spotted hyenas also have a special function - Tintin can erect.
(Difference between male and female spotted hyenas)
In addition, female spotted hyenas also grow something similar to the male "testicles", and the reproductive tract of the female cannot be seen from the outside, which makes the female difficult to distinguish.
Although the physiological characteristics of female spotted hyenas are close to those of males, they appear to be yin and yang. But if you look carefully, you can still see the difference between male and female. Male spotted hyenas have pointed, slender, and long external genitalia, while female spotted hyenas are rounded, a feature that can be distinguished from the cubs when they are three months old.
Of course, in addition to the above characteristics can distinguish between male and female, the two large breasts of the spotted hyena when pregnant are enough to prove the secondary sex characteristics of females.
(Spotted hyena genitalia)
But we can imagine that the wife of a male spotted hyena is either Dwayne Johnson or Stallone, who is more courageous than Garrison's death squad, and does not know what the mood of the male spotted hyena is.
Since the gender characteristics of spotted hyenas are completely opposite to those of humans, is the social system of spotted hyenas also the opposite?
The answer is yes, if human beings continue to have patriarchal social ideas to this day, then the world of spotted hyenas is a purely matriarchal society, and female spotted hyenas are strong and solid to realize what is called "uncle treatment".
Matrilineal society of spotted hyenas:
In the spotted hyena family, because the female spotted hyena is strong in each body, five large and three thick, the social status is significantly higher than that of the male. Even the lowest-ranking female spotted hyenas will be treated more than any male spotted hyena.
For example, when the spotted hyenas eat collectively, it is always the female spotted hyenas who enjoy it first, then it is the turn of the cubs to eat, and finally the meat of the prey is left, and then it is the turn of the male spotted hyena to eat some leftover residue.
It also reminds people of the dregs custom of feudal society – women can't eat at the table.
In fact, young male spotted hyenas can also enjoy the status of mothers, and can kill adult female spotted hyenas that are lower than their mothers, but usually female spotted hyenas are not as familiar as young pups, because they know that cubs will one day grow up and become female breeding machines.
In addition, the spotted hyena treats its children differently as a matrilineal clan. The daughter will stay in the family to inherit the family property, and when the son grows up, he will "marry out" and become a husband and groom in another family. This also fundamentally eliminates the danger of inbreeding of spotted hyenas.
(Male spotted hyena)
Female spotted hyenas are also difficult to mate because of their special external reproductive structure and hidden external genital tract. It is absolutely impossible for a male to "rape" without the consent of the female spotted hyena, which further strengthens the social status of the female spotted hyena.
Therefore, if the male spotted hyena wants to have offspring, it must be obedient and flattering, and whisper to the female spotted hyena. It can also be seen that aggressive and characterful male spotted hyenas will not be welcomed in the marriage market, and only male spotted hyenas who "keep men's morality" will have the opportunity to gain the favor of female spotted hyenas.
This also makes us wonder why female spotted hyenas are so powerful and majestic, and can grow a tintin that only a young man has? Could it be a genetic mutation?
Why does the girl grow tintin?
The first cause is excess male hormones in female spotted hyenas. Spotted hyenas, even females, have high male hormones, which makes them aggressive.
Especially when the female spotted hyena is pregnant, it will provide a very high concentration of male hormones to the cubs in the belly, so that the female cubs can also grow large tintin, and the female's physical development, temperament and behavior are more courageous, approaching the males of the patriarchal society.
Among them, the male hormones given by the queen of the spotted hyena family to the offspring are higher than those of ordinary female spotted hyenas, so the "eldest daughter" in the spotted hyena family is generally aggressive from an early age, preparing for becoming the head of the family.
But the false tintin of female spotted hyenas also has many drawbacks, which makes their baby birth canal narrower than other mammals, only 2.5 centimeters wide. This leads to severe genital tract tears in the female spotted hyenas during pregnancy and childbirth, and may even bleed and die heavily.
For fetuses, the birth canal is too narrow and they are stuck in the reproductive tract, prone to lack of oxygen and death. Such a harsh way of fertility makes spotted hyenas prefer eugenics, giving birth to only one or two per litter, and trying to ensure the safety of mother and child.
At the same time, the milk of the spotted hyena is also the most abundant among mammals, and the lactation period of the spotted hyena is very long, usually lasting about one and a half years, and the spotted hyena in the cub period will also be protected by the entire family and enjoy a very high status. It seems that the juvenile life of the spotted hyena, both male and female, is very happy.
However, in the African savannah, the survival of the fittest is staged every day, so the small and female spotted hyena, by what means is it called "African second brother"?
A unique skill - extraction
This brings us to the infamous hunting method of spotted hyenas – extraction.
Because of their small size, spotted hyenas treat their prey in a dirty way. They chase their prey to exhaustion in swarms, and then take advantage of the prey's inattention to bite the muscles near each other's anuses.
Because the prey was caught in the most fragile "lifeline", it could only stand still and let it bite, and finally the intestines of the prey that were pulled out of the anus flowed to the ground. What is even more terrifying is that the prey is not dead at this time, and the spotted hyena can't wait to eat.
Spotted hyenas are not only able to catch herbivores such as cattle and sheep, but sometimes single lions can become the ghosts of the spotted hyena family, so they will be crowned as "second brothers" in Africa.
Write at the end:
From a human point of view, spotted hyenas, whether it is the growth mode of the sexes, or their hunting behavior, make it difficult for people to understand, and even feel that they are full of tricks. But in the survival of the fittest nature, petite spotted hyenas are undoubtedly smart, because only then can they survive the law of the jungle of survival of the fittest.
Bibliography:
[1] Green Hills of Africa. Approaching the spotted hyena [J]. We love science
Author: Lamb Review: Henna Proofreader: Plum